Solo Piranha for a community tank?

[Mighty Wizard]

While looking through the stock list of a local fish dude, I discovered he had Serrasalmus Eigenmanni in stock, and it got me wondering whether a lone Piranha would make a good addition to my tank. I've red about several cases of Piranhas in community tanks that worked out well, but also plenty of the opposite outcome.

Piranhas are ferocious fish, I know, but so are the other fish I keep in the big tank. Could it work if the Piranha is of similar or slightly lower body mass than the other inhabitants? Stock is as follows:

Polypterus Polli 16cm
Polypterus Delhezi 15cm
Red Wolf 15cm
Gibbiceps 14cm
And 3 rather large Ropefish.

The tank is 70g. Will upgrade to 190g after I move in a months time.

How would say, a 10cm Piranha go in here?

If you guys have any suggestions for Piranhas other than the Eigenmanni that stays under 20-30cm and could work with my setup, I'd love to hear them!

 

[nzafi]

Piranhas are not a community fish especially serrasalmus. It will just turn out bad. Only communities I've seen somewhat work were in ~500g.

 

[DarthRhom]

No that won't work out. Eigenmanni are pretty rare but listed as pretty aggressive. At worse case its gonna shred your other fishes fins.

 

[Yohanon]

While looking through the stock list of a local fish dude, I discovered he had Serrasalmus Eigenmanni in stock, and it got me wondering whether a lone Piranha would make a good addition to my tank. I've red about several cases of Piranhas in community tanks that worked out well, but also plenty of the opposite outcome.

Piranhas are ferocious fish, I know, but so are the other fish I keep in the big tank. Could it work if the Piranha is of similar or slightly lower body mass than the other inhabitants? Stock is as follows:

Polypterus Polli 16cm
Polypterus Delhezi 15cm
Red Wolf 15cm
Gibbiceps 14cm
And 3 rather large Ropefish.

The tank is 70g. Will upgrade to 190g after I move in a months time.

How would say, a 10cm Piranha go in here?

If you guys have any suggestions for Piranhas other than the Eigenmanni that stays under 20-30cm and could work with my setup, I'd love to hear them!

Any "community" fish in a piranha tank should be considered "edible dithers".

 

[Boomer1224]

NO WAY

 

[B. Hizzle]

concur with the others. not a good idea.

 

[Atfownz]

I've red about several cases of Piranhas in community tanks that worked out well

Please enlighten us with this cases because I sure want to see this cases that "worked out well" keeping piranhas in community tanks.

 

[Hendre]

Ropes are very biteable and will probably die if they recieve a bite from a P

I wouldn't recommend it

 

[FriedFlowerHornFillet]

Nonsense. Piranhas LOVE community tanks!

 

[koltsixx]

A solo Piranha is extremely unlikely to work IMO. The less aggressive Piranha's species like Reds will be extremely skittish if kept alone but even that won't stop them from being what they are, opportunistic predators that will take a nip when the mood strikes them. The more aggressive species will be fine alone but will be attacking tankmates for two biological imperatives. Namely to prey or as an act of aggression. Size won't matter as even at small sizes Piranha are notorious scale, fin and eye biters. In an enclosed area their tankmates are unable to avoid the attacks and are subject to damage more often then they would be in nature and will succumb to their wounds.

The closest you can probably come to a Piranha in a community is keeping a group of Pygopristis denticulata. Whether it's a "True Piranha is up for debate as there are people on both sides with good arguments. They are the only species in their Genus and have a different tooth and jaw structure then other "Piranha's". It is considered by some to be the most primitive Piranha and the one least adapted to a strictly predatory lifestyle. It's believed to feed on mainly seeds, fruit and some fish fins and flesh. I personally know of some who've kept them successfully in communities for long periods of time. They are however rarely imported from what I've seen and it will probably be a bit of a mission to find them.