Red Bellies Need Help!!!

[parker64]

My red bellied piranha are a dull blackish silver color i want them to regain there vibrant red bellies they are about a year old and at about 5 inches plz help

 

[jp80911]

what have you been feeding them? usually diet and water quality will help bring out the color, also the color of substrate and tank background would help a bit. However, do keep in mind that as rbps get older they will loose the vibrant red and become what you are seeing now.

 

[parker64]

yea i feed them a diet of hikari carnivore pellets shrimp pellets and talapia and yea i figured

 

[ballinouttacntrol]

substrate and background color?

 

[parker64]

background is blue with green plants and substrate is pebbles brown light tan and like clear but there like the smooth rocks not jagged and some cobblestones

 

[Young Piranha]

background is blue with green plants and substrate is pebbles brown light tan and like clear but there like the smooth rocks not jagged and some cobblestones

Feed them some cod, tilapia, etc.

Also include fruits and veggies into their diet. I've found that red bellies like green peas, cucumbers, bananas, and other nutritious foods.

 

[Otherone]

Peas & Bananna's? - Sounds more like Red Bellied Pacu's but anythings possible I guess.

If you have intense Lighting - that can dull the visual color of your fish. The vibrant coloration will be more visibale under low lighting conditions.

 

[Young Piranha]

Peas & Bananna's? - Sounds more like Red Bellied Pacu's but anythings possible I guess.

If you have intense Lighting - that can dull the visual color of your fish. The vibrant coloration will be more visibale under low lighting conditions.

Yup, my little guys especially like green peas :]