# Piranha tank buddies



## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

Hello, I have a 90 gallon tank with 7 teenage piranhas in it. For the last 4 months a large 10" pleco has been co-existing...but I wonder if there are any other fish that may survive with them? I was thinking maybe something very small and fast...schooling fish ....maybe white clouds or something like that. Or are they destined to be a single fish community?

Any thoughts out there, thanks.


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

well...white clouds are a coldwater fish. 

But if I was in another fishes shoes, I wouldnt want to be housed with the Mafia.


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## curtisonrad19 (Oct 31, 2010)

-Could try neons? they are small and fast, yet warm water fish? 
-maybe livebears? the idea would be that they can reproduce faster then being eatten 

My guess is that anything will become food with them though...
If you do try smaller/fast fish make sure that there are hiding spots and such to brake the line of site. Heard this helps with aggression. (correct me if i am wrong)


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

If your fish(guessing they're rbp's) are just teenage they're probably around the 4" to 6" mark, they're still small if so. A standard 90g with 7rbp, and a 10pelco... I don't think it's fare to the fish to be adding anymore to an already crammed tank. On the Piranha forums people try to cohab P's with other fish all the time, and over time it's always the same out come.... The amount of time it takes to get to that point varies, it's basically a hit or miss. 


What are you using to filter that tank?


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

I have to agree with HGI... forget adding fish, you needa get a bigger tank! What happens when they reach a foot long? They'll be standing on end lol!


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## Fish Whisper (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi, Niall 
Welcome to BCA,

My take would be since they are already are estalished in the tank and ur bioload is heavey already, 
I would personally keep as a single fish community.
Since they are in a pack they would hunt down even much larger, and any thing smaller and faster is "fast" food 

I think if you brought down the numbers to 2 or 3 Piranha then something like a larger Oscar or tougher fish would have a chance.


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## thharris (Jun 29, 2010)

yea I second the piranha working as a pack, best to keep them in their own tank, as they would pick on anything else in the tank.


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## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

hgi said:


> If your fish(guessing they're rbp's) are just teenage they're probably around the 4" to 6" mark, they're still small if so. A standard 90g with 7rbp, and a 10pelco... I don't think it's fare to the fish to be adding anymore to an already crammed tank. On the Piranha forums people try to cohab P's with other fish all the time, and over time it's always the same out come.... The amount of time it takes to get to that point varies, it's basically a hit or miss.
> 
> What are you using to filter that tank?


Thanks for the responses...as for crowding, they seem to be doing well. They are very cool just hanging out in their group...slowly swimming in and out of the fake plants, driftwood and rocks.

As for filters I have 2 Fluval 205's an AquaClear 30 and a powerhead. Quite a lot of water movement really. I also clean the tank once a week.

I introduced about 20 small feeder goldfish into their tank...and as I was sitting on the couch watching, I liked the idea of having more movement in the aquarium. However the goldfish didn't last more than 10 minutes...so I was thinking of a smarter, faster, more wary fish. But yeah...chances are anything I add will just end up as food.

Oh and yes they are red bellies. Very attractive 

I do have a 125 gallon they could go into...hoping they stop at 8 inches and not go to 12...guess we'll see...


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

They may look okay now, just remember that they reach an adult size of 12"... A lot of people prefer to keep them in tanks upwards of 300g. Its either that, or do water changes every day. Or watch them die. No joke, pet stores are kind of deceptive in selling them. In fact, we have a great sponsor here (Island Pets Unlimited) who refuses to sell them because people get in over their heads with them.

You might also want to post in the monster section and see what people prefer to feed their pirahnas. Feeder goldfish are rich in only one food group: internal parasites! And they are a real nightmare to get rid of. A few of us have been in that boat over the last few months!


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## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

kelly528 said:


> Feeder goldfish are rich in only one food group: internal parasites! And they are a real nightmare to get rid of. A few of us have been in that boat over the last few months!


The feeder goldfish are not usual...I keep those for my shovelnose catfish. I have had success feeding them raw steak and dethawed frozen smelts. Cheaper. I will continue to monitor them as they grow...I got seven because I wanted them to grow up as a group...didn't really expect them to all survive...but if they do I will try and accommodate.


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Keep your eye on the classifieds... massive acrylic tanks sometimes pop up for a great deal! They never last for long


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Hey Niall, piranhas are fun, put up a photo if you got one.

Mine don't get feeders, just raw white fish meat once or twice a week and hikari Cichlid Bio-Gold+ every other day.


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## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

Including some pics as requested


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## Rajan (Apr 21, 2010)

very nice piranahs you have there. I used to have 8 of them and just to let you know that if you put any fish in there they will get eaten up even if they don't do it right away they will eventually


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## twleung (Sep 9, 2010)

what about the electric blue lobsters can they coexist with the piranhas? i am upgradig to a 90gal and putting my existing fish in there and i ws thinking of puttin my electric blue lobster with 3 piranhas in a 29 gallon because my lobsters starting to go crazy and attacking my discus


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## twleung (Sep 9, 2010)

or is that too small? i was thinking id get em small and when they grow too big ill just trade em in for smaller ones


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## Rajan (Apr 21, 2010)

they will chew that up. my africans cichlids ate a blue lobster


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## thharris (Jun 29, 2010)

personaly I would sell the piranahs if you want to put somthing else in that tank that you didnt want to be food for them. I'm my opinion they really should be kept in a tank with their own kind.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Niall,
Your best option for mixing with Piranha are Bucktoothed tetras _Exodon paradoxus_. They are a very aggressive, very fast swimming tetra that tend to do very well with Piranha. I would recommend waiting until you move them to a larger aquarium however. 
They are a pretty tetra but don't be fooled, some serious teeth on these guys!


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Niall, 
Those are some healthy looking P's you got there and a nice set up. I'm still waiting for mine to breed.

twleung,
Three P's in a 29g..... and you want to feed them a blue lobster?


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## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

Rastapus said:


> Niall,
> Your best option for mixing with Piranha are Bucktoothed tetras _Exodon paradoxus_. They are a very aggressive, very fast swimming tetra that tend to do very well with Piranha. I would recommend waiting until you move them to a larger aquarium however.
> They are a pretty tetra but don't be fooled, some serious teeth on these guys!


Wow, never heard of these guys...and the more I research them the scarier they sound! Tough little buggers...here's a quote I found.

"*Behavior: * If you do decide to keep these guys, get a large bunch. They fare fine in schools or as single specimens. Don't be tempted to mix them with other mean fishes. We seen these guys back larger piranhas (which can be sissies) into a corner. Your exodon will take center stage and wreak havoc on most other tank mates."


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

Ill say it again: I know I wouldn't want to be housed with the Mafia.


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## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

katienaha said:


> Ill say it again: I know I wouldn't want to be housed with the Mafia.


Quite right...I have lost the desire to try and find tank mates for the "mafia". Guess my bigger concern is to sneak another bigger tank into the house without my wife noticing. There are always challenges to this hobby


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

What? That tank didn't get bigger honey... Hey, aren't your roots starting to show and your skin looking a little haggard? It might be time to go to the salon dear......


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## Illbuyourcatfish (Jun 3, 2010)

Anybody know where you'd find Exodon paradoxus and the approximate cost?


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## Kanesska (Oct 7, 2010)

My bf always asks me if he see's a new tank in the house where it came from.. I tell him my other tank had babies  lol


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## Fish Whisper (Apr 22, 2010)

Illbuyourcatfish said:


> Anybody know where you'd find Exodon paradoxus and the approximate cost?


I`ve seen a couple at Richmond IPU a few months ago.
can`t recal price,


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