Wow, that's even more clarity! Sometimes I get so excited replying to post that I just typed so fast, that I think I just missed out on what I am trying to explain. I think it is almost a tiny spark of adrenaline when I reply to a post that I have some idea on.icthyophile said:Yes, it's good to clarify. I've seen too many payara/piraya confusion threads. It's almost like the old "Who's on first?" routine.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) does not regulate piranha in California or in any other state. Regulation of piranha differs from state to state. In California, piranha are solely regulated by the California Dept. of Fish and Game (CDFG) pursuant to the Fish and Game Code and Fish and Game Commission regulations. A permit is required from the CDFG to possess piranha in California, although such permits are typically only issued to public aquariums or educational institutions.
Payara (Hydrolycus spp.) are neither federally regulated by USFWS nor state regulated by CDFG. However, they are illegal in some other states, such as Texas, for example.
Thanks for the info!
I've never heard of Payara's (not piraya) being fed piranhas. But payaras are very cool to watch when they have a chance to get to the food. They can't compete for food against peacock bass, datnoids, and fast eating predators. The way I used to feed my payara was dump 10 dollars worth of feeders (that's about 100 medium size feeders, at 10 for a dolla). That was the only way it could get food is when every fish in the tank (Peacock bass, and datnoids, ATF) have their fill. I'd probably keep them with rays, bichirs, but not with the fast ones.
