How Fast Do Piranhas Grow.... What Is The Best Food????

[Freshwaterguy1313]

Alright here is a question... how big do Piranhas get. I have a Red Belly Piranha and some say the get 12 inches long others say otherwise. I have been feeding him Rosey Minnows(also known as Rosey Reds). I would feed him Frozen baby rats but I'm not sure he will eat them. Right now he is about 4 inches long now and I've had it for about about 5 months I believe. What else should I give it????:confused

[organicreefer]

piranhas are illegal sounds like you have a pacu.im not positive but dont pacus eat fruits???????should i even attempt to answer youre question????am i a cliff claven????why dont i get a life????

[Freshwaterguy1313]

Actually in Michigan they are legal because I have one. It is a Red Belly. I can tell the difference because of the extended jaw. So yes the are legal in some states.

[organicreefer]

i was positive they were banned by federal law but i guess i should double check that

[SPasse]

Organicreefer,

If there is a federal ban, it must not be being enforced. But if you find info on a federal ban, please forward it to us.

State law varies. They tend to be illegal in states with warmer climates, where it is feared that released pets could impact native species and perhaps become a hazard.

Some states, like New York, well... who knows.

Here is a list on a state by state basis:

http://freshaquarium.miningco.com/pe...org/legal.html

If well fed, they can grow quickly, reaching full size in about a year.

They tend to be nervous and not very good pets, but can be rather pretty.

Regards,

Scott Passe

[Freshwaterguy1313]

Well anyways back to the Question I was meaning to get answered. What is the biggest they get??? What is the food they eat???? Thanx:eek3:

[SPasse]

Here is part of that link with the legality issues.

http://www.piranha.org/

Size - Depending on species/variety up to 12”

I have seen specimens this almost big in a 250 gallon tank.

Haven’t studied there diet extensively, but feeder gold fish were used by the friends of mine that kept them.

Regards,

Scott

[Bojinx]

I kept Red Bellies exclusively for over 8 years, before i turned to saltwater. I fed feeder fish exclusively, from guppies to rosy's to goldfish depending on the size of the piranha. They are best kept in schools and to reduce injury during feeding, it is best to feed a bunch of smaller feeders than to feed fish that will need to be bitten a few times. Some think it is fun to watch them feed on, and tear up, a larger feeder, but with a school of fish, the injury to other tankmates is unavoidable. I knew people who fed rat pups to their red bellies, but i never did. It always seemed rather messy to me, and I would rather keep a stockpile of small feeder fish than have to worry about water quality after every feeding.

As for your other question, S. nattereri max out at @12"

[Freshwaterguy1313]

Well You guys really helped me. Thanx for all of that. I appreciate all of the help. I hope in the future I can help some of you. Once again THANX

[bronte]

it is illegal to buy goldfish and feed them to your piranha. it is alright for you to feed them mussels, cockles, lance fish, and what you are feeding them now. as to how big they can get depends on how big of tank for them in which you have. if they do not have room to grow they will stop at the reasonable size so they have the proper room to move comfortably around in. but they can grow to 12" and or bigger.

[cmeier7]

First of all, feeder goldfish are not illegal to feed your fish- that is why they are sold.

If I were you though, I would not feed your piranhas feeder goldfish for many reasons, some of which I have listed below:

1. Most feeder goldfish have next to no nutritional value.
2. Goldfish contain large amounts of Thiaminase/Vitamine B1 inhibitors which are growth inhibitors that could affect the growth and overall health of your fish especially if this is their only diet.
3. Goldfish can carry disease due to overcrowding and bad water quality
4. Feeder goldfish are expensive!

I do want to also mention that other foods have to B1 inhibitor as well, such as minnows and other Cyprinids (carp-like fish.) Even shrimp has some. A little B1 doesn't hurt, since piranhas will get some of that in the wild. Goldfish however have a higher content than others.

If you want to grow your Red-Bellied Piranha to as big as they can get, focus on these tips:

1. Feed your piranhas protein-rich food such as red meats, but avoid fatty meats (no fat until piranhas reach 18 months as this could harm developing digestive system.)
2. Vary diet of frozen foods- red meats, fish such as tilapia, cod (no growth inhibitors!) Piranhas are not as fond of chicken, but that just means the more for us!
3. Feed regularly and systematically, once every two days is best from my experience.
4. Keep healthy water quality. Most people would tell you to do frequent water changes. Try NOT to do this. Frequent water changes (if getting from tap and using dechlorinators) will increase the pH of the water. Piranhas do best in low pH (6.4-7).
5. Get a powerhead to provide a current in your tank. Piranhas are naturally made for rivers and they need to exercise to stay healthy and less stressed.
6. Provide a lot of oxygen via bubblers/air pumps. This may not directly attribute to growth, but it does help keep water healthy and maintain color and healthy gill function.
7. Put in required amount of freshwater salt- this also helps with gill function.
8. Low-medium light- piranhas like the dark and will get stressed with too much light. (However, if you have other fish with the piranhas, you may not see them again once you turn off the lights as piranhas will go into hunt mode in the dark!)
9. Space! Piranhas need space to avoid other piranhas, fight/horse around, to catch/reach their food, and to generally swim around. For 3 piranhas, a 55gal will usually work for the first couple years. More piranha will need a bigger environment. 3 full grown piranha will eventually need at least a 125-180 gal to appear relatively stress free, although this is more speculation than personal experience.

So basically, as long as you feed your piranha right and watch their stress levels closely, you should be on your way to healthy, large, and beautiful piranhas!

The last bit of advise I can give you is to be patient. Red-bellied piranha grow very fast in the first 1-1.5 years. However, once they reach a about 7 inches, they begin growing more slowly, at about 1.5 inches a year if you're taking care of them correctly. Even though this doesn't seem very fast, keep in mind that your piranhas are already much larger than when you first got them at 1inch long or less. Growing 1.5 inches in length at a small size is much different than growing the same amount at a large size- the large size growth is more impressive because the fish adds a much larger body mass to their already larger mass. It may be harder to notice growth within a month, but by the time a year is done, the piranha may have grown more body mass by gaining 1.5 inches in length than in the previous year when it gained 7 inches in length!

Hope this helps you with your piranhas. They are fun and interesting creatures that I have learned to respect through observation and some trial-error. Hope you succeed with your piranha care as I have! Best of luck!!!

[rebel1976]

Ive just bought 6 baby red belly piranhas im feeding them on frozen blood worm until there adults then trying them on ox's heart how long before there adults anybody know ??????