Off topic but ,,, Pirahna
- Thread starter K9coral
- Start date
Most often I've seen pacu, which look almost for all the world like a piranha. I've actually found piranha to be rather sensitive to water quality, but definitely as prone to having a "spaz attack" as pacu.
Feed them BUGS! They go BERZERK! (Plus, it's good for 'em.)
Feed them BUGS! They go BERZERK! (Plus, it's good for 'em.)
ElMonoCalvo":vms9chwz said:
They're not boring I suppose, if you like stupid fish.
I tend to compare everything freshwater to the cichlid family, which isn't fair I know. Stupid fish have their place. In fact, I may set up a stupid fish aquarium myself at some point, a fully planted one.Jim
Ocean Floor here in Phoenix has a *ton* of Pacu in their big display tanks...big, nasty, pirahna looking fish. Really messy eaters like the pirahna (they're closely related) so make sure you've got great filtration.
Major diff. between the 2 is that Pacu are vegetarians...the ones at our zoo go nuts over grapes!
Major diff. between the 2 is that Pacu are vegetarians...the ones at our zoo go nuts over grapes!
Not a stupid fish (ok maybe they are). I bought one when I was in the sixth grade, and it died just three years ago. He was the size of a nickle when I bought him, and he lived happily in a 20g tank for 13 years! Sad to see him go, developed some sort of tumors and eventually stopped eating.
If you can afford it, get a black piranah, not the common red belly. And if you really want to see them go nuts, feed 'em beef heart.
Pacus are cool too (have one huge one) but they get too big IMO.
If you can afford it, get a black piranah, not the common red belly. And if you really want to see them go nuts, feed 'em beef heart.
Pacus are cool too (have one huge one) but they get too big IMO.
DLART89":3ngnwqds said:
:lol: :lol:
What I mean is, they are not intelligent fish, no presence, charisma or personality like a large cichlid. Cool in their own way, but pacu are cheaper, and legal. They just get huge. :?
The only difference between a pacu and a pirahna is dentition and diet. Pacu are nut eating pirahnas, pirahna are flesh eating pacus.
Jim
What's your reasoning for wanting them?
Just because they're "predators" that you can feed endless feeder goldfish to? That's the Beavis and Butthead mentality - don't even start. You'll lose interest and be wasting their lives and those of the feeder fish that are a lousy and unnecessary diet anyways. Those guys always end up back at the store after a few months and don't understand why I don't want their stupid piranha back.
Because they look cool?
Meh, sure. I like some weird lookin' fish so I can't really argue with you. Plan for a bigger tank and keep a group and you might enjoy them a little more. Avoid live food - it's unnecessary and I fully agree with Bob Fenner's observation that feeding large live foods makes fish more aggressive. Unless you enjoy watching your pets kill each other over time. Personally I think that's rather sick.
Or just because it's something you've never done before and it's a new frontier? They're definitely interesting fish physically and will be quite striking given good water conditions (something most owners don't give them because, like I said, they're largely a Beavis and Butthead pet).
Just because they're "predators" that you can feed endless feeder goldfish to? That's the Beavis and Butthead mentality - don't even start. You'll lose interest and be wasting their lives and those of the feeder fish that are a lousy and unnecessary diet anyways. Those guys always end up back at the store after a few months and don't understand why I don't want their stupid piranha back.
Because they look cool?
Meh, sure. I like some weird lookin' fish so I can't really argue with you. Plan for a bigger tank and keep a group and you might enjoy them a little more. Avoid live food - it's unnecessary and I fully agree with Bob Fenner's observation that feeding large live foods makes fish more aggressive. Unless you enjoy watching your pets kill each other over time. Personally I think that's rather sick.
Or just because it's something you've never done before and it's a new frontier? They're definitely interesting fish physically and will be quite striking given good water conditions (something most owners don't give them because, like I said, they're largely a Beavis and Butthead pet).
I *was* trying to offer you some insight into piranha keeping, given that I've dealt with a lot of piranha customers over the years and seen largely disappointing results.
It seems you just want something that can kill other things. When you lose interest in your piranha, I suggest you release them into a public water system and then go into the forest and find small mammals to torture.
It seems you just want something that can kill other things. When you lose interest in your piranha, I suggest you release them into a public water system and then go into the forest and find small mammals to torture.
They are messy eaters, live fed or otherwise, so water quality is an issue. I found keeping a couple of crawfish in the tank with them to cleanup their scraps went a long way to keeping them healthy. And as long as they were well fed they left the crawfish alone but if they got hungry they could always pinch the tails and suck the heads :twisted: .
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