when I kept piranhas (I had three) I kept them with an O, JD, 3 cons, and a Gar (sold as a gator gar, looking back, think it was a spotted gar), and a school of 5 larger tiger barbs as dithers (would replace the barbs as needed). that was the surviving population. any other experiment in survival with that combo failed.
Questionable Piranha Tank-mates
- Thread starter Joshy
- Start date
of course, keep the tank very well fed. never go on vacation and assume they'll be alright for three days.pcfriedrich;1701909; said:
my (red belly) piranha loved shrimp pellets, too. don't know if that's unusual.
Anybody tried putting a ELECTRIC CATFISH in with some RB's?......I got a 4 incher and he's got his own section of the tank! He'll randomly leave his cave and wander out zapping any or everything that comes near. IT HURTS!!!.......RB's would probably learn to give it it's space. But you never know. A alligator gar and wolf fish were left with just there heads remaining after 4 6in. P's were in a bad mood!! Anyone have a opinion on introducing 5 1in. RB's to a E. CATFISH?
I have never had much luck with P's and other tank mates. The P's would eventually corner the fish and it was all over. I have a 100 gal(L48xW24xH20) with 7 RBP and lots of water sprite, they eventually ate all the tetras and danios.
At Stienheart Aquarium in San Francisco they used to have a great alligator gar tank 5-9 foot gars. The bottom of the whole tank was large round river rock. There were several species of cichlids living in the rocks. There were fry to 14" cichlids living and breeding. I might try something like this in my new tank with smaller (easy to breed) cichlids and a large rock formation in part of the tank. I would size the rock so smaller but still breeding size Convects(or somthing) could hide but 6" RBP or larger couldn't get them. I suppose when the Convects got too big they would become bate, that would self limit the population. My new tank should be done in two weeks, I post some pictures of my idea when I get the tank together.
At Stienheart Aquarium in San Francisco they used to have a great alligator gar tank 5-9 foot gars. The bottom of the whole tank was large round river rock. There were several species of cichlids living in the rocks. There were fry to 14" cichlids living and breeding. I might try something like this in my new tank with smaller (easy to breed) cichlids and a large rock formation in part of the tank. I would size the rock so smaller but still breeding size Convects(or somthing) could hide but 6" RBP or larger couldn't get them. I suppose when the Convects got too big they would become bate, that would self limit the population. My new tank should be done in two weeks, I post some pictures of my idea when I get the tank together.
I have 4 silver dollars living with 3 juvinile rbps (3".) It's been two weeks and so far so good. Sure, the piranhas chase them about constantly but they are quick to get out of the way. I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of time before the reds take them down one at a time, but still I have the slightest of hope that the reds would just learn to co-inhibit with the silvers.
The onlyu thing I was able to keep with my RBs was a Pleco. He was over a foot when they were around 8-9". Around 5 years together. I left for 4 days on vacation. Got back and I could've cried. It was as if they waited for me to leave lol. Over 5 years... Point is.......You can never trust your RBs. I am going to try again in my new 220 setup with 2 Plecs and 6 Raphs 3 spotted and 3 striped. I am working on plenty of hiding places. I guess I will see if I can pass the 5 year mark again 
... I think anything else other than armored bottome dwelling fish is a matter of time. THEY WILL DIE!!!!!!!! LOL, and to keep anything in a with a Black P...... IT WILL DIE!!!! It is also just a matte of time (usually not much time)
... I think anything else other than armored bottome dwelling fish is a matter of time. THEY WILL DIE!!!!!!!! LOL, and to keep anything in a with a Black P...... IT WILL DIE!!!! It is also just a matte of time (usually not much time)well my 4" pleco was killed yesterday by my 11" red. The pleco was in the tank for about 7 months and did great but the pleco started swimming oddly in circles and that cought my p's attention and than crunch! right in front of me my P snapped the pleco in two. Something was wrong with the pleco sick I think, checked the water params and they where fine though. I will be getting another pleco as it is needed for my planted tank might be trying about 20 neon tetras to the tank to see how that works, anyone tried neon tetras with a really big red before?
I do not keep piranhas, and never will as long as i live in texas, but i visited moody gardens yesterday, and there piranha tank was quite interesting. It was poorly decorated, but the tankmates seemed a little odd to me:
6 or 8 pirahnas
3 large banded leporinus
1 10" clown loach
3 or 4 5" wild type discus
20+ bleeding heart tetras
4 or 5 Geophagus Brasilisis (sp?)
All the fish appeared happy and healthy, and no one had nipped fins or bites taken out of them. The tank was probably 500 gallons, but was oddly shaped (about 6' long, 5' tall, and 2 or 3 feet wide).
Just wanted to share the odd tankmates, and see if was surprising to anyone (i dunno, but i do not think i would risk a 10" clown, large leporinus, and discus with p's, but whatever)
6 or 8 pirahnas
3 large banded leporinus
1 10" clown loach
3 or 4 5" wild type discus
20+ bleeding heart tetras
4 or 5 Geophagus Brasilisis (sp?)
All the fish appeared happy and healthy, and no one had nipped fins or bites taken out of them. The tank was probably 500 gallons, but was oddly shaped (about 6' long, 5' tall, and 2 or 3 feet wide).
Just wanted to share the odd tankmates, and see if was surprising to anyone (i dunno, but i do not think i would risk a 10" clown, large leporinus, and discus with p's, but whatever)
