Soon to be owner of Pirahna-

Hello, I'm new here and just join to learn more about Pirahna. I became fasinated and drawn to these little creatures after noticing them at my g/f fathers house and seeing how beautiifull they were in the way they live,communicate,hunt and their agressive nature is fun to watch. My g/f got her father 2 baby Pirahna for his birtday 4 years ago and I'm just amaze they're still living today and are healthy as ever! Anyone know the life expectency of these fishes?

My main reason to start this thread is to have those owners of Pirahna to give me tips for beganners on how to take care of them. I will be getting two pirahna soon after i know more about them. My local pet shop carries them but my main concern is that they are soo small, about an inch long. Will they actually be able take care of themselves as babies or should I wait until they get a little bigger before buying one? I mean, they're $15.00 a piece and it would be a waste if they die soon b/c they're so young. What about tank size? Certain care sites said a 15gallon tank will do and some said you need 50gallon...I'm a little confuse here. Judging from my g/f fathers pirahnas which is around 7in long I think a 50gallon is better. Also what do I need to watch out for when I first get them...the do's and don'ts. Anyway, all replies would be greatly aprreciated. Thanks!

 

Alright, I'ma try to help ya out here now..

Believe it or not at the size of an inch (and 1/2 an inch) they already have the aggressiveness in them. I would recommend starting out with a 55 gallon if you get 4 or less. I kept mine (4 of them one inch in length) in a 10 gallon until they were about 3/4 inches and put them in the 55 gallon. Just so happens I am moving them to my 75 today. For food this young... earthworms are LOVED!!! You can give them crickets and little feeder fish also already.

Do's:
Do feed them twice a day for healthy piranhas (and when they are adults once a day) (5-12 inches). I fed my little ones, fish, worms, shrimp, and little cichlid pellets.
Do have cover for them to hide around as they are one of the most skittish fish for the home aquarium. (Amazon Sword plants, driftwood with caves or swim-thru holes.) (Real or fake).
Do monitor there feeding so you don't over-pulute the tank.
Do have a background on the tank for lessening their skittishness.
Do have a heater and heep the temp around 76 degrees.
Do have a very good filtration system.

Dont's:

Try not net these fish as much when they are older as they can bite thru the net and it scratches there eyes since they don't have any eyelids.
Don't keep any other fish in the aquarium as they will be eaten. (The only exception is a good one and it is a plecostomus which will also help keep the tank clean.)
Don't use aquarium lights as they have no eyelids and there pupils cannot control the ammount of light these fish get. That's why right when you turn on the light they go crazy because it is blinding to them.

I am sure I have not covered something or another but I think I covered alot....so have fun with your new fish and don't abuse em. They get about 12 inches in length I am not sure how long they live. Also don't expect them to always eat in fron of other people because they are very skitttish creatures. Go to my site to find out more about them.... or just instant message me.

 

That's a nice brief summary of Piranha Care Do's and Don'ts 101. Lol! I wish I had a basic summary like this when I was starting out with my piranhas.

 

Thanks Fishkin! Important question here....how long do I let the water settled or cycled in the tank before putting in my new pirahna? Is it true that 2 pirahna in a tank is a disaster waiting to happen? I made a decision to start of with a 22 gal. tank to save some money,so how long does it take for the pirahna to grow to its maximum lenght so I know when to upgrade the tank. Thanks-

 

Just letting the tank sit with the filters running won't do anything really beneficial. I strongly recommend doing a fishless cycle. Here's a couple good articles:
http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html
http://www.flippersandfins.net/cycling.htm

-Chelle

 

Chelle is correct but personally I just buy big filters and let them run till the water is nto rusty and colored any more. I do about 2/3 filter changes while that process but it doesnt take long. (3/4 days at MOST.) None of my fish have died this way and they live fine. So if you don't wanna waste time or buy other stuff just let the filters run until the water is clear and temp is rite. They grow fast I believe. I have had mine from 1 inch about a year and a half and they are 6-7 inches.

 

If you're going to cycle the tank with fish in it, you really need to monitor your water quality (ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte) and do frequent water changes. Otherwise you run a huge risk of losing some or all of your fish to ammonia and nitrIte poisoning.

-Chelle