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~Paul~
The first question you have to ask then, is what species?


To a large extent, here in the UK, there is a common answer and it's likely that you want to keep the Red Belly Piranha (Pygocentrus natteri). This species is by way and far the most common species seen in the UK, other species are available from time to time, however these are generally only held by specialist 'odd ball' shops, and then only with great infrequency.

The rules for keeping piranhas however apply equally to most species with a few common rules and so the description here will apply mainly to keeping Red Belly's, but is applicable as a starting point to all other species (particular reference to keeping the other species can be found with the species descriptions).



How many will you want to keep?


Obviously single specimens will require less space than multiple. However red belly piranhas (and all other Pygocentrus sp.) look much better and settle into aquarium life easier if kept in groups of at least 4 individuals.



The Aquarium


What size tank can you house? Piranhas need big tanks! They are messy fish that are quite active, and on the whole grow to a large size, the red belly, will if given proper care grow to more than 12" in length, other Pygocentrus sp. Will grow to more than 15" and some of the Serrasalmus sp. grow to more than 2ft in length. Get the biggest tank you can. Gifts of chocolate, flowers, car cleaning and weekends away are all useful tools in the securing of big fish tanks.

Piranhas grow quickly , red belly juveniles will grow from 1" to 6" in less than 1 yr with proper care, from then on they will grow approximately 1 to 3" per year depending upon species and conditions.

The best aquariums are the normal rectangular type. At a very minimum, one red belly piranha could be kept for its life in a 3ft standard aquarium (normally 12" wide and 15" deep here in the UK). A group of juveniles could be grown on in an aquarium this size for a few months, however, overcrowding leads to fighting, reduced growth rates and fish that are more susceptible to stress related diseases.

The minimum size aquarium for a group of 4 red belly piranhas would be 4ft long, 18" wide and 18" deep . This may seem like a large aquarium, but, as a general rule, piranhas need approximately 20 gallons of water per fish. This size aquarium will hold approximately 70 gallons (so barely up to size) and weigh nearly 850lbs when full.

Obviously the bigger the aquarium, the quicker the fish will grow and the more naturally they will behave.

1. Pygo species do …. Most Serrasalmus species have much slower growth rates!

2. It is sometimes possible to keep piranhas in two's or three's but invariably one fish will become dominant and eventually kill the others, keeping four disperses aggression sufficiently to ensure that all will bare only a limited amount of the aggression.



Water Quality


Because of the predatory nature of piranhas they tend to be fed meaty / fishy foods, they also have very healthy appetites and an ability to gorge themselves regularly. These habits will cause rapid deterioration of water quality, unless husbandry is top class.

It goes without saying that any uneaten food should be removed soon after the piranhas have finished eating, the last thing that you want is a smelly polluted tank, which is not good for either the fish or the keeper.

All piranha species come from South America, most from riverine environments (there are secluded lake based populations of many species, although these are difficult to find in the aquarium hobby). This natural tendency for flowing water should be replicated in the aquarium. All species benefit from good circulation in the aquarium. This, of course, is linked to filtration.

As would be expected, filtration for any piranha aquarium should be strong and effective. Most piranha keepers utilise power filtration, usually in the form of internal or external power filters . The best filtration is external canister type (the most popular makes being Eheim and Fluval, although there are several cheaper alternatives); these combine biological, mechanical and chemical filtration into one tidy unit. There is also the added advantage of not having to disturb the aquarium whilst undertaking filter maintenance. As a general rule the total volume of the aquarium should pass through the filter at least 4 times an hour, where groups of piranhas are being kept, this should be increased.

The return outlets to the aquarium can be used to create a current. Additional current can be provided through the use of power-heads placed within the aquarium. Piranhas kept in aquarium with a strong current tend to be better toned, fitter, more active, more aggressive and grow more quickly than those kept in aquarium with very little current.

The water itself should be maintained at a temperature of between 78 and 82 degrees F. This is simply achieved through the use of standard combine heater / thermostats. As a general rule heaters should be provided at the rate of 4 watts per gallon, therefore a 70 gallon aquarium will require approximately 280 watts of heater …a 300 watt heater would suffice. It is also worth considering that piranhas are large and aggressive and can break aquarium decoration, including heaters, for this reason it is worthwhile using two lower wattage heaters rather than relying upon one of the correct wattage.

In their natural habitat piranhas are at home in relatively soft water with a ph approaching neutral at between 6.5 and 7.2. However in the UK most piranhas encountered will be captive bred, either in the Far East or in Holland. These are much more hardy specimens and are perfectly at home in average UK tap water (with its PH of approximately 7.5) with moderate carbonate hardness.

3. Although under gravel filtration could be utilised, or used to supplement power filters, it is generally not recommended as the primary filtration system for piranha aquariums

4. With the addition of substrates such as charcoal

5. Water quality does vary greatly throughout the UK, however, usually your local fish store will be keeping fish in similar conditions to those that most of their customers will experience, so a general rule is that if the store can keep them healthy, then you shouldn't have too many problems.


Lighting


Piranhas are happiest in the dark! Obviously this is not best from and aesthetics point of view, so a normal grolux 'type' light will suffice, although piranha will be quite relaxed in a dimly lit tank.

Normal aquarium florescent tubes are the best, if you want to stimulate plant growth, then one (or multiples of) of the triton type tubes will be suitable. Remember the lighting is for you, not for the fish.

The fish will usually acclimate to brighter lighting, although will often remain skittish under very bright conditions.



Decoration


The aquarium substrate should be inert, most commonly used is a silica / quartz based gravel. The grade is irrelevant as piranhas are not diggers and rarely disturb the substrate. Another option is the use of an aquarium grade sand, this is becoming more easy to find and has the benefit of being easy to clean, as any dirt is just siphoned from the surface, however it should be noted that it is unsuitable for use with under-gravel filters.

Dark substrates tend to show off the fishes colours best, with black being particularly effective.

Under no circumstances use crushed coral sand or gravel or crushed seashells, the calcium / carbonate content is too high.

Piranhas on the whole are fairly active and for this reason the aquarium should be uncluttered, although the use of bog / mopani / curio wood, and plastic and real plants will make the fish feel at home.

Any inert rocks can be used as decoration in the aquarium, although sharp edges should be avoided, once again stay away from calcium based rocks such as tufa and limestone.
shark bait
Ok - I've pretty much understood all that, just a quick question though.....

I'm not going to have room for many pirahna's 3 or 4 max, now after spending a week reading through the different discussions, and getting some advise it would seem that red bellies, although probably the easiest to get hold off wouldn't nesassarily give me the most enjoyment considering how nervous they are etc, if I slowly buy pirahna's one at a time (can't afford them all at once), is it going to be a problem?

I understand that if I carried out a water change and moved some of the plants, wood about, the current resident may not be so aggresive towards the newcomer... Is this correct?

Also are there any species of pirahna's that you wouldn't mix?
~Paul~
QUOTE(shark bait @ Aug 31 2005, 13:33 )
Ok - I've pretty much understood all that, just a quick question though.....

I'm not going to have room for many pirahna's 3 or 4 max, now after spending a week reading through the different discussions, and getting some advise it would seem that red bellies, although probably the easiest to get hold off wouldn't nesassarily give me the most enjoyment considering how nervous they are etc, if I slowly buy pirahna's one at a time (can't afford them all at once), is it going to be a problem?

I understand that if I carried out a water change and moved some of the plants, wood about, the current resident may not be so aggresive towards the newcomer... Is this correct?

Also are there any species of pirahna's that you wouldn't mix?
*

Like you said Reds are easy to get hold of and cheap, If your looking into Pygo's then there are Caribe that are not so expensive, Piraya are the most expensive but also grow the biggest, and ternetzi are in the middle.

As for introducing fish one at a time there could well be problems, if you have one in a tank then it's his home add a second and they will fight, if you add 2 or 3 at a time, then you stand a better chance,
and WC and a rearrange is the best way to go before adding a fish! It breaks up any territories they have made!

Hope this helps

Paul.
sandman25
geeeeezzzzz.......i just read your column, i don't think i need those books i ordered anymore !!!...lol...amazing info, will make good use of it. i have three reds now, and after reading your info, i might have my buddy get me another one...take care.....mark.
LOON
QUOTE(MARKD25 @ Jun 20 2007, 09:16 ) *
geeeeezzzzz.......i just read your column, i don't think i need those books i ordered anymore !!!...lol...amazing info, will make good use of it. i have three reds now, and after reading your info, i might have my buddy get me another one...take care.....mark.


The information you will get on here is probably a lot more usefull + correct than what you will mostly find in out of date Piranha books ! good.gif
dezboy
Some great info paul,

Im sure many people on this site weill read this and be very thankful for the information..............

rob31essex
Thanks for the infomation really helps a novice like myself helps alot! Thanks again.
rogrieguez
right i think ive got lime stone in my tank, how will this affect my levels? also ve got different rocks in there and unsure what they are. what does tufa look like?
Jonny
QUOTE(rogrieguez @ Feb 6 2009, 20:11 ) *
right i think ive got lime stone in my tank, how will this affect my levels? also ve got different rocks in there and unsure what they are. what does tufa look like?


Take the limestone out, it will raise the ph and do a water test and see what your ph is at.
rogrieguez
QUOTE(Jonny @ Feb 6 2009, 20:16 ) *
QUOTE(rogrieguez @ Feb 6 2009, 20:11 ) *
right i think ive got lime stone in my tank, how will this affect my levels? also ve got different rocks in there and unsure what they are. what does tufa look like?


Take the limestone out, it will raise the ph and do a water test and see what your ph is at.



my ph is fine so and havent really had any problems. ph has always been 7/ 7.2? maybe its not limestone.

what about tufa?



Jonny
QUOTE(rogrieguez @ Feb 6 2009, 20:20 ) *
QUOTE(Jonny @ Feb 6 2009, 20:16 ) *
QUOTE(rogrieguez @ Feb 6 2009, 20:11 ) *
right i think ive got lime stone in my tank, how will this affect my levels? also ve got different rocks in there and unsure what they are. what does tufa look like?


Take the limestone out, it will raise the ph and do a water test and see what your ph is at.



my ph is fine so and havent really had any problems. ph has always been 7/ 7.2? maybe its not limestone.

what about tufa?






Not sure about tufa but Id still take the limestone out, its calcareous. If you want rock go for something like slate which has no effect good.gif
Alex
tufa rock will also raise your ph, its usually used for cichlid tanks and helps buffer your water
Penny Blake
QUOTE(Paul @ Aug 28 2005, 11:27 ) *
The minimum size aquarium for a group of 4 red belly piranhas would be 4ft long, 18" wide and 18" deep . This may seem like a large aquarium, but, as a general rule, piranhas need approximately 20 gallons of water per fish. This size aquarium will hold approximately 70 gallons (so barely up to size) and weigh nearly 850lbs when full.


Is this US Gallons or UK.

The reason I ask is because I came across this site

http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm

and the dimensions compute as 67.32 US Gallons or 56.08 UK Gallons.

Therefore do you need 20 US Gallons per fish?

Sorry for asking what may be a really silly question
Mistar T
QUOTE(Penny Blake @ May 17 2009, 14:03 ) *
QUOTE(Paul @ Aug 28 2005, 11:27 ) *
The minimum size aquarium for a group of 4 red belly piranhas would be 4ft long, 18" wide and 18" deep . This may seem like a large aquarium, but, as a general rule, piranhas need approximately 20 gallons of water per fish. This size aquarium will hold approximately 70 gallons (so barely up to size) and weigh nearly 850lbs when full.


Is this US Gallons or UK.

The reason I ask is because I came across this site

http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm

and the dimensions compute as 67.32 US Gallons or 56.08 UK Gallons.

Therefore do you need 20 US Gallons per fish?

Sorry for asking what may be a really silly question


i think the estimate is in us gallons... but i work on uk gallons to be safe... as they are smaller, so therefore, in theory, you have less fish per gallon... better to have more space than not enough.
Jonny
Usually in the aquarist hobby we work in us gallons smile.gif
faustz
hi all masters.... lately i've been decided to keep some piranha at home...some research and all that notify me that piranha is illegal in malaysia but i manage to et some supplies...and they only smuggle the red bellies only... laugh.gif

before i buy some rbp's, can you all teach me the basic?

and got some question too...


1) the tank - which one is better, the standard tank or the overflow system?

2) the temp - is it my country tempreture suitable for the rbp?

3)the deco - should i keep the tank with sand or just leave it empty and put only some driftwood?

that's it for now and much later the q's will appear...thank you very much
martin1234
This section is packed full of info that you know is right because you all keep piranhas and know from experience....Great thanks alot biggrin.gif
Fuller94



Thanks a tonne! oh and ive been having problems trying to upload a photo to my album sad.gif its ust not working says theres an error thanks.gif
ASPiiR3
just had a read through, thanks for sharing your knowledge, its answered all my questions.
Nik
Hi I'm just wondering if anybody knows of any places I can buy piranha I'm from Wolverhampton near Birmingham and would love some red bellys let me knk cheers guys
Big Den
Hi Nik welcome2.gif to pfuk, there are a few members on here from your area, I'm sure they'll steer you in the right direction. biggrin.gif
Gmanx
QUOTE(Nik @ Aug 26 2010, 19:11 ) *
Hi I'm just wondering if anybody knows of any places I can buy piranha I'm from Wolverhampton near Birmingham and would love some red bellys let me knk cheers guys



Hi mate and welcome.There is a few place in brum you can buy Reds from.What size and how many you looking at buying?
Nik
Thanks for reply errm I was think about 4-5 as I have never kept them before but always been interested, ideally I would want them from as young as possible so can watch them grow and develop
Nik
Idealy 4-5 and as young as possible so can watch them grow any ideas ?
~dan~
QUOTE(Nik @ Aug 27 2010, 11:22 ) *
Idealy 4-5 and as young as possible so can watch them grow any ideas ?



Gaz (GMANX) will help you out- most fish shops in Brum will have them, but interestingly they are often not labelled to avoid impulse purchases and when small they dont look like your stereotypical piranha.

A couple of 1-2" tankie reds wont be much, probably a fiver a piece or similar.

Nik apologies for the delay in your posts appearing, to combat spammers we set the first few posts of new people to invisible pending one of the staff checking it. Anything else, ask away mate.
Gmanx
QUOTE(Nik @ Aug 27 2010, 11:22 ) *
Idealy 4-5 and as young as possible so can watch them grow any ideas ?



Best bet mate is shirley aquatics in solihull,or angel aquatics in selly oak they are closer to you than solihull.
Gmanx
few numbers for ya

0121 472 5144 =Angel aquatics---b296la------------- This is the place I got my reds from
0156 479 4361 =Henly water gardens----b955dl----- Last time I looked they had 2 large reds and a few small,this was a few months ago
0121 707 6433 =Tropical waters---b276rg------------ This shop have a good selection of fish with the odd small Rhom, arowana bass etc.
0121 458 4302 =Birmingham aquatics---b302xu----- This is a new shop only been open a few weeks.I went to see what he had to offer today,has some very nice fish.even has a 300g amazonian tank they are setting up.The shop is still in a bit of a mess as they are working on it but looks like it has a good base to become a very good shop.He said he will have an elong,rhom and some reds in some time next week as he sold his last few small reds yesterday.

Hope this helps mate.If these shops dont have any in stock they will always get some in for you(takes about a week) good.gif
Nik
Thanks for the help that's about half hour away from me so not to bad, I will have to check it out when get chance, shame none closer to wolves
Nik
Wow those numbers awesome great help thanks will have to give them a call
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