# Anyone on here keep Piranha?



## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

Right.

Ever since i've started keeping tropical fish i've fancied keeping piranha so have been looking into it.

Ideally i'd like a group of 2-3 (2 more likely). I've had a look round at the species generally available to me and i'd like either gold or black piranha (not sure on latin names sorry!)

So after my research my main concern is filtration. What filtration do you use (and it what size tank and for how many fish)

My oscars are messy enough fish that filtration was a problem at first and I know adult piranha are even messier so what kind of filtration do you use?

Will it simply be enough (bear with me if i don't use the correct terms here!) to select a filter that is rated for a tank size higher than the tank i'll be keeping them in? Ie go for the model/size up of filter that you would normally use in a tank of that size or will I need to start looking at specialist/external filtration?

I'm still not 100% certain on getting them (fish tanks take up vital reptile space!) but if we do end up with another fish setup then this is what it will certainly be 


Oooh and pics of your setups/fish would be nice too! 

Mason


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## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

I actually used to own a piranha when i was younger... named Mr P! 

That was a good few years back now, what surprised me is most piranha are actually vegiterian! Its like only the red bellied piranha and a few others that each meat


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

you would need to use a good external filter for a large water volume, ideally either have one fish or a few they will have a go at each other now and again you would need at least a 4x18x18 for a single one and a 6x2x2 for a group of them, why do you want to keep them, i ask as people have a missconseption about them, these are not an active fish except when fed, they are great fish but please research into them before you decide to keep them


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

I've been researching now for 8+ months just wanted to know about filtration really. I had a feeling it'd need to be external, thanks.

Re keeping groups, I intend to buy adult animals and buy a group together, ie get a group (2/3) that have lived together already to hopefully minimise problems.

I've seen several breeding pairs for reasonsable money so i'm thinking that may be the way to go, a pairthat are comfortable enough with each other to breed in captivity should not (given the right space and tank decorations) be with each other 

I'm not wanting to keep them because of the killer-fish-movie image as I know i's not true. Just an interesting/challenging species to keep  I have no misconceptions about the species at all. I was sorely tempted by a breeding pair of golden severums (i think thats what they were, memory is terrible  ) but keep on coming back to piranha. I have plenty of time to continue my research as 'project retic' will be taking all my spare cash for the next few months.

What prompted me to ask on here yesterday was a VERY cheap 6ft tank coming up for sale in my local paper but i've not called up for it so no doubt it will be gone now. I think it would just wind me up having the tank sat in the garage with nothing it it :lol:


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

thats a great reply so many people dont research before they buy, its good to hear that yu have they are great fish to have and if you can get a grown on group thats even better


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

alistu said:


> thats a great reply so many people dont research before they buy, its good to hear that yu have they are great fish to have and if you can get a grown on group thats even better



Cheers!

There are plenty of adult/sub adult groups for sale round here (or always seem to be when I have no spare cash!)

I'm only really interested in adult/nearly adult groups and only those that are housed together already. I don't want to spend £100+ per fish on some nice goldens just to have them rip each other to bits :lol:


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## timh83 (Mar 16, 2007)

i did keep piranah i kept them i a 48x18x15 tank with an external filter one thing to keep in mind is that piranah live in big groups and idealy u should keep an odd number above 5 or just 1 one its own


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## timh83 (Mar 16, 2007)

they do alot just sit there most of the time but their awome to look at


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## Kellybee (Oct 13, 2006)

They say its important to have 45 litres per fish minimum. Also, it is common for them to bite each other's fins and tails whilst young/juvenile though this is "normal". We had 3 in a rio 240 and they were fine together, they just like shelter, mangrove roots and the like are a must. 

Filtration wise we always used an internal buit in filter, and hoovered the gravel once a week, doing a 20% water change to keep chemicals balanced. All was fine, except that when my other half went to work in Cambridge 5 days and 4 night a week I couldnt bring myself to stick my arm in clean it, so we had to rehome them  They were cool though.



PS: We had ours in the lounge for a while, but when they got big they had a habit of clunking their teeth on the glass whilst chasing their reflections, so they were later moved to the back room where the light was better


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

Cheers 

I'm expecting some fin nipping etc but i'll be going with a group of adults who already lived together to reduce chances of actually loosing fish.

Tail/fin nipping I don't mind, what I mind is one £100+ fish becoming a meal for another £100+ fish!


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## murinus (Jan 3, 2007)

i kept red bellied piranha many moons ago, i brought a small group and kept them together for well over a year with no problems. until one day i came home to find one missing and lots of little bits in the water. i found the poor fish at the back of some decoration, it was still alive but they had nibbled at his back right down to about halfway ! i had to put the poor bugger out of its misery  they hadn't eaten him they had just took chunks out, that was what all the bits in the water was, i was rather upset seeing the poor fish like this so that was the end of me keeping them, i swapped them for some other fish at the local specialist. they are intresting and very shy fish, me personally i would buy 1 large fish and keep it on its own if i had piranha's again. hth


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

£100 for a fish wtf

around my way, pirahna are only £7each for babies, and £12 for adults.
(these are red bellied)


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

at least a 100 gallon for a group of 5. I wouldn't keep any smaller groups than that, they have a problem with bullying weaker fish.

trios become pairs and then pairs become one fish. there are people who have kept them in trios and pairs no problem, but i've had piranha for 4 years now and had nothing but problems with groups less than 5.

I haven't got any at the moment, too busy with the cichlids, but buy a 100 gallon plus tank, and get 10 young piranha, you WILL lose some (unless your a very rare and lucky person) the shop should take back the 'spares' once you establish a stable group (around the 5/6 inch mark). Make sure your shop will have them back if you end up with too many in the group. If they won't then buy the fish from somewhere else. Any decent shop should know that young piranha batter each other, and you have to overbuy to get a group to live together.

My group was 15 strong in a 500 gallon tank. all 12 inch plus, one big male at 14 inch.


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

darkdan99 said:


> £100 for a fish wtf
> 
> around my way, pirahna are only £7each for babies, and £12 for adults.
> (these are red bellied)


thats like saying £500 for a snake WTF??

there are many, many different types of piranha and, as with ALL other animlas the rarer ones cost more money. 

the little pet-at-home style red bellies are two a penny the ones i'm after aren't...


Anyway, thanks for the advice. I may consider a single fish but I never like keeping fish that naterally live in groups singularly.

Maybe i'll lower my sights a bit and get 5 slightly cheaper ones. I'll never find five adults (and be able to afford them) of the fish I was considering.


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