Is Piranha ok as a pet?
Just wondering if this type of fish is easily kept
Any advice would be greatful,
reg
.they are fine as pets and contrary to folk imperative do not need live food to survive.get some virtuous reading material on them[use your search engine[ there,s a sumptuousness of info.just type in piranha.there is also a lacto-vegetarian piranha available[paco]but they grow big.
Hi :)
Well, Despite the fact that piranha's - undeservedly so - have a bad reputation of mortal mindless, bloodthirsty killers, they are quite popular 'pets' and an ever increasing of empire keep them at home in their aquariums. And it must be said: piranha's, self tough and hardy fish, are by far not the most difficult or even dangerous fish to take care of, as long as you appropriate note of a few simple basic rules. The most common species, which most of us hold seen in either within a pet store, public aquarium or zoo, is the Redbellied piranha. Somewhat paradoxically, this species is one of the few members of the piranha family which is considered potentially unsafe to men - these are the three species of 'True' Piranha's, that in the wild live in huge shoals of normally hundreds of fish). Other fairly widespread species are the Pacu's, Silver Dollars, the Rhombeus Piranha and the Maculatus Piranha. With exception of the latter two, these fish are predominantly herbivorous (ie. plant eaters), but for that very basis many consider them to be not as attractive or desirable as their infamous carnivorous relatives.
Something that plentiful people don't realize is that many species can grow to pretty large sizes, particularly when one compares them with popular and more known freshwater community fish such as Tetras, Barbs, Apistogramma Cichlids or Corydoras Catfish. This gap within knowledge is further complicated by the fact that many of the piranha's sold within stores are little, if at all, larger than those fish, in combination near a lack of proper education and preparation by the selling party.
And that can pose a bit obvious, but to the owners often overlooked problems, problems that in generally go at the expense of the fish: most species can reach a size of at least 8-10", but the largest species (Pygocentrus piraya and Serrasalmus manueli) may grow up to as much 2 foot, so a very large tank is an genuine necessity regardless of what species you intend to keep!
The exact size of the tank piranha's should be kept depends on the species, and often is a issue of heated debate amongst piranha enthousiasts. A common rule of thumb is at least 20 gallon (80 liter) per adult fish for Pygocentrus species, and for the smaller solitary Serrasalmus species at least possible a 40-48" (100-120cm.) long tank. All Pygocentrus species are shoaling fish by nature, which means that they should be kept beside more than one in a tank. Most experienced keepers of shoaling species will confirm that a single Pygocentrus will not be a great deal of fun, not only because it is likely to remain shy and reclusive throughout its entire life and will hide from view all day except during feed time, but also because it will show little to no natural behavior whatsoever. Two fish will also result in failure most of the time, because eventually they will turn against respectively other trying to establish dominance, and will often fight until one is kill. Even though there are exceptions to this, most piranha keepers will recommend three or more Pygocentrus. But there are no iron law when it comes to keeping piranha's, which is demonstrated by various reports from Pygocentrus-owners: some recommend far more than 100 liters per fish, and others keep 8 or 10 healthy developed Redbellies in a 100 gallon (400 liter) tank... Important to remember is this: if your reservoir is cramped, you can expect stressed and unhealthy fish, and probably some casualties as well, due to disease and stress, aggression and territorial disputes. The more tank space your fish will hold, the more comfortable and lively they will be. And piranha's, no matter what size or species, look best in a very voluminous and natural looking tank to begin near.
Serrasalmus piranha's are a different story: most species must be kept solitary, because they are very aggressive and intolerant and will most likely kill every other fish that enter their tank, whether from the same species or not. Some will even attack their keeper when (s)he approaches the reservoir, their own reflection and even aquarium hardware inside the tank (heaters, powerheads!) in not other safe. A few species have been kept next to more than one, like the Maculatus Piranha, Spilopleura Piranha and Geryi Piranha, but there is no guarantee it will work out: a very life-size tank, enough hiding places and a very strict feed regime are an absolute necessity to even have a chance to succeed.
Companions:
When the piranha's hold acclimatized to their tank, you might consider adding some other fish in their cistern. The question in how far piranha's can be kept together with non-piranha species is a much debate subject. Some argue that it is impossible to do, others have successfully mixed their piranha's with a variety of other fish species. I believe it is all a matter of how large the cistern is, in which way it is aquascaped, the amount of piranha's, what species of piranha, their attitude and character, how well-fed they are etc. Personally, I do have a sneaking suspicion that that it is possible to mix certain species of piranha (ie. Pygocentrus-species, Redbellied Piranha's in particular) with other fish, as long as they can uphold or hide themselves and the piranha's are well fed. I used to own six, later five adult Redbellies of about 8-9" (20-23cm.) within length, and they share their tank with a wide band of different species, including Plecos, Corydoras, Neon and other Tetra's and small Barb-species. Occasionally, one of them is eaten by the piranha's, but after frequently visiting piranha discussion boards I realized that my situation appears to be an exception a bit than the norm. Some of the Barbs, placed in the tank as feeder fish initially, have coexisted beside the piranha's for years!
This is my personal experience, but there are numerous stories from piranha-owners who are unable to enjoy their piranha's live together with any other animal. Many will say that the more aggressive species, like S. Rhombeus and S. Elongatus (in reality, most of the solitary Serrasalmus-species) are virtually impossible to mix with other fish, their own species included! Others, like the Wimpel Piranha and other aggressive scale ingestion and fin-nipping species, can only be kept with strong species larger than themselves, because they eat fins and scales, and can blight a fish so bad it eventually perishes. Omnivorous relatives on the other hand, like Silver Dollars and Pacus can be kept together beside a variety of other fish, including small Tetras, Barbs etc, although Pacu's do eat smaller fish on rare occasion.
I have noticed that the most common fish accompanying piranha's are pleco's. It is a adjectives bottom dwelling fish, because it is an active scavenger that cleans up the bottom of the tank. Besides being adjectives, are pleco's very strong fish, because of their armor plates, and their ability to withstand greatly poor water conditions. This makes them more resistant to piranha bites and the waste produced by the predators (fish dribble away, rotting food). They hold their ground against too obtrusive piranha's by hitting them with their powerful tail or bumping into them, but many have died by the 'hands' of piranha's as okay. Personally, I highly recommend this fish for being a very adjectives and hardy companion for your piranha's, but it's important to buy your pleco together with the piranha's, or buy a larger one once you decide to do it contained by a later stage of your hobby.
Other animals that can help keeping your substrate tidy are talking catfish (because they are nocturnal and squirrel away out of reach), crayfish and crabs (very vulnerable when molting, so provide enough hiding places) and snails. They all do a well-mannered job, but results vary, ranging from successful to nearly instant death.. Piranha's are opportunistic predators, and you simply cannot know how they will react to other animals in their cistern. It's not uncommon with piranha's that they kill a reservoir mate that has lived with them for several months.
Care:
When you finally have your container furnished, running and populated, it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. The most laborious part of the aquarium hobby, setting up a cistern, is now a thing of the past, but that does not mingy you can sit back and let he fish fend for themselves. A tank have to be maintained properly to keep its inhabitants healthy and joyous. But tank maintenance is not as laborious as it may sound: depending on its size and inhabitants, it averages roughly one to two hour a week, although most piranha keepers spend a lot more time on taking care of their fish.
When keeping piranha's, the most high-status thing is to keep the water verbs. You should run water tests every so many days or weeks. Changing roughly 20-25% of the tank water every week is an absolute necessity, but around 50% every week is recommended contained by order to keep the fish healthy and growing/developing in need incident. Changing too much water (more than 75%, in my opinion) is not recommended though, because it may end in the water perimeters to change very briefly, which may kill or disease the fish. Furthermore, make sure that you other remove uneaten food items and dead plants, vacuum the bottom of the tank every once in a while, using a battery-operated aquarium cleaner, python system or a piece of filter hose, to find rid of waste.
The filtration system should be cleaned every few months: a general rule of thumb cleaning it as soon as the filter throughput starts to decrease, but this is not the safest rule. Performing marine tests is a more reliable manner: when peak occur (more frequently), it is time to clean/refresh the filter media.
As long as you don't put your hands near the bowl or tank I estimate they will do just fine!
lol lol sorry but this question has just made me roll with laughter lol, dunno why though. A piranha lol. Ad love to see any1 try and keep one of these. Have u seen how ugly they are though! A guess why possibly you could have 1 but keep a extra scant eye on your fingers and hand. Good luck. Let me no if you do actually capture one, it'll be interesting! :-)
No, they are not easy to keep. They are okay to hold as pets, but if you are a beginner, then do NOT obtain a Piranha.
Depend on what type of Piranha?
I wouldn't advice the red stomach piranha. They are dangerous.
Just watch your fingers ...lol
yes it is ok as a pet, feed it some goldfish to keep it happy and some crunchy nut to contain the inner monster!
yes piranha are great fish but you need some experience as a fish keeper,piranha are a shoaling fish so you should keep a minimum of five a thank next to lots of space and must be big enuf and all fish the same size
No, you might as well get a dog. If you kill someone and want to dispose their body, then go for it.
Answers: They're not the most exciting of fish, they are rather messy and don't do a great deal outside of feeding time. If you are believing the hype surrounding them, be prepared for a disappointment, one piranha will spend it's days trying to covering, more than that and you need a big set up.
With a 40 UK gallon tank, an Oscar will give you much better worth as a pet.
umm what's wrong beside a goldfish?
:) x
