Piranha..Red bellied..Most ferocious of the Piranha species .
Despite their fearsome reputation, piranha can be kept as aquarium fish. Their diet in nature consists of live prey and dead animals and fish. Live feedings to captive piranha are not advised, as they can introduce diseases, and goldfish contain growth-inhibiting hormone which in turn will affect piranha. Many experienced piranha keepers feed their fish on lean, chemical-free meat such as beef heart, unbreaded fillets of common table fish, and invertebrates such as shrimp and crab. They may be kept with certain armoured catfish such as Hypostomus plecostomus but this is generally discouraged amongst the piranha-keeping community. Some have reported success keeping them in large shoals with other large fish in aquariums upwards of 300 US gallons, but any introductions of other species of fish should be done with extreme caution. Red-bellied piranhas should be kept in small shoals of at least four individuals, to encourage dispersal of aggression, or on their own which is common practice. These fish, particularly when juvenile, will sometimes bite one another in the aquarium, normally on the fins, in behaviour called 'fin nipping'. Fish that have had their fins nipped will grow them back surprisingly rapidly. These fish can be timid in the aquarium, in contrast to their reputation. This can be for a variety of reasons, i.e. due to unnaturally high light conditions, poor water quality, and lack of cover which juvenile fish in particular need to hide. Some hobbyists have been disappointed with the fish's timidity in the aquarium, getting them due to their exaggerated reputations as killers. Piranha requires frequent water changes, with soft water. Extensive filtration is required and the turnover of the filter should be at least 3 times the aquarium capacity per hour, as piranha generate a lot of waste owing to their diet and to the fact that they usually cannot be kept with scavenger fishes in their tank. A tank containing Red-bellied piranha should be kept at a constant pH of 5.5 to 7.0, and water parameters of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia monitored at least every week. It is suggested to furnish the aquarium with bogwood (mangrove root etc.), as this will assist in keeping the pH constant.
Info courtesy of wikipedia
In the Aquarium at the Bewdley Safari Park
Piranha..Red bellied..Most ferocious of the Piranha species .
Despite their fearsome reputation, piranha can be kept as aquarium fish. Their diet in nature consists of live prey and dead animals and fish. Live feedings to captive piranha are not advised, as they can introduce diseases, and goldfish contain growth-inhibiting hormone which in turn will affect piranha. Many experienced piranha keepers feed their fish on lean, chemical-free meat such as beef heart, unbreaded fillets of common table fish, and invertebrates such as shrimp and crab. They may be kept with certain armoured catfish such as Hypostomus plecostomus but this is generally discouraged amongst the piranha-keeping community. Some have reported success keeping them in large shoals with other large fish in aquariums upwards of 300 US gallons, but any introductions of other species of fish should be done with extreme caution. Red-bellied piranhas should be kept in small shoals of at least four individuals, to encourage dispersal of aggression, or on their own which is common practice. These fish, particularly when juvenile, will sometimes bite one another in the aquarium, normally on the fins, in behaviour called 'fin nipping'. Fish that have had their fins nipped will grow them back surprisingly rapidly. These fish can be timid in the aquarium, in contrast to their reputation. This can be for a variety of reasons, i.e. due to unnaturally high light conditions, poor water quality, and lack of cover which juvenile fish in particular need to hide. Some hobbyists have been disappointed with the fish's timidity in the aquarium, getting them due to their exaggerated reputations as killers. Piranha requires frequent water changes, with soft water. Extensive filtration is required and the turnover of the filter should be at least 3 times the aquarium capacity per hour, as piranha generate a lot of waste owing to their diet and to the fact that they usually cannot be kept with scavenger fishes in their tank. A tank containing Red-bellied piranha should be kept at a constant pH of 5.5 to 7.0, and water parameters of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia monitored at least every week. It is suggested to furnish the aquarium with bogwood (mangrove root etc.), as this will assist in keeping the pH constant.
Info courtesy of wikipedia
In the Aquarium at the Bewdley Safari Park