Miraculous Piranha Healing.

[Yinikren]

I bought a young (<2") spilopleura about two weeks ago. He was a mail-order fish, and arrived with no tail. Zip. Nada. Not a single fin ray. His tail was basically truncated right at the caudal peduncle.

In a normal fish, the fin would probably never regrow, or would look stunted and malformed.

In those two weeks, after heavy food and tri-weekly water changes, he's grown about half an inch of fin rays back, and they are very slightly starting to splay upwards and down.

Does anyone have any experience with what has happened here? I recall hearing someplace that piranhas heal stupid fast, due to their parasitic nature. This is my first experience keeping them after 12 years in the hobby.

If this is the case, can I expect a full recovery? 80%? 60%?

 

[Diogenes]

they heal like weapon x. wouldnt be surprised if he made a full recovery.

 

[jp80911]

if just fins missing then it'll probably make 100% recover (if nothing goes wrong in between), just keep water quality top notch.

 

[ballinouttacntrol]

there's a gold piranha at my local shop that's missing it's tail for 2, maybe 3 months now that hasn't grown anything. Still has a stub, i'm sure they'll prob never sell it but he still doesn't want to give me a discount.

 

[brich999]

should be fine, my rbp got a chunk taken out of him the size of a dime when he was like 3 inches long right in the stomach, less than a month later, cant tell which one it was

 

[Yinikren]

That healing is crazy, thanks guys. Its marginal band colored up and the clear part of the fin just past it is growing in fast. And that sucks, Ballin, it sounds like he got tagged right before where the fin ways would start growing.

 

[bluehighways]

Piranha regeneration abilities are amazing. When I bought my rb's they were 2" or slightly less. One of them had his tail completely bitten off, just like the OP's fish. I mean there was NOTHING there but a stump. He couldn't even swim right and I thought for sure he was a goner.

Lo and behold he is now second in command in the tank. His tail grew back, a bit deformed but it's there and he gets around just fine. He's about 4.5" now. They can re-grow lost parts like nothing I've ever seen.

 

[patrick714]

Glad to hear he's doing better

 

[frontosablkrhom]

there's a gold piranha at my local shop that's missing it's tail for 2, maybe 3 months now that hasn't grown anything. Still has a stub, i'm sure they'll prob never sell it but he still doesn't want to give me a discount.

some fish stores are butt-holes..

 

[Twandeezy]

wow I had no idea