My P's Are Getting Their Eyes Eaten Off

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tvanslooten

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 20, 2005
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South Dakota
I have 5 Caribe Piranha (all about 2 inches) and one of them has a chunk eaten out of his back and his right is eye completely gone. Then I found another one that also has an eye completely gone and several tears in his fins and tail. I've had RBP's in the past and while one or two would occasionally get eaten, I have never seen their eyes missing.

Is it normal for Caribe to eat the eyes of others they don't like?

Once these two bite the dust, I'll be down to 3. What can I do to prevent losing any more? I feed these guys 2 times a day and I have the water temp set at 77. The tank is 120 gallons and has plenty of cover for these guys to hide. I don't know what I can do at this point.

Travis
 
tvanslooten said:
I have 5 Caribe Piranha (all about 2 inches) and one of them has a chunk eaten out of his back and his right is eye completely gone. Then I found another one that also has an eye completely gone and several tears in his fins and tail. I've had RBP's in the past and while one or two would occasionally get eaten, I have never seen their eyes missing.

Is it normal for Caribe to eat the eyes of others they don't like?

Once these two bite the dust, I'll be down to 3. What can I do to prevent losing any more? I feed these guys 2 times a day and I have the water temp set at 77. The tank is 120 gallons and has plenty of cover for these guys to hide. I don't know what I can do at this point.

Travis
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Well ur tank is too big imo for juvies there for hard to control feeding, at that age pygos need a constant supply of food but also not foul the water, so its a tricky combination but feed a few times per day a variety of food, I'd also get some meat in there, talapia and shrimp are good and it can be left for 6 or so hours to have food while ur away. Also low lite helps and a lot of cover. You can try some dithers like small tetras or guppies, even ghost shrimp work.





Go S. Vettel #1 rb8
 
Oh and more caribes that size will help spread aggression out better and help with skiddishness maybe get half a 3-5 more imo

You could even get red bellies same size.



Go S. Vettel #1 rb8
 
Pygos in general are capable of this type of damage to their shoal mates. Peek's former shoalmate ATE the third one after I brought Peek home as a solo. It could be feeding issues, or it could be aggression issues. Try out F1's suggestion of keeping food more available, but if you go with dithers, get some feeders, nurse them back to health, and throw them in. I have chubby, healthy rosy minnows (that I personally "patched up") in with Peek-a-Boo for her to chase, as well as some cheap crayfish to hunt when they're stupid enough to show themselves.
 
BRUNER247 said:
What are you feeding
Click to expand...

Beef heart, raw shrimp, and walleye (a fish I caught last weekend and cleaned and froze).

Is it possible to save the two that have missing eyes? Could I put them in another tank temporarily until they heal and then introduce them back to the shoal...or will they just get attacked again? I can't see how these guys could heal in the tank they are in now. I have a feeling they'll be lunch one of these days real soon. I'm thinking they should be removed. Not sure what to do.

To the other comment about adding more...I can mix RBP's with Caribe? I didn't know that. So you're saying I should have like a shoal of 12 of them? My concern is what do I do once these guys start growing? I don't have room for another tank so sooner or later I would have to remove half of them and basically kill them (or try to sell them to someone).

Travis
 
tvanslooten said:
Beef heart, raw shrimp, and walleye (a fish I caught last weekend and cleaned and froze).

Is it possible to save the two that have missing eyes? Could I put them in another tank temporarily until they heal and then introduce them back to the shoal...or will they just get attacked again? I can't see how these guys could heal in the tank they are in now. I have a feeling they'll be lunch one of these days real soon. I'm thinking they should be removed. Not sure what to do.

To the other comment about adding more...I can mix RBP's with Caribe? I didn't know that. So you're saying I should have like a shoal of 12 of them? My concern is what do I do once these guys start growing? I don't have room for another tank so sooner or later I would have to remove half of them and basically kill them (or try to sell them to someone).

Travis
Click to expand...
Yes u can mix similiar sized pygos! Not 12 maybe 7 or so.



If ur 2 one eyed monsters are doing real had then yes quarintine.


Go S. Vettel #1 rb8
 
Just thought I'd update this thread. I never did remove the two P's with missing eyes. Long story short, the smaller of the two was just eaten a couple weeks ago but the other one is doing just fine. He's actually one of the bad asses in the tank now...lol. I bought 5 originally figuring I would end up with 3 so even at 4 now I'm doing o.k.

Travis


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Losing eyes and fins at small sizes is a hunger thing IMO. Ive had rbp lose eyes, and had cariba almost lose eyes. The body bites is pretty common and ive never had a shoal that didnt do that. Just keep the cleanest water you can, do plenty of water changes, and have a clean diet and they heal up real quick.

Glad your one eyed cariba is doing well though. I personally think piranha look badass with some battlescars.
 
what are you doing feeding them walley? :). your supposed to eat that. i feed mine northern. i cut a hunk off run a piece of fishing line threw it and hang it in the water.there is always fish hanging in my tank.1 started with 10 in my and have 7 left.
 
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