I cannot sex Piranha's. You are probably best to buy some, wait till you have enough money, then buy some more within a 3-4 month period. Piranha's are just like tetras. They need to be in schools. Thats the cardinal rule.
Advice on Buying First Piranhas
- Thread starter Claw
- Start date
You dont need to keep p.s in groups. I had a RB solo for a long time, and he was just like any other solo show fish. They are alot more skittish at first to keep them alone, or small group. But given time they become more active. You need a 55 to keep a solo RB then atleast a 90 to keep 3 or more...
bigredjeep;1310674; said:
i too have kept solo rbp before, actually when i added 6 more i hated it. the solo rbp was so used to being alone that it was a constant war between him and the others, and yes they were roughly the same size, etc....
if i were you and the largest tank you can afford is a 40 stick with just one, it will be just fine.
I callled the LFS yesterday and he said that it costs $40- 3 and 1/2 inch piranha, so I think that I am just going to think about buying 2 for now or if you say 1 is fine then i do not mind doing that. If I am going to buy them it will probably be after the 26th of this month or maybe after the 17th (exams finish and School closes up for holidays); on the 19th I am going out of the country for a week so that is why I thought it would be better to buy the piranha after I come back. I asked another LFS what equipment is available to cool the tank and he said that there are chillers but they cost a minimum of $700 ( which is way too expensive for me). I have a heater already and it can be preset to keep the tank at a certain temperature so I have got the winter situation under control, only problem is to cool the tank.
Claw;1312634; said:
I dont think heat is a problem, cause they are tropical fish.. and are you sure you want to keep RBP? they can be very skittish at times.. A peek-ka-poo can spook them out xD
Ever consider a Rhom? slow growing and big solatairy fish? ^^
I thought chiller is good for marine fish.. never heard you use them on RBP :O correct me if Im wrong :O
I don't think it has been stated what type of piranha you are aiming to purchase which plays a big part in what tank you will need to house it. I saw in your original post that you didn't know either, I'm just wondering if this has been brought to light yet.
Has this dealer told you if they were "pygocentrus" or "serrasalmus"?
Like it has been stated, Serra's are solitarty fish (with some few exceptions)while the 3 species of pygo's (red bellies) are the only piranha's that can be kept in groups but that by no means is a rule. It is true that a solitary young pygo will be shy, but so will a young serra. It takes time before the fish learns that its not in danger...some longer then others.
A 10 gallon tank is by far too small. If you're looking for temperary housing for a small piranha, I've always had good luck with a 20 long
(30"Lx12"Wx12"H) which holds a single serra or pygo for quite some time but if you have multiple pygo's obvioulsy the tank will become too small quickly(serras will usually reach 6" within a year and slow considerably after that, pygo's will grow faster).
Piranhas are sexually dimorphic.
Has this dealer told you if they were "pygocentrus" or "serrasalmus"?
Like it has been stated, Serra's are solitarty fish (with some few exceptions)while the 3 species of pygo's (red bellies) are the only piranha's that can be kept in groups but that by no means is a rule. It is true that a solitary young pygo will be shy, but so will a young serra. It takes time before the fish learns that its not in danger...some longer then others.
A 10 gallon tank is by far too small. If you're looking for temperary housing for a small piranha, I've always had good luck with a 20 long
(30"Lx12"Wx12"H) which holds a single serra or pygo for quite some time but if you have multiple pygo's obvioulsy the tank will become too small quickly(serras will usually reach 6" within a year and slow considerably after that, pygo's will grow faster).
Piranhas are sexually dimorphic.
Tango374;1313016; said:
Finally-Way to go Tango-Glad to see the good advise here.....
Want to learn about Piranha's my friend-
Read up on this site-Best around for Piranha info-
OPEFE.com-It will take care of all your needs on piranha keeping....
Tango-Way to go with filling in all the big blanks in one shot!! *throws confetti*
As Tango, Bigredjeep, and Dmopar have said, you can keep a pygo piranha as a single specimen. It takes them a bit longer to come out of their shell, but you don't have to worry about space, numbers, or your favorite fish getting eaten.
To add to what Tango said about solo pygos, you must remember that EACH ANIMAL IS DIFFERENT!
We have 2 RBPs, each is the only piranha in their tank. One has 2 plecos in with him, until the other gets bigger and one's going to her tank.
The larger one (4"-4.5), whom we've had since August, is a shy fella.
The small one (2" or less) is out and about her tank CONSTANTLY!!
We've been using the same methods, and spend the same amount of time around their tanks, so one isn't more conditioned than the other, it's just their personalities.
Have fun, good luck, and let us know when you find out what species they are!!
~Sushi
As Tango, Bigredjeep, and Dmopar have said, you can keep a pygo piranha as a single specimen. It takes them a bit longer to come out of their shell, but you don't have to worry about space, numbers, or your favorite fish getting eaten.
To add to what Tango said about solo pygos, you must remember that EACH ANIMAL IS DIFFERENT!
We have 2 RBPs, each is the only piranha in their tank. One has 2 plecos in with him, until the other gets bigger and one's going to her tank.
The larger one (4"-4.5), whom we've had since August, is a shy fella.
The small one (2" or less) is out and about her tank CONSTANTLY!!
We've been using the same methods, and spend the same amount of time around their tanks, so one isn't more conditioned than the other, it's just their personalities.
Have fun, good luck, and let us know when you find out what species they are!!
~Sushi
