Question about my black piranha temperament?

[Mike667]

Hey guys,
Just had a question about my black piranha temperament..
90 gallon tank, has hiding spots, plants, rocks, etc.
I have had the rhom for about 7 months, size is now about 5-6 inches. But he still seems to be shy?
I feed only tilalpia, shrimp and smelts..
I have only fed it live fish thrice since owning it in the last 7 months. And even then he only attacked them at night with lights off.
He only eats when the lights are off and I leave the room. He will not eat with lights on or if I am in the same room?
If I approach the tank, he’s very skiddish and hides immediately?

Is this normal behaviour? Beautiful fish, but I don’t want him to be skiddish like that? What are your thoughts?

 

[Justjoshinya]

I've owned many piranhas I currently have a 14 year old sanchezi, he hides while the lights are own and does his hunting at night as well. This is typical serrasalmus behavior. I find that when the piranha has a spot to hide from the light and people that they actually hide less because they feel more secure and will come out more than if they had no where to retreat to.

You say you have hiding spots but I'd suggest building a little cave that shades it from light. I use a large plastic planter that I cut into 1/4s it's a round container and its against the back wall so he can swim inside and have a dark cave while the lights are on.

My sanchezi is shy of other people but he is never shy with me he associates me with food so he knows he better come to the glass when it's time to feed or he doesn't get fed. 7 months is still kinda new and at 5 inches a rhom is most likely still a sub adult and will be skiddish. But all piranha have a personality and if you give him time he will display that personality.

 

[Mike667]

Thanks for the reply. I think I will give the the cave thing a try and buy one of those planter pots.

 

[Justjoshinya]

The pot I got was from Sam's club and it looks like a wood half barrel planter but from plastic. I cut it in half then cut a quarter from one of the halves that is against my back wall and the gravel so it makes a little cave I used to only have drift wood and had hide behind that all the time but would NEVER come out while the lights were on. Once I gave him his little dark cave he spends most his time in there but he comes out and swims around does a few laps against the glass to try and get my attention then goes back to his cave. I always feed him after he comes out and does some laps to try and enforce this behavior If he doesn't eat it within 30 minutes I pull it out. I feed him very inconsistent sometimes every other day little pieces sometimes I'll only feed him once a week but I'll throw in a huge piece and let him have his fill and pull it out a couple hours later. But hes an old big boy juvenile piranha should be fed every day and sub adults fed at least every other day. Once they get size and heft they tend to eat a lot in one sitting and sometimes not eat anything offered for a few days.

 

[nzafi]

I've owned many piranhas I currently have a 14 year old sanchezi, he hides while the lights are own and does his hunting at night as well. This is typical serrasalmus behavior. I find that when the piranha has a spot to hide from the light and people that they actually hide less because they feel more secure and will come out more than if they had no where to retreat to.

You say you have hiding spots but I'd suggest building a little cave that shades it from light. I use a large plastic planter that I cut into 1/4s it's a round container and its against the back wall so he can swim inside and have a dark cave while the lights are on.

My sanchezi is shy of other people but he is never shy with me he associates me with food so he knows he better come to the glass when it's time to feed or he doesn't get fed. 7 months is still kinda new and at 5 inches a rhom is most likely still a sub adult and will be skiddish. But all piranha have a personality and if you give him time he will display that personality.

Good job on keeping him for 14 years. You from the old piranha boards?

 

[Justjoshinya]

Yes on a few boards before most died, yea he will be turning 14 this December I've always loved piranha especially serras I like their solitary nature and their individual personality. I'm currently redoing my tank but it's been slow going with a few unforeseen problems. So can't get any pics of my little guy

 

[nzafi]

Yes on a few boards before most died, yea he will be turning 14 this December I've always loved piranha especially serras I like their solitary nature and their individual personality. I'm currently redoing my tank but it's been slow going with a few unforeseen problems. So can't get any pics of my little guy

Awesome. I used to be on waterwolves, predatoryfish.net and others that were more focused on piranha. I had a rhom for 17 years before it passed two years ago. There is a member on here that has a rhom for ~35 years.

 

[monkeybike]

I put a piranha tank in a high traffic area in my house, and it seemed like it helped it get used to people a lot quicker than when I had one in a side room. The fish fed with the lights on and swam in the open, compared to hiding when I would walk in the room. Must have desensitized them with all the activity.

 

[Justjoshinya]

Yea my tank is by the door that leads from the garage to the kitchen we use this door constantly it's good for them to get used to motion and people traffic but still no guarantee it wont spook them but I believe definitely helped. Yea piranha can live for a long time if cared for right you could have a lifelong pet. Glad to see there are quite a few piranha peeps on this forum.