Any Piranha owners???? Please help fast!!!!

[stev0]

I just did a water change on the 55 gallon tank with two 9" red bellies in it. some of the plants were dug up by them so I just replanted them and thought nothing of it (I have done this many many times before) well, I undevide the tank and my male swims to the other side and now he is freaking out! swimming up and down the far end, kicking rocks all over the place and ripping everything up. I know they get territorial... but like this? is this normal?

 

[Rent]

pics?

 

[tigerbait]

you mean red-bellied pacu?


he's probably just freaked out... just turn the light off and leave them alone for a while.

 

[nateholtrop]

wow that's crazy.....

nate

 

[Fraggle]

he's just lonely. stick your hand in there and make it swim around like a fish. rub some raw steak on your palm first, too, so you smell better.

 

[stev0]

<< you mean red-bellied pacu? >>


no. red bellie piranaha aka serrasalmus natararri (sp)

he seemed to settle down a bit, but he turned really dark (according to pretadoryfish.net that is a sign of agression)... I don't really know.

sorry no pics, I don't have a digi cam, but I'm going to be making a vid of them eating so I'll post it up here when I get it done.

 

[Joyride]

How much does a fish like that cost?

I have always wanted one.

 

[Wallydraigle]

They're actually pretty reasonably priced, but you might want to start out with something a little less damanding. Definitely turn the light out and see what happens. Double check the temperature too. He probably just got spooked by something and he'll calm down in a while.

 

[stev0]

I bought 6 when they were babies, about the size of a quarter for 8 bucks each. The two dominate ones ended up eating the other 4 sooo... heh, oh well. They arn't so bad, all the equipment is what is the most expensive, and if you plan on feeding them feeder fish most of the time that can get expensive too. Right now my biggest cost for them is food, they eat double their body weight a day and can easily take out 10 large size goldfish (2.5" to 3") at one meal.

 

[lesterjr]

You feed them every day? I had one for 4 years and I only fed him about 8 large feeders once a week. He was about 7".

As far as how your pirahna is acting, I think it's normal. Mine used to rearrange everything in my tank too.

 

[stev0]

no, they get feeders once every two weeks now. chunks of beef once or twice a week and pellets on the weekends.

 

[CStroman]

Our goldfish freak out when we turn the light on. They kinda became wild after spending the summer in our pond (they spawned in August; that's just wrong) and we had to move them inside for the winter.

 

[toant103]

they eat double their body weight a day

 

[Wedesdo]

oh... this reminds me... I got to go feed my fish too... (community tank - 2 angels, 6 skirt tetras, 6 danios, 3 platies, 2 plecos, 2 corys) got to remember to get a new container of freeze-dried tublex worms...

 

[spp]

o wow... i thought piranha is the chemical that they use in microfab lab...

 

[Jzero]

<< Our goldfish freak out when we turn the light on. They kinda became wild after spending the summer in our pond (they spawned in August; that's just wrong) and we had to move them inside for the winter. >>



That's b/c the have no eyelids or pupils so it's a shock when they suddenly get hit by bright light

 

[kendogg]

The reason why your fish were terrified was probably because it was in shock.. just like everyone else was saying..

I own 3 red bellies (about 4 months old now) in a 40 gallon tank. haha and in the 4 months I have owned them I have not once cleaned my tank in fear they may go bezerk and die! I now understand that Piranhas are very nervous fish, any sudden movement freaks them out and act like yours did (kicking up sand and swimming like crazy)

as far as feeding.. they are fed about 2-3 times a day. Majority of the time they are fed jumbo goldfishies (pic below are my Piranhas on top and feeder fish on bottom )

pix