Piranha

The Piranha is an infamous fish known for its meat eating capabilities and although it is an extremely interesting fish, we do not recommend them for the beginner. They can get quite large and expensive to feed. I also wouldn't want to put my hand in a tank full of piranhas while performing tank maintenance. Yikes!

Use caution if you plan to feed your Piranha a steady diet of feeder guppies or feeder goldfish since these may introduce many different diseases to your tank. Try to get them on flakes or pellets as soon as possible and only give them live foods as a supplement to their diet.

Scientific Name : Pygocentrus nattereri

Common Names : Red Belly Piranha, Red Piranha, Red Bellied Piranha

Care Level : Moderate

Size : Up to 12 inches (30 cm)

pH : 6 - 7.5

Temperature : 73°F - 82°F (23°C - 28°C)

Water Hardness : 10° to 20° dH,

Lifespan : 8 - 10 years

Origin / Habitat : South America

Temperament / Behavior : A very peaceful fish - just kidding. This is a very aggressive and a very dangerous fish. You need a larger tank for them. They will eat your smaller fish.

Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Extremely difficult.

Tank Size : 30 gallon minimum, though I see them (juveniles) in 10 gallon tanks from time to time. If you keep them in a smaller tank be prepared to perform more frequent aquarium maintenance.

Compatible Tank Mates : Not many - mainly other Piranhas

Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment

Diet / Fish Food : Omnivore - feeding them can become fairly expensive because they prefer live foods. Try to give them flakes and pellet food for their primary nutritional needs and supplement with live foods.

Tank Region : Middle

Gender : Difficult to determine but the female may be larger and have more yellow in them. We've also read reports that suggest that the female may become darker around spawning time.