aquawonder

1. How many piranhas can I keep in a ___ gallon tank?   

This is a rough list but here goes.         

My red belly lost its color at night is it O.K.?   

 Yes, piranhas tend to lose their color at night and when they are stressed, they will gain color when they are happy and when they are fighting.

2. What is the proper tank temperature for piranhas?   

Between 74 and 86 is O.K. with 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit being optimal temperature.

3. My piranhas freak out when the tank light comes on what can I do? 

   You need to lessen the lighting which can be done in several ways. First way is to use car window tint to cover the glass panel in the lid to reduce light by whatever ratio of tint you get. The second is to wrap half of the light tube (fluorescent only!) with electrical tape with a candy cane pattern. The final method is to spread aluminum foil over the glass panel with various hole poked through it to allow rays of light through.

4. What should I feed my piranha?

A variety of food is best. For healthy fish stay away from feeders. Piranhas do well with beef heart, shrimp, krill, steak, chicken, smelt, nightcrawlers, squid, fish fillets, pork and other various frozen meats. Make sure the meats do not contain any preservatives because they will destroy your fish's digestive system.

5. How fast do piranhas grow? 

   During adolescence piranhas grow around an inch per month until they reach around seven and a half inches after that it is usually around one to two inches per year.

6. What sex is my piranha?

Though it can be very hard to tell once you learn you fish's' character it can be possible. Read here Supernate's Piranha Sexing for more.

7. What kind of piranhas can be kept together?

   Pygocentrus specie piranhas can be kept in groups and Serrasalmus usually most be kept solitary

8. How long do piranhas live? 

   Piranhas in captivity have lived more than twenty years, but ten to fifteen can be considered normal.

9. What is the meanest piranha? 

   This question doesn't have and definite answer. However the Serrasalmus species have a high level of aggression and territoriality which make them meaner fish. The top three mean fish would be S. Rhombeus, S. Elongatus, and S.Brandtii in no specific order

10. My piranhas are skittish, how long will they be this way?  

  Juvenile piranhas are this way for a reason, it is their only defense at small sizes in the wild. Red bellies are the most skittish of piranhas and will remain that way until the start reaching maturity which is around six to eight inches.

11. My piranha is rubbing its sides in the tank, what is wrong? 

   Piranhas are like any other animal the scratch when they itch. However pay attention when this happens it can be a sign of several bad things. You water quality could be poor, the piranhas could be sick or have an infection, fungus  or parasite. So examine the fish and other fish of the tank if you see this behavior.

12. My piranha lost a fin how long does it take to grow back?  

  Piranhas regrow fins very quickly for a good reason, think of how many times the lose them around other piranhas. Fins can be completely regrown within two weeks.

13. My piranha lost an eye, or its lips will it grow back?  

  Eyes will never grow back and lips rarely do completely.

14. My piranha suffered a body bite what should I do?   

 Separate the wounded fish with either a divider or a hospital tank and then treat it with one tsp. of aquarium salt/ 5 gallons of water and a tank temp of 82 degrees. This treatment solves most piranha ailments occurred.

15. What pH should my water be? What hardness should my water be? What should be the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings  of my water be?   

 Check here Supernate's Tank Care

16. What other fish can I put with my piranhas?   

 Though it isn't guaranteed success these fish fair best with piranhas. Black fish  that are fast do much better than other fish. Convicts and Plecostumous are the most successful that I have dealt with. Other possible tank mates are neons, tiger barbs, oscars, rainbow sharks and snails.

17. How can I maximize the growth of my piranhas?   

Several things can be done to maximize growth. First you can buy a powerhead which will create a strong current in the tank for the fish to swim against and exercise more. Feeding twice a day with high protein foods will also help. Keeping the tank temp close to 82 degrees is another important thing. Fish also grow much faster if their tank water is clean, so I recommend a weekly cleaning of at least 20%, I change about 30% weekly on my tank.

18. My piranha has an infection on it or a bite how should I treat the piranha?

 The safest treatment is to follow Clay's treatment which is Maracyn II on days 1,2,3,4,5,6
Penicillin on days 1,3,5. Treat one tablet per 10g. Most other products out there will kill piranhas because they are highly sensitive to medications and other chemicals.

19. My piranha lost its teeth what will happen now?   

Piranhas shed their teeth a whole row at a time either top or bottom. The grow back quickly and sometimes you don't even see the teeth because the lips cover them.

20. The Local Fish Store (lfs) has a piranha labeled ____ what kind of piranha is this?   

Piranhas are frequently mislabeled in lfs. The best way to determine what specie the fish is, is to figure out what genus it is either Pygocentrus or Serrasalmus which is quite easy to do all you have to look at is the head and whether its concave or convex. Concave means  it is a Serrasalmus and convex means it is a Pygocentrus . Then follow that link to that Genus's page and try to match a picture with that fish and I have listed the most frequent aliases with each fish. If you are still un-clear try looking at the bottom of this page Click Here! If you have any further questions about identification you can

Question: Are Piranhas Dangerous?

 

Answer: A really hungry Piranha will bite most anything, even his own kin. However, Piranha normally feasts on other species of fish or wounded animals -- not humans. In fact, more piranhas are eaten by people then people are eaten by piranhas. Although I haven't had the pleasure of eating piranha myself, people in some areas of South America eat them regularly and say they are quite tasty.

How Dangerous Are They?

Fish expert, Dr. Axelrod, once stated on network television that piranhas are not dangerous to people. Later he was dared to prove it, and prove it he did. He waded into piranha infested waters wearing only swim trunks. Placing a large piece of meat on a fishhook, he dangled it in the water and waited to see what happened. The piranha tore into the meat but not Dr. Axelrod. Although I wouldn't recommend reaching in the tank to pet your piranha, as long as they are well fed they aren't likely to bite you.

Are Piranhas Legal?

Even though piranhas are not endangering humans, they do present a danger to native fish. For that reason many states restrict importing, breeding, or even keeping them in an aquarium. Why? Unfortunately people have, and will, dump fish they don't want into rivers or lakes. A piranha tossed into river or lake an easily fish that are supposed to live there, thus damaging the ecology.

Should You Keep Them?

Piranhas are not the most ideal aquarium fish. They can't be kept with other fish, because they would eat them. Unless your tank is bare, you won't see them out and about often, because they are rather skittish and hide a good deal of the time. Feeding time is when you will see the most action, and even then they may wait for you to leave the room before they feed.

If you are serious about wanting to keep piranha, study what they need to stay healthy. Piranhas are carnivores that prefer their food live. They need a quiet habitat with places to hide, and should not be kept with other fish, even their own species. Because of the danger they present to local habitats, piranhas are not legal in many states, so check your local laws before trying to bring one home.