Badger Stuffer

Just been given a 4ft aquarium. Mate brought it round and set it all up for me. External filter, sand base,heater, wood, rocks etc.


Crappy camera phone pic.

Now, the question is:

Do I fill it with loads of pretty fish or get a small shoal of red bellied piranhas?

I had some piranhas when I was younger (14 ish) but didn't really appreciate them.

What do you think I should do?

Jason.

V5

Piranhas!! Sounds much more interesting!

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Why not get both and have some real exitement

PG

I have just got myself one of these

I am going to go for the colorful dudes

Reib

LOL Wurzel!

I'd say Piranhas

ProperCharlie

I had some piranhas but they ate each other... (not joking btw)

Badger Stuffer

I used to have 2 but one eat the other.

I have been doing some research and it is best to have 4-5 in a tank my size. This means that they will not get stunted and will all grow to between 12 and 18 inches and having 4= stops any one fish becoming more dominant.



They sell little ones (2-3") down the road for £7 each.

RichWalk

Get an electric eel, ideal for those winter mornings when the car wont start!

PG

http://www.scoobynet.co.uk/bbs/threa...hreadid=243195

Badger Stuffer

Right, that's it. My mind is made up.

Off to get 5 at the weekend.

DrEvil

Useful site

http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/

I've opted for Lake Malawi cichlids in my 300ltr...
Very colourful - which is the only reason my otherhalf hasn't killed me re. my 300ltr tank in the front room!

Scooby96

Got to be piranhas - then you could set up an on-line piranha fight with ajms best fish!

ajm

Badger,

First of all piranhas ARE pretty fish in my opinion!

Anyway, yes you have heard correct, you should keep one on its own or 3+ because agression is shared out more evenly. How many litres is your tank? Ideally you should allocate about 70l per fish in terms of room.

If you buy babies, depending on what size they are, you will need to feed them small amounts regularly. Up to about 1" you should try and feed 3 times a day if possible, moving to twice daily until they are 3-4". Also don't be surprised if they become very timid after a few months, they will grow out of it again when they are bigger. They are certainly not show fish, and like to hide, so be prepared to give them some cover in the tank. The more secure they feel the less stressed they are.

They are a bit of a commitment when young, so be prepared to pander to their every need. A really great site is at http://www.piranha-fury.com Trust the info at that site more than the shop you get them because most aquatic shops have no idea how to look after piranha properly, and rarely have specimens more than a few weeks old.

Mail me if you want any other info, and good luck! You will grow to love their funny personalities!

Boro

iTrader: (1)

I used to have a one-eyed red bellied piranha called nelson when i was a kid. Lovely lookin thing. I remember a mate of mine had a red tailed black shark that was tryin to be jack the lad in his tank, so he brough it round for sum punishment.

Sat there for 30mins waiting and waiting, got bored in the end, went out, came back 1hr or so later to find a lil head on the bottom of the tank.

Things you do when your a kid eh

Mickle

Question: How do you clean the tank and gravel?

Valver

LOL @ Boro!! ;-)
That's a brilliant story mate!...

mj

Answer: you dont - you get a big plecostomus instead.

ajm

same as normal... 99% of the time when you stick your arm in they scarper pretty quick and sulk down the other end of the tank. Obviously if they are large you need to keep an eye on them though! Some species are more agressive, and it varies fish to fish too. It is fairly rare that they will pluck up the courage to take a piece out of you unless you leave your arm dangling in the tank!

Mickle

Cheers ajm, was a serious question. Thanks for the sensible answer

Boro

iTrader: (1)

I wouldnt have cleaned my piranhas tank while he was in there. He was a viscious little get.

You know the theory that they are drawn to blood? A mate of mine didnt believe it, so he pricked his thumb and waved it in the tank. Ive NEVER seen a fish or an arm moved so fast in my life!!!

Hence the reason i wouldnt put my arm in to clean his tank.

Get a net, a bucket, drain some water into the bucket, pick it up and drop him in. Clean tank and then net him back into you cleaned tank.

[Edited by Boro - 9/16/2003 11:54:41 AM]

ajm

LOL Boro, he sounds like a real terror!

Was it raised on its own or was it the sole survivor of a shoal?

Boro

iTrader: (1)

He's dead now

I bought him in a pet shop in Redcar, brought him home in a bright yellow bucket on the bus

Badger Stuffer

I have ordered 5 baby red bellied piranhas for Saturday for £30.

The tank is all set up and ready. Has been fora few days now.

ajm

Is the tank fully cycled? This is fairly important because unless there is an established colony of bacteria in the filter then the tank will go through the nitrogen cycle and could harm your fish.

If he has been using the tank up until recently and the filter has remained wet throughout you shoud be ok. If not you should buy a few gold fish and let them cycle the tank because they are hardy.

Badger Stuffer

I have an external filter that still had the old wet and dirty filter elements in it so should be loaded with bacteria.

I will get some plants this week too to help out withthe nitrogen levels.

I am only ever going to feed them dead food as the wife would go mad if I used goldfish feeders or the like.

mail me offline if you have any other advice.

Thanks.

Jason.

Mufasa

My sister had a couple of Pacus (sp?) in a 5ft tank, they were supposed to be a sort of veggie Piranha, but they would eat as many Platties and Swordtails as you put in there maybe they confused them for carrots....anyway the problem with them was they grew quickly and ended up very BIG! about 3 pounds each before we could find an aquatic centre that would take them.

skiddus_markus

I had one when I was about 14 or 15.The little beggar went staright for the (much larger)other fish in the tank,despite being only 1" long.Pretty soon they'd all been eaten.
It grew very quickly in a 4' tank on a diet of fish fingers(minus the bread crumbs),liver and fish flake,getting to apporx4-5" in 3months.
It only bit me once when I put my hand in,took a little chunk(about 3mm square) out of my finger when I put my hand in the tank,so my mum made me get rid.Sold it to petshop for twice what I paid for it though.

prodriva

Even with the filter media retained from the old tank, I would buy yourself a test kit and keep an eye on the nitrite levels and nitrate whilst your at it. Nitrite is the killer and should be tested for weekly at a minimum. What did the tank hold previously? How long was the filter media out of action for? Piranhas are renowned messy eaters nad you will need a very efficient/powerfull filter to keep things safe, clean and happy. I would not recommend plants just yet. Once you have introduced the fish wait until the waters chemistry has settled as adding plants will unsettle things just like adding new fish (to a certain extent anyway).

For more advice go here

http://fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?s=8591b7c4e496a591645763d93f14e17a&act=i dx

Sorry forgotten how to do clickies

ajm

Yeah buying test kits is a good idea - you will need pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate

Ammonia is just as bad and causes burns to the skin and gills. Once the bacteria colonise sufficiently the ammonia will drop sharply and the nitrites will spike. High concentrations of Nitrites will not cause burns but has the same effect that carbon monoxide has on us i.e. it prevents the fish from oxygenating themselves sufficiently.

The cycle goes like this:-

1) fish poo and pee -> ammonia - ammonia levels rise
2) bacteria1 converts ammonia to nitrites - ammonia levels drop, nitrites rise
3) bacteria2 converts nitrites to nitrates - nitrite level drops, nitrate level rises
4) Nitrates remain unless diluted by water changes or used by plants