6 piranhas in a 55 gallon?

[Mike0513]

Hi,

My uncle decided it would be a good idea to buy my 4 more piranhas for my 20 gallon tank. Theyre currently about an inch long so they should be good for now, but will a 55 gallon be good for them to grow to adult size in? because my lfs is selling a 55 gallon tank, filter, hood, light, and stand for 150, and im going to jump on it and get it if 55 will be big enough.

Thanks,
Mike Franger

[emc7]

I don't think its big enough for there entire lives, maybe a few years.

Piranhas are normally about 14 to 26 cm long (6 to 10 inches), although some specimens have been reported to be up to 43 cm (18.0 inches) in length.[7]

I get why he didn't think 2 was a good idea if he checked wikipedia

It is important to keep Pygocentrus piranhas alone or in groups of four or more, not in pairs, since aggression among them is common, not allowing the weaker fish to survive, and is distributed more widely when kept in larger groups. It is not rare to find individuals with one eye missing due to a previous attack. Piranhas are likely to become cannibalistic on others in their group if underfed.

If you are lucky they will eat each other and solve your problem.

[petlovingfreak]

Yah, they'll prob eat each other. A 55 gallon wouldn't be big enough for very long.

[Revolution1221]

yeah i would aggree i would shoot for 90-125. and they wont stay 1 inch for very long they grow pretty quick. we get them at work finger nail sized and within a few months they grow 2-3 inches.

[Mike0513]

so two more questions then, how big should i let them get in the 55? and how many full adults could i keep in the 55? because the 55 gallon deal they have is pretty good, and ill just sell them back when they get too big

Thanks,
Mike

[TheOldSalt]

Oh, you think so, do ya? Good luck with that.

In the meantime, 4-5 inches is about all you could hope for in that tank.

[Hoyo12]

Originally Posted by Mike0513 so two more questions then, how big should i let them get in the 55? and how many full adults could i keep in the 55? because the 55 gallon deal they have is pretty good, and ill just sell them back when they get too big Thanks, Mike

IMO, three would be the max that I would keep in a 55-Gallon, but that's an opinion. You're probably looking at them reaching 8", so once again IMO, three 8" fish in a 55 isn't too big of deal. But the amount of decor, and filtration would also impact that. I've never dealt with Piranha, but I've had a few friends that have. I think I need to give some a try, lol.
Any pics?

[emc7]

They are like serpaes, incredibly mean in small numbers, happy in big schools. But they are messy eaters that grow big like oscars and need both lots of swimming room and lots of filtration. There's a huge tankful in the GA aquarium. IMO, they aren't that impressive, they get uglier as they grow. Keep 1 alone in a 55 or ditch them all and get 30 serpaes. I bet serpaes could reduce a cat to a skeleton if it fell in the tank. This pic is stolen from a random web photo album, but it shows the tank you want for piranha.

[Corwin]

poor cat

and I think the reason people keep pirannhas is based more off their fearsome reputation than their appearance.

[emc7]

hoplias are nastier, have bigger teeth and are more likely to bite you.

[Mike0513]

Thanks for the responses guys.

im down to 5 now, one got eaten over night. I am picking up the 55 gallon over the weekend. Any tips for starting it up? or what kind of decoration i should do? i was thinking a very small amount to increase swimming room. The biggest tank ive done is a 29, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Do you guys think i should make the 20 gallon i have them in now into a sump for filtration?

Thanks,
Mike

[Mike0513]

I was thinking using sand instead of gravel. good idea or bad?

Thanks,
Mike

[Revolution1221]

i agree emc7. if i ever got one it would be just 1 and it would be one of the more rare species like a black or something like that but i doubt ill ever do that.

[emc7]

sumps are great, but setup is somewhat tricky. Read up before attempting. Or you could use it as a hospital tank. Bare tank is good. If you get sand, keep it out of the filter. Use a sponge over the intake or choose a filter with an impeller in the lid, like a fluval.

[Mike0513]

does anyone have good plans for a freshwater sump? and what exactly would i use for filtration in the sump? could i use the fiter that hangs on the back and just put it in the sump?

Thanks,
Mike