Piranha Live Feeding Ethics Thread.

[Plasticmotif]

Ooh, I missed some stuff....

First off, I got my degrees in Fishery Science. I know about fish husbandry. I've kept nearly every species of Serrasalmus there is...the argument over live feeding is seriously dumb. You get people thinkin' it's 'cool' to feed mouse because they are perpetrating the idea that piranha are bloodthirsty killers. The same thing with sharks. My girlfriend was the same way....then I showed her them. Piranha are beautiful fish and actually fairly shy when it comes to 'moving targets'. Moving on.

If they eat it in the wild, they can, and should, eat it in captivity.

Feeder fish, scales, et cetra are fine. The problem from feeding live mammals is that IT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR THE FISH. In addition to being hard to digest, fish can lose an eye from flailing limbs. Scratches can lead to infections. Fungals can screw up an entire tank.

If you want to feed your fish live food it should be fish or insects. I never fed my fish live food, unless it came from my rubbermaid feeder tank. Any insect that got caught flying around was fair game too.

Mammals are gross. Tons and tons of dirty stuff all around us. They can also injure you fish -- and then there is the ethics of it all.


In the wild it's fairly rare for piranha to attack unwounded live animals. Fact.

So, knowing this, why subject another animal to something 'cruel and unusual'. In the pet trade many animals eat mice ALL the time in the wild. Piranha are not one of them. On the other hand, many other fish do. Trout love some field mice....anyway. I'm off my tirade.

The video was dumb. It wasn't even the original posters video. It's very old. It was around from the time of predatoryfish.net.

Don't perpetrate the wrong ideas about one of my favorite animals please. I'd like to keep them around.

 

[Hdeuce]

i know plenty of pitbull owners and have yet to meet one that is scared of their dog.

i raised my dogs properly, i am sorry that you are scared of the potential of your dog, maybe you should have chosen a different breed. i don't worry about the violent behavior that my dogs are capable of, i actually spend my time having fun with them and enjoying their wonderful temperment and loving personalities.

regardless of your attitude in regards to your dogs, i find your analogy hilarious, you are comparing a domesticated dog to a wild fish.

again you are twisting my words i said and i quote "ask any pitbull owner if they are afraid of there dog and you will get the same response" meaning that no we are not afraid of our dogs. That does not however mean that they are not potentially dangerous animals

 

[Hdeuce]

it seems that you have twisted my words in every post i have written on this forum instead of trying to read my words and find a problem with them why dont you admit the truth . Piranhas are potentially dangerous fish and people should be educated on that fact just as a pitbull is a strong dog which is also potentially dangerous . But just because an animal is potentially dangerous does not mean that they are to be afraid of if you treat them with the respect they deserve there will never be a problem . Educate the world and there wont be any problems . and quit trying to twist my words. The point of this entire argument has been the same. Education not ignorance is the way to keep people safe . IF YOU ARGUE WITH THAT YOU ARE AN IDIOT

 

[Negrodamus]

it seems that you have twisted my words in every post i have written on this forum instead of trying to read my words and find a problem with them why dont you admit the truth . Piranhas are potentially dangerous fish and people should be educated on that fact just as a pitbull is a strong dog which is also potentially dangerous . But just because an animal is potentially dangerous does not mean that they are to be afraid of if you treat them with the respect they deserve there will never be a problem . Educate the world and there wont be any problems . and quit trying to twist my words. The point of this entire argument has been the same. Education not ignorance is the way to keep people safe . IF YOU ARGUE WITH THAT YOU ARE AN IDIOT

education is right here: http://www.opefe.com/
not, right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjymIuP58dY
argue with that.

 

[koop171]

PLZ people keep this thread Clean.


Share your ideas and do not go afte each other of this thread WILL end up closed.


Plasticmotif siad it the best I feel so far. In the fact that feeding Piranha life mamals is bad for there health. And He gave Thre reasons. That is the kind of posting we need here.

I am still in the boat that the piranha should get live as a staple. but when I say live I mean fish.
I have still toyed with the idea of a mouse like I said allready but I do not know if it will ever happen.


As for people posting there feeding vids on the internet. That's a whole other debate. I don't care who posts what on the internet. If we were allowed to monitor the internet and take things down or delete them with no given athority of our own we would all be looking at a blank screen.

In short if you do not like the vids plz try not to watch. Trust me I know that's easier said then done.


KEEP IT CLEAN FOR THE SAKE OF THE THREAD.

 

[Plasticmotif]

it seems that you have twisted my words in every post i have written on this forum instead of trying to read my words and find a problem with them why dont you admit the truth . Piranhas are potentially dangerous fish and people should be educated on that fact just as a pitbull is a strong dog which is also potentially dangerous . But just because an animal is potentially dangerous does not mean that they are to be afraid of if you treat them with the respect they deserve there will never be a problem . Educate the world and there wont be any problems . and quit trying to twist my words. The point of this entire argument has been the same. Education not ignorance is the way to keep people safe . IF YOU ARGUE WITH THAT YOU ARE AN IDIOT

Since I've been reading here, Joe has given better advice than anyone else in this forum.

Everyone, listen to Joe. *(unless he says beefheart is bad )*

Piranha are safe. Even in the wild, the chances of you being bitten is really really low.

Hduece, don't end in absolutes. It makes you look dumb...er.

 

[Tango374]

Feeding a mouse to a snake and feeding a mouse to a schoal of Reds are not the same thing...
A constrictor cuts off blood flow to the mouses brain rendering it unconscious within seconds, death then comes due to asphyxiation.
From most vids I've seen...Piranhas usually go for the hind quarters first, sometimes it can take a few seconds...sometimes alot longer. There is no telling how long its going to take, but we all know how death comes and its not in one gulp...

Point being if I would have to choose between Severe strangulation or death buy a chainsaw...the choice isn't hard to make, but is that morally the same thing? I guess it depends on who you ask.

As stated before, these vids do NOTHING good for their reputations as pets. I'm no "activist" by any means....but I find these videos to be 95% entertainment for the keepers (who are usually uneducated as to piranhas natural diet). I don't know if anyones ever noticed but 99% of the mouse vids out there are live feedings. Almost never do you see them thawing a dead frozen mouse and offering it to the fish...this would go against the purpose of why these videos are truely made.

 

[Tango374]

Piranhas diet of warm blooded animal flesh is so minisule in the wild that it shouldn't even be considered in captivity if you ask me.



However, when concidering feeding live fish to piranhas....I don't have a problem with it at all as long as the keeper goes the extra step to assure the feeders are healthy and free of disease. Most seasoned piranha keepers learn that this is too much work and eventually go the smart route of feeding frozen/fresh prepared foods

 

[fishman256]

In my humble opinion, pirahna and other predatory should not be fed live foods in the aquarium if it is not necessary. Live feeding can be acceptable iitially if the ultimate goal is to ween the fish on to dead prey. As a fishkeeper I could not bring myself to sacrifice one species to feed another. Shurely would the piranha not attack dead food in a similar way a live prey?

 

[master.k.]

If a had a stick of TnT-I would light it off . After a while I would lose interest ,
(After about 100 time) . Eventually I would sit back and enjoy the dynamite
one and a while , anyone pick up what in lying down .