I finally got my red bellies today. They are about 1.5" and integrated into my tank with no problems. I bought some frozen bloodworms and rosy reds to feed them. At the moment, the RBP's have little red to their anal fins and black spots over their bodies. I was wondering about what size do they start to show brighter red colors? Also what types of food will help in the color? What is the best water conditions to get best color also? My ph is sitting steady at 7.0 and ammonia is 0 with 78 degree temperature. I will post pics soon. Feel free to post yours!!! thanks
Food for color
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my friend picked up 15 red bellys about 2 months ago. they looked like yours when he first got them. he kept losing some evry week until he was down to 2 
. so he called me up and asked me to take them because he knew they wouldnt last. one died that night and one is getting fat on hikari sinking pellets he loves em. my friend was only feeding it flesh. the anal fin is red and fins but hes still very silver at about 2 and a half inches. so give it a couple months and youll see some red. my best advice is to put some dithers in there so they dont feed on eachother and feed them 3 times a day. ill post a pic of my redbelly soon. when hes big enough he will shoal with my caribe. try pelets,.
. so he called me up and asked me to take them because he knew they wouldnt last. one died that night and one is getting fat on hikari sinking pellets he loves em. my friend was only feeding it flesh. the anal fin is red and fins but hes still very silver at about 2 and a half inches. so give it a couple months and youll see some red. my best advice is to put some dithers in there so they dont feed on eachother and feed them 3 times a day. ill post a pic of my redbelly soon. when hes big enough he will shoal with my caribe. try pelets,.
G-Code;2835876; said:
dude stay away from rosy reds. They're full of thiaminase inhibiting hormone, and parasites. All barbs are junk food, including goldfish (cypronids sp?) Really bad idea. Feed tetras, cichlids, livebearers, shrimp, fish filet, maybe evena little beefheart every once in a while. Pellets if you can make it happen, but no barbs.
again.......
they aren't going to show much color until they get a little bigger.. like maybe 4-5 inches..
but to get them to "pop" into that reddish color early.. feed them alot of shrimp.. also try to get them on a decent pellet food.. that will make them healthier and also save you money in the long run..
i feed my guys hikari floating food sticks during the week, and beef heart/shrimp/fish fillets on the weekends.. they have grown to 7 inches in less than 6 months..
but to get them to "pop" into that reddish color early.. feed them alot of shrimp.. also try to get them on a decent pellet food.. that will make them healthier and also save you money in the long run..
i feed my guys hikari floating food sticks during the week, and beef heart/shrimp/fish fillets on the weekends.. they have grown to 7 inches in less than 6 months..
frontosablkrhom;2836038; said:my friend picked up 15 red bellys about 2 months ago. they looked like yours when he first got them. he kept losing some evry week until he was down to 2
And where the hell did he keep those reds?... in a buckett?.
Reds are a quite resistant spices and what you have stated your friend did with his reds just tells me about an outmost careless and ignorance regarding piranha keeping.
I have 6 reds I got them when they were 1.5" and know they range from 6" to 4.5" and are quite colorful. By now they are 7.5 months old.
By the way, casualties: 0.0
This is one of them:
lol i got some red belly piranas all eaten by my red oscar and red devil and a couple of convicts around 4 months after i got them and they head a really nice color red with dark black spots