takemates for red bellied piranha

zane1

New Fish
Mar 20, 2005
6
0
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#1
I just moved my 3-1/2 inch red belly from a 10gal to a 55 gal tank. and i was wonderin since i have some extra room if there are any fish that could be compatable with him. I have heard oscars and jack dempsey's, but i am just unsure and would like some more input. please write any suggestions. thanks!
 

lordroad

Large Fish
Sep 2, 2004
989
7
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43
Shelby, NC
www.joshday.com
#2
Red belly pacus are known as tankbusters. Check out these profiles for more information:

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_pacu2.php

I'd stick with just one oscar in a 55. If you want to mix aggressive CA and SA cichlids, green terrors and jack dempseys have been known to work on some occasions. All is dependent on the fish. Usually it's best to pick one cichlid, stick a large plec in there, and enjoy getting close to your fish. These cichlids bond with their owner.
 

Fruitbat

Large Fish
Jan 6, 2004
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Garland, TX
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#3
Um....he's not talking about a Red Bellied Pacu....he's talking about a Red Bellied Piranha which is a completely different proposition. I've known people who have kept RBPs with larger fish for long periods of time with no problems....only to come home one day to find their other fish missing large sections of their body. In some cases, tankmates that are much smaller can also be safe in that the pirahna seems unwilling to stoop so low as to eat anything that tiny.

In my limited experience with piranhas (red-bellied) in the days before they were illegal here in Texas, I found that I couldn't keep anything else alive in the tank with them. They went through just about every other fish I tried, larger or smaller, including a rather hefty 'plecostomus' that dwarfed them. I figured its armor would protect it. Well....it protected the head area so the piranhas simply ate everything behind the head.

-Joe
 

scubadude

Large Fish
Aug 20, 2005
148
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48
carthage,MO.
#6
Ok jesse, how did you do it? I know they look very similar, but you had to have put them together when they were juvies....didn't you? I would not think of adding another RBP to my tank unless i got a tank that was 2X the one i have now. The only time i have heard of P's coexisting is in a tank bigger than my house! Very impressive to keep 2 species of such high aggression in the same tank!
 

seastaar88

Superstar Fish
Feb 1, 2004
1,705
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42
middletown, CT
#7
at the aquarium i work at, we keep pirhana without any problems with BIG plecs and what i think are called lepporanidae (the black and yellow fish in the pic..i'm embarrassed to say i can't recall the name!).

 

brit_s86

Large Fish
Mar 28, 2005
141
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#8
I have a 140 gallon.It has two large oscars,and 2 largee african cichlids.we have 4 rb pirhanas(probably about 3 inches in size,give or take a little)a few days ago,we put them in with the oscars,and cichlids,because we dont have room for so many tanks.So far,they seem ok.one cichlid has a little nip outta his tail,but they have been together about 3-4 days.we havent noticed the pirhanas chasing the other fish,but there is also quite a size difference between all of them.as long as you keep them well fed,I dont think there should be any problem.
 

scubadude

Large Fish
Aug 20, 2005
148
1
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48
carthage,MO.
#9
I think my fish have learned that anything that hits the water is dinner.

Great pic seastar....What a great job you have! You must love it. Isn't it great to get up in the morning and look forward to getting to work? BTW what do you feed the RBP's at your work?
 

brit_s86

Large Fish
Mar 28, 2005
141
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#10
The four smaller pirhanas used to be in a smaller tank,we rarely fed them feeder fish.when they were really small,we fed blood worm,now we only feed them smelts.
 

cobra607

Small Fish
Oct 16, 2005
16
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#12
Tank mate question

Would moray eels and parahnas get along? i have a 75 gallon tank, the parahna is 1.5inches long, the morays are 8-10 and 12-14 inches long. Would they be ok? Also i have some little tetras but thsoe would probably become parahna food?
 

Nov 8, 2004
203
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boston, mass
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#14
well there is a freshwater moray, but usually u want to keep them in brackish, they dont do that great in fresh. Also i wouldnt suggest keeping pihranas wiht anything except mybe crayfish, becuae either it /they will pick at the other fish or if the fish is bigge enough it will pick at it. So in conclusion i wouldnt suggest keeping it with anything excpet other rbp. Thats from experience..... also if ur keeping 1 rbp i would suggest not gettin that many more fish or it would be overcrowded anywya... they like being in groups anyway so i would buy a few more around its size.
 

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scubadude

Large Fish
Aug 20, 2005
148
1
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48
carthage,MO.
#17
i need to know if pirahnas eat anything nonliving*twirlysmi
i used to have some fake plants for cover, after they started destroying them i removed them. all i keep in the tank now is gravel. i am not sure if they actually ate them or just tore them up. i feed them all kinds of dead stuff. it's safer and much eaiser. stuff my fish have ate-all kinds of frozen fish, shrimp, turkey, chicken, beef, beefheart, hotdogs, lunchmeat, frogs, minnows, goldfish. for some reason they did not like chicken liver, or tadpoles. i dunno but maby they just wernt in the mood.
 

Jul 28, 2007
24
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Chicago, IL
#18
red bellied piranhas

you can keep red bellied piranhas with almost any fish you would like as long as:
tankmates dont look anything near feeder fish;the piranhas are well fed;and it would be a lot more helpful if the tankmates have been with the piranhas since they were both juveniles
 

Jul 28, 2007
24
0
0
Chicago, IL
#19
continued

RBP will eat not living things if thats what they have been eating since juveniles. if they are used to live feeders and you switch, it might take them a little while, or till theyre hungry, to actually eat the beefheart,brineshrimp, etc.

for the fake plants, try putting live, robust plants and spread the roots out widely under the gravel or sand because at night or feeding time the piranas will easily bump into the plants which eventually causes them to float to the top.
 

Jan 13, 2009
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#20
I have two piranhas that at about an inch and a half long in a ten gallon tank and sometimes when I feed them guppies, the guppies just swim right to the top and the piranhas never go up there to get them nor do i think they can see them. What should I do?