Before you run to the local fishmonger to buy your first pet piranha, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The essential

1. Piranhas are fish from the Amazon River – making them feel at home in your basement and keeping them around for a long time will take a great deal of effort on your part. Proper lighting, correct water chemistry, and proper maintenance will go a long way.

2. They don’t eat table scraps: Don’t think you can scrape scraps off your plate at every meal hoping it will be enough to keep you going. They are meat lovers and require a consistent high quality diet (brine shrimp, daphnia, beef heart, shrimp, etc.) And no, a meat lover’s pizza doesn’t count! Owners have been known to dispose of their piranhas based solely on the grocery bill.

3. The bigger the better: the fish tank that is. Many people try to put piranhas in smaller tanks and wonder why they don’t survive. Sure, it can work sometimes, but you have a greater chance of success when you go bigger. Now, having said all that, there are many advantages to having a piranha as a pet. Getting the setup right can be an amazing experience.

Calendar

The next step is to decide what you want and then get the right supplies.

1. Determine the type of piranha you want to get.

I’ll keep it simple. Piranhas are freshwater aquarium fish and there are many different types of piranhas you can choose from so it is important that you do your own research. I can tell you that the most popular on the market is the red bellied piranha (also known as the red bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri), so my suggestion is to start with these lovely little creatures if this is your first time. The main reason is that there is plenty of information on the web about these guys if you run into trouble.

2. Piranha Tank (Aquarium)

The average Pygocentrus can grow up to 7-10 inches, so choosing the correct size aquarium is extremely important. If you go cheap and opt for a smaller tank, you may (not always) spend more money when you end up replacing your piranhas more often. Yes, there’s a lot of debate about what size aquarium you should get, and a lot of evidence that smaller tanks can work, so it really is a “risk versus reward” decision to make. However, the general rule of thumb is to have 20 gallons (80 liters) per adult fish.

My personal preference is to go big or go home! It is much more amazing and fun to see pet piranhas in action in larger, well-decorated aquariums, rather than seeing them crammed into smaller 20-40 gallon aquariums. But hey, it’s just me. Try to start with at least 60-75 gallons if you can. It’s not going to be cheap, but you can always sell the tank later without losing too much money.

As for how many piranhas to get, it’s also a personal preference. If you like the shy and shy type of piranha, stick with one because they tend to hide most of the day. (Hint: Not much fun for the fish or for you!) The general rule of thumb when dealing with red bellied piranhas is to keep 3 or more at a minimum. This is because they are fishing in schools of fish, which means that they like to hang out in gangs and are not very excited about being alone. Some people have tried to keep two together, however that is a bit risky as one may try to dominate the other (i.e. possibly slitting the other’s throat in their sleep at night).

3. Aquarium supplies

This is where you can keep things simple or go crazy. It all depends on how you want the end result to look like and how much money you are willing to spend. I give you the basic list below, but it comes down to personal preference as there are so many supplies available so it’s really up to you to do your research. A great way to do this is to look at hundreds of aquarium pictures online to see what you like.

Filtration system

thermometer -Unless you’re willing to dip your finger in piranha-infested water to see what the temperature is (I like my fingers the way they are, thanks), you should probably get one of these.

power head – It’s good for the extra water circulation that piranhas love, but you may not need one if your filtration system gives you enough water flow.

decorations – This is where things can get crazy. Possibilities:

  • Aquarium lights – Piranhas hate bright lights, so try to keep lighting to a minimum if possible.
  • Plants: you can choose real plants that make the aquarium look more natural; however, there is more maintenance involved. Artificial plants will also work.
  • Driftwood, gravel, rocks, shells, coral, etc. – Again, it all depends on how you want the end result to look like. Important note: some accessories such as certain corals and rocks will change the chemistry of the water in your aquarium and be harmful to your piranha, so talk to your local representative and do your research before purchasing!

I hope this gives you an idea of ​​what you’ll need to get started.

Things to Know Before Buying Your First Pet Piranha

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