My first piranha's arrived today. NEED HELP

[TimTheBadass]

My first ever piranha's arrived today. I have 16 nattereri at around 3". I have put them in a 48x18x18 temporarily until I get the 180g sorted out. I will keep 10 in the 180g for life and sell the rest when when they reach 7".

I've noticed a few of them have little chunks bitten out the top of the head just in front of the dorsal fin. Will this heal up and what can I do to help them along?

 

[jp80911]

yes those will heal up very quickly. what you can do is keep the water quality good and dose the tank with aquarium salt, just follow the instruction on the container.

 

[Diogenes]

My first ever piranha's arrived today. I have 16 nattereri at around 3". I have put them in a 48x18x18 temporarily until I get the 180g sorted out. I will keep 10 in the 180g for life and sell the rest when when they reach 7".

I've noticed a few of them have little chunks bitten out the top of the head just in front of the dorsal fin. Will this heal up and what can I do to help them along?

First of all it sounds like you've got a good plan. You'll probably lose a couple to cannibalism too so overstocking w/ plans to whittle down means you've already thought this through. Thats awesome kudos to you sir.

All P's but especially pygos have amazing powers of regeneration. They'll suffer fin nips from time to time but the speed they grow back is amazing. They're amazingly resistant to disease too. Few nips on juvies should heal up super fast. The only thing they seem to be susceptible to is parasites, but that's because a lot are wild caught.

PICS!? especially of the 180g when you get it sorted out...

 

[Ohio Entusiast]

As everyone else has said, they'll heal amazingly fast. You can help them along by bumping the temperature up [around 83-84 and adding aquarium salt.

 

[Dankzville]

ok wats aquarium slat do??

 

[zerojquan85]

My first ever piranha's arrived today. I have 16 nattereri at around 3". I have put them in a 48x18x18 temporarily until I get the 180g sorted out. I will keep 10 in the 180g for life and sell the rest when when they reach 7".

I've noticed a few of them have little chunks bitten out the top of the head just in front of the dorsal fin. Will this heal up and what can I do to help them along?

this means they were attacked by other Piranha... if its fins.. it should be okie. they'll grow back.. if its any part of the body... it might not... I watched a video on piranha and they explained that Piranha actually don't trust other piranha.. they will stay alert of the other.. but they wont attack each other in fear of death... but they WILL attack any weaker piranha.. so.. my advice.. feed them enough from now on to make sure all the fish don't get hungry and get cannibalistic..

 

[jp80911]

usually the body will grow back as well as long as it is not too serious. you may still see the bite mark after it is healed but they will generally grow back, espeically if it's just some small nip. keep them well fed, as when they are young you need to feed them multiple times a day

 

[nyinfamous2k2]

picsssss

 

[TimTheBadass]

Thanks for the help guys. The bites are actually a clean chunk taken out the flesh just in front of the dorsal. I've been studying the fish and noticed that a couple of them have old injuries where they are have completely grown back the tissue. The scales are darker in the exact shape of the bite marks.
I'm hoping they are clean of parasites. I bought them from another hobbyist who bred them from wild parents. The guy says he has sold about 3000 baby piranha's to LFS in the past year.
I don't have any lights on the tank yet so I'll do my best for pics.

 

[T.K.O.P. 8=X]

The bite chunks will heal up within a week or so. Treat with salt keep your water crystal clear & add slime coat with aloe. It will do i full heal with little scar or slight deforming. If at 3" you will lose some, usually the weaker ones or you'll get a biter in the shoal. Who is the most dominant of the group territorial & real aggressive or sometimes goes for the eyes & eats them or causes eye damage to another.


When they're juveniles some bite wounds are from being to small of a tank together, in most cases not being fed enough. Some will get them as they eat accidental/bump biting going for the food. Scouts/smaller or runty piranha are the ones who locate the food then it's basically a pile on cause the other has it.