# My New Pygocentrus nattereri Shoal



## taylorhedrich

I'm back in business! After disappointingly selling my cariba shoal because they destroyed my decor in the tank, I began my search for some juvi reds to no avail. I gave up and threw some oscars in the tank to watch grow. This summer I learned of a Pygo natt breeder about 40 minutes from me. I purchased 14 red bellies from him on June 11, 2006. They were only $50 a dozen and he threw in 2 extra, hence the 14 of them.

I've always enjoyed member's threads that record their Pygo's growth by updating the thread and showing their progress. It is amazing to see how fast these little buggers really do grow. I've decided that I'm going to do the same with my very own new shoal. I will update this thread every month with pictures of them.

Without further ado, meet my new shoal of baby reds that are currently staying in a 29 gallon tank until they get larger to move into the 130 gallon:

I was lucky enough to snap this picture of them huddled in the corner after a waterchange:









I got these close-ups when they were sleeping at night and didn't shy away from the camera:


















Here is their newly decorated 29 gallon tank they are temporarily staying in:









It would make more sense if you saved most of your comments until I start posting the updates. I swear they've almost doubled in size already since I've gotten them. I've never raised reds from such a young size, so it's a great experience already. Thanks for viewing.
~Taylor~


----------



## AE Aquatics (Alex)

very nice Taylor and gl


----------



## kirch24

looks great


----------



## peeteyPee

Nice setup and pygo. Why did you sell your caribe? Thats like selling your first born child. I wouldn't sell'em if they ate my hand off.


----------



## taylorhedrich

peeteyPee said:


> Nice setup and pygo. Why did you sell your caribe? Thats like selling your first born child. I wouldn't sell'em if they ate my hand off.


You and I are different people. I too love my fish, but I wasn't about to let them make me keep my beautiful 130 gallon tank look bare and ugly without plants and decor in it. They chewed up all of the fake plants and chewed up my aeration parts. Do not think I don't feel bad for selling them.








~Taylor~


----------



## peeteyPee




----------



## kryton2005

Gl And keep posting your updates


----------



## toanluu77

nice shoal


----------



## Mr. Hannibal

Nice looking Natts and tank... and nice idea sharing their growth record...







!


----------



## GoJamieGo

Nice pickup, Taylor..... I'm looking forwards to the updates.


----------



## memen

nice little guys ! but 14 in a 130 G, it's alot and too many.


----------



## sprfunk

Makes me miss my little P's. Now they are bigger P's.


----------



## eriesteelheader

great shoal - I'll be doing the same in the next few months - what are they feeding on now - are you having aggression issues in the 29 gallon (i.e. any lost eyes or chuncks taken out of fish yet?)


----------



## Coldfire

Good looking shoal. Mine looked like that about a month ago. They will grow like weeds!!


----------



## Trystan

They are so cute at that size. Congrats Taylor. I am sure they will be monsters in no time under your care.

Trystan


----------



## killerbee

That is too cool, that will be a great shoal. Keep up on the updates


----------



## grounded jay

nice p's, great i also like looking at the growth records


----------



## taylorhedrich

memen said:


> great shoal - I'll be doing the same in the next few months - what are they feeding on now - are you having aggression issues in the 29 gallon (i.e. any lost eyes or chuncks taken out of fish yet?)


I have been feeding them earthworms cut up in small pieces and a lot of tropical fish flakes. As soon as I get to town I will be picking up some bloodworms as well. I've tried a small chunk of fish, but they didn't seem too interested in that yet. I haven't had any aggression problems so far. I literally keep them fed around the clock. So no chunks taken out or missing eyes. There are some tattered fins, but that is it.

Thanks for all of the nice comments everybody. I will have their first update on July 20th!








~Taylor~


----------



## NickNick

Taylor I just wanted to say looking Good my friend, i cant wait for the updates. make sure ya keep me posted , alright buddy


----------



## Dezboy

LOVELY LOOKING REDS........that small tank is looking good also


----------



## Dr Exum

looks nice.... I think I may copy you with the monthly update thing,,,,


----------



## taylorhedrich

Dr Exum said:


> looks nice.... I think I may copy you with the monthly update thing,,,,


By all means go for it!


----------



## Fresh2salt

there not in the 130 gallon in the pic are they ?


----------



## taylorhedrich

Fresh2salt said:


> there not in the 130 gallon in the pic are they ?


No that was the 29 gallon. They are in the 130 gallon now, but I will have updated photos on July 20th.


----------



## Fresh2salt

COOL. CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW THEY WILL LOOK IN A MONTH..


----------



## beercandan

damn we gotta wait almost a month


----------



## taylorhedrich

beercandan said:


> damn we gotta wait almost a month


15 more days, so mark your calendar!


----------



## NickNick

cool


----------



## fps

taylorhedrich said:


> Nice setup and pygo. Why did you sell your caribe? Thats like selling your first born child. I wouldn't sell'em if they ate my hand off.


You and I are different people. I too love my fish, but I wasn't about to let them make me keep my beautiful 130 gallon tank look bare and ugly without plants and decor in it. They chewed up all of the fake plants and chewed up my aeration parts. Do not think I don't feel bad for selling them.








~Taylor~
[/quote]

I hate to say this Taylor, but my RBPs like to snack on my fake plants. You should have keep your caribe. They were sweet! I almost made you an offer on a few of them, but I just did not have the room. It was hell watching them up for sale. Good luck with your RBPs.


----------



## taylorhedrich

fps said:


> Nice setup and pygo. Why did you sell your caribe? Thats like selling your first born child. I wouldn't sell'em if they ate my hand off.


You and I are different people. I too love my fish, but I wasn't about to let them make me keep my beautiful 130 gallon tank look bare and ugly without plants and decor in it. They chewed up all of the fake plants and chewed up my aeration parts. Do not think I don't feel bad for selling them.








~Taylor~
[/quote]

I hate to say this Taylor, but my RBPs like to snack on my fake plants. You should have keep your caribe. They were sweet! I almost made you an offer on a few of them, but I just did not have the room. It was hell watching them up for sale. Good luck with your RBPs.
[/quote]
Generally speaking red bellied piranha will be more likely to let me keep fake plants in my tank than my cariba would. I see MANY people on the board with unharmed plants and decor in their red belly tanks. A lot of people don't really have trouble with the piraya or cariba shoals either, I just must have gotten an unlucky bunch. They sure were aggressive though, so I wasn't totally unlucky....
~Taylor~


----------



## EZmoney

great deal on those reds. i'm looking forward to the updates.


----------



## MONGO 

UPDATE! lol cant wait anymore


----------



## taylorhedrich

RockinTimbz said:


> UPDATE! lol cant wait anymore


It's pretty cool you guys are so interested and they are just common red bellies!

Sorry buddy, 5 more days! It might seem stupid, but I want to make sure there is exactly a month's growth between the other pictures. I can tell you that they are growing like weeds though!
~Taylor~


----------



## harrykaa

Hi Taylor,

While waiting for the monthly update, I wish all good for your Reds.
You really have shoal there, and like you said all of them cannot fit into the 130 gallon tank.
But on the other hand, there will always be cannibalism and fatal bites etc. and it just seems to be a good idea to see via natural selection which 5-6 or something make it, and find their way into the 130 gallon tank.

I hope you also go into true plant business. Reds do not destroy the plants. See my new update (posting it very soon) of my 150 gallon with 9 inchers and lots of growing plants there.

Harry


----------



## MONGO 

taylorhedrich said:


> UPDATE! lol cant wait anymore


It's pretty cool you guys are so interested and they are just common red bellies!

Sorry buddy, 5 more days! It might seem stupid, but I want to make sure there is exactly a month's growth between the other pictures. I can tell you that they are growing like weeds though!
~Taylor~
[/quote]

it got more exciting for me because im going to do it with my baby elong but prob every 2 months because of the slow growth rate..prob wont be as interesting as a shoal of reds but oh well

good luck with your reds bro


----------



## taylorhedrich

harrykaa said:


> Hi Taylor,
> 
> While waiting for the monthly update, I wish all good for your Reds.
> You really have shoal there, and like you said all of them cannot fit into the 130 gallon tank.
> But on the other hand, there will always be cannibalism and fatal bites etc. and it just seems to be a good idea to see via natural selection which 5-6 or something make it, and find their way into the 130 gallon tank.
> 
> I hope you also go into true plant business. Reds do not destroy the plants. See my new update (posting it very soon) of my 150 gallon with 9 inchers and lots of growing plants there.
> 
> Harry


Thanks so much Harry, it especially means a lot to me coming from you.









I don't want to speak too soon, but I can't believe how smoothly things are going with these reds. Last time I looked (5 minutes ago) every single one still has flawless fins, and no exaggerations. I really hope they all hold up for the pictures in a few days. I still have all 14 by the way. I'm setting my own personal goal to not lose any, but I won't be depressed or let down if I do when they get a little older.

I will see how they hold up with the plastic plants. Then if all goes well through adult hood I just may look into live plants again. Right now I don't have the money to spare for a gravel change (need finer gravel), and the lighting and fertilizers, etc. Planted tanks sure do look great though. If nothing else I may just get silk plants when I know they won't destory them. I guess they could always change their tendencies though if they go into their breeding behaviors..... I will just take things one step at a time.
~Taylor~


----------



## RedSpilo

very nice tank setup...


----------



## the_w8

2 more days! post pics of the monsters so we can see how big the lil fellas got. My prediction is 2.-75-3".


----------



## Hater

Nice shoal Taylor and congrats man but one question I have to ask Taylor. Why not go with real plants Taylor? They add a lot of beauty to the tank, help with filtration, keep algae down and are overall better for your tank?

We have a good forum on plants and you are a very experience member, give it a try Taylor.

Hater


----------



## taylorhedrich

Hater said:


> Nice shoal Taylor and congrats man but one question I have to ask Taylor. Why not go with real plants Taylor? They add a lot of beauty to the tank, help with filtration, keep algae down and are overall better for your tank?
> 
> We have a good forum on plants and you are a very experience member, give it a try Taylor.
> 
> Hater


As I mentioned in response to harrykaa's post, I don't think I want to stick the extra money into it right now. I agree with you 100% that the tank would look so nice with live plants, but in reality I would have to change the gravel (needs to be finer), buy better lighting (really expensive for such a large tank), and purchase a C02 system, and then purchase the plants themselves.

Other than that, I would LOVE to give it a try. Planted tanks are so gorgeous, and harrykaa's, along with many other people's tanks, are really inspiring.
~Taylor~


----------



## Hater

taylorhedrich said:


> Nice shoal Taylor and congrats man but one question I have to ask Taylor. Why not go with real plants Taylor? They add a lot of beauty to the tank, help with filtration, keep algae down and are overall better for your tank?
> 
> We have a good forum on plants and you are a very experience member, give it a try Taylor.
> 
> Hater


As I mentioned in response to harrykaa's post, I don't think I want to stick the extra money into it right now. I agree with you 100% that the tank would look so nice with live plants, but in reality I would have to change the gravel (needs to be finer), buy better lighting (really expensive for such a large tank), and purchase a C02 system, and then purchase the plants themselves.

Other than that, I would LOVE to give it a try. Planted tanks are so gorgeous, and harrykaa's, along with many other people's tanks, are really inspiring.
~Taylor~
[/quote]

That is true. I'm finding out that keeping my plants healthy can get a little expensive.

Roger out!

Hater


----------



## MONGO 

update coming soon. cant wait


----------



## bobz

Updates today?


----------



## taylorhedrich

bobz said:


> Updates today?


Yes, I'm uploading the pictures right now.


----------



## Trigga

cant wait.


----------



## the_w8

cccaaaawwwwmmmm ooonnnnnn get em up already


----------



## bobz

Anything....?


----------



## taylorhedrich

*FIRST UPDATE!!*

I'm really disappointed with the way the pictures turned out after spending at least a half an hour trying to get some good shots, so no need to point out that they aren't my best. At least you can see that they have gotten some growth.

These guys are probably about 2.5"+ now (good prediction the_w8







), and as you might be able to see, they are just starting to get their color. They all have some copper colored spots developing in the gill plate area that will eventually turn red and spread onto their belly. Hopefully in another month they will be looking nice and red for their update.

I am extremely happy with them so far. Their fins have remained flawless since I've had them, and I've never really noticed aggression. They eat about 4 times a day, and I am feeding them whitefish cubes, my homemade gelatin concoction, earthworms, bloodworms, and tropical fish flakes. This shoal really seems like a walk in the park after having my cariba at this size.

Comments/questions/suggestions are always wanted! 
~Taylor~

Full tank shot:









The shoal:



























Some close-ups:


----------



## Trigga

nice ps man good job


----------



## the_w8

Thanks for sharing Taylor....Great job also. U can tell they are starting to get there colors. In no time they will be 10"+ monsters like mine.


----------



## Coldfire

WOW Taylor, those are some good shots!! They are growing like weeds. Keep up the good work, nice update!


----------



## sprfunk

sweeeet. Yeah I saw a little red on the neck of some. Good pics too.


----------



## a-ronn

Great work bud keep it up


----------



## MONGO 

great update..they are growing fast..lol some of the pictures they looks so scared of the camera..good luck man keep up the good work


----------



## taylorhedrich

Thanks for all of the comments guys. Look forward to the next update on August 20th.


----------



## black_piranha

good update. makes me wanna get some now lol/


----------



## harrykaa

Hi there Taylor,

Yes good looking round bellied Reds.
You feed them a lot and it shows in their growth.

And most importantly, your tank looks still very clean.
How much do you do maintenance?

Harry


----------



## taylorhedrich

harrykaa said:


> Hi there Taylor,
> 
> Yes good looking round bellied Reds.
> You feed them a lot and it shows in their growth.
> 
> And most importantly, your tank looks still very clean.
> How much do you do maintenance?
> 
> Harry


Thanks for the kind words Harry!

I do a waterchange (gravel vac included) once a week. It's just those darn waterspots on the glass that make it look so dirty. I'll remember to try and clean most of them off next time around.








~Taylor~


----------



## killerbee

Love your tank and with all these pics i'm missing my shoal. I might have to get some more caribe


----------



## BLUEDIAMONDRHOM

peeteyPee said:


> Nice setup and pygo. Why did you sell your caribe? Thats like selling your first born child. I wouldn't sell'em if they ate my hand off.


agreed


----------



## GoJamieGo

Looking good...... I like your 130


----------



## chomp chomp

looks good Taylor!! I like the tank and set up too!

What is the average growth you have seen over the last month?


----------



## taylorhedrich

BLUEDIAMONDRHOM said:


> looks good Taylor!! I like the tank and set up too!
> 
> What is the average growth you have seen over the last month?


They were about 1" (a little less in fact) in the first pictures, and now they are pushing 3". That means you are looking at about 2" growth in one month.


----------



## fliptasciouz

taylorhedrich said:


> Hi there Taylor,
> 
> Yes good looking round bellied Reds.
> You feed them a lot and it shows in their growth.
> 
> And most importantly, your tank looks still very clean.
> How much do you do maintenance?
> 
> Harry


Thanks for the kind words Harry!

I do a waterchange (gravel vac included) once a week. It's just those darn waterspots on the glass that make it look so dirty. I'll remember to try and clean most of them off next time around.








~Taylor~
[/quote]

Excellent progression on your Natts growth and health, they seem to be very well taken care of and they're obviously enjoying their big tank :nod: . I do agree with you about the spots on your glass. They are a pain in the arse, especially when your cleaning them, you'll always miss a spot even when you think you've scub them all off. Well anyways keep us updated


----------



## oscar119

Just wanted to say looking good. I picked up 3 babys(1" er's) to start a shoal the other day, and hope to have near the same luck as you. Decided to just go with a smaller shoal of 3 and go from there.

Damn 2" in a month... Ridiculous..


----------



## EZmoney

the new setup looks great bro


----------



## DepH

taylorhedrich said:


> Nice setup and pygo. Why did you sell your caribe? Thats like selling your first born child. I wouldn't sell'em if they ate my hand off.


agreed
[/quote]
Dude, you weren't even a member here when I owned my cariba shoal. 
[/quote]

lol, what has that got to with it?









Anyway taylor, great shoal! I want atleast 10rbp's myself so bad! Miss having 15 crazy little buggers in one same tank... Gotta get a bigger tank I guess


----------



## BLUEDIAMONDRHOM

SWEET NATTS


----------



## MONGO 

how are your reds doing bro? cant wait for the update


----------



## Fry

Way to go taylor!You are doing a perfect job with these guys.2" in a month is right on the nose.we should expect them to be in the 4" range with the next photo







.If all keeps going the same way mine did, you should have eggs out your ying-yang in less then a year from now.


----------



## taylorhedrich

RockinTimbz said:


> Way to go taylor!You are doing a perfect job with these guys.2" in a month is right on the nose.we should expect them to be in the 4" range with the next photo
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .If all keeps going the same way mine did, you should have eggs out your ying-yang in less then a year from now.


I'm not sure about 4", but they may be pretty close. I think they may be at a temporary hold off on growth. BUT, they are getting better color by the day, and they are thickening up nicely as well.

As stated, updated pictures on August 20th!








~Taylor~


----------



## black_piranha

update on tomorrow! yayyyyy


----------



## SpeCiaLisT

Nice


----------



## Dairy Whip

Cant wait to see these guys


----------



## NeXuS

they look great from the pics i saw so far


----------



## DepH

TODAY IS THE UPDATE TAYLOR!!


----------



## taylorhedrich

DepH said:


> TODAY IS THE UPDATE TAYLOR!!


Yes, uploading pictures right now. They should be up in about an hour or less.


----------



## Trigga

cant waiitttt


----------



## Badrad1532

Pics ...cant wait to see the growth


----------



## MONGO 

cant wait


----------



## NeXuS

times up ur late lol. cant wait to c them


----------



## black_piranha

clock is ticking...


----------



## Ægir

*Jeopardy theme song*


----------



## taylorhedrich

*SECOND UPDATE!!!*

Sorry guys, I've been busy lately and PhotoBucket wouldn't cooperate with me.









All 14 of these guys are really doing great! They are getting very nice coloration and still growing like crazy.

As always, they are really hard to photograph, and I didn't have the time to get some good pictures. I didn't get much of the shoal as a whole, but I did however get some nice shots of 2 single specimens. This was also the first time for me to ever take a fish out of water and measure it accurately. I would have guessed 4", and the particular one that I netted out was about 3.5", so I'm sure some of my larger ones in the tank have reached 4" or a little less.

Just a real quick snapshot to show thier color:









Nice pictures:


















Out for measuring:


















Accurate measurement:









Thanks for being patient and looking forward to it guys!


----------



## NeXuS

w00t i am 1st to reply on the new update. they look great keep em fed and u will have full grown P's and awsome shoal in no time (not that it isnt awsome now)


----------



## MONGO 

Sweeeet I can def. see the growth now good job







you should get some videos uploaded


----------



## bobz

Great updates,

well done taylor they are looking really good, with some nice colour and growth.

Bobz


----------



## odyssey

Awesome shoal taylor, keep up the good work


----------



## snakehead rock

Nice Taylor, they are amazing



































Some of the nicest reds i have seen in a while.


----------



## Deaner

sick tank and fish man keep up the good work!


----------



## Fresh2salt

Awesome update taylor. looking great


----------



## Trigga

Nice update Taylor







. Cant wait for the next one.


----------



## black_piranha

sweet update. glad to hear they're still doing well.


----------



## a-ronn

great ps man. keep it up


----------



## DepH

I believe mine are a bit bigger than yours







. Tho, I can't get them out to measure them, got a too tiny hoof









He looks bigger, doesn't he? I thought he was around 3.5", but when you say yours are that long, I'm starting to believe these are bigger









P.S, Soon I'll get my shoal of 20rbp's Taylor, next week I hope! Can't wait!!









Your P's look great though. Ever tried feeding them crabfish tails? That's my reds main diet food


----------



## NeXuS

idk ur and his could b about the same size ur just looks so big cuz its a closer pic so i cant really tell


----------



## taylorhedrich

DepH said:


> I believe mine are a bit bigger than yours :rasp: . Tho, I can't get them out to measure them, got a too tiny hoof
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> He looks bigger, doesn't he? I thought he was around 3.5", but when you say yours are that long, I'm starting to believe these are bigger
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> P.S, Soon I'll get my shoal of 20rbp's Taylor, next week I hope! Can't wait!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Your P's look great though. Ever tried feeding them crabfish tails? That's my reds main diet food :nod:


A shoal of 20 red belllies will be awesome. Nice looking lil red too.

I've never fed crabfish tails...I don't even know what they are. My reds eat about 4 cubes of my gelatin food every day. Sometimes I give them freeze dried krill as a treat once in a while.

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.








~Taylor~


----------



## bigboi

They do look really good and there growth is looking good aswell goodluck with the shoal cant wait to see the next update!


----------



## Coldfire

Taylor, those reds are looking great!! WOW, keep up the great work. Hell, you are going to have those bad boys up to 6" in no time!


----------



## Nuance

cute little buggers, keep us updated


----------



## DepH

taylorhedrich said:


> I believe mine are a bit bigger than yours :rasp: . Tho, I can't get them out to measure them, got a too tiny hoof
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> He looks bigger, doesn't he? I thought he was around 3.5", but when you say yours are that long, I'm starting to believe these are bigger
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> P.S, Soon I'll get my shoal of 20rbp's Taylor, next week I hope! Can't wait!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Your P's look great though. Ever tried feeding them crabfish tails? That's my reds main diet food :nod:


A shoal of 20 red belllies will be awesome. Nice looking lil red too.

I've never fed crabfish tails...I don't even know what they are. My reds eat about 4 cubes of my gelatin food every day. Sometimes I give them freeze dried krill as a treat once in a while.

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.








~Taylor~
[/quote]

I meant Crayfish


----------



## taylorhedrich

I'm still psyched that I haven't seen any aggression in the tank. I guess the key word is 'seen'. There is obvious territory staking going on because a of a few very slight fin nips I notice, but other than that everything is grand and they get along great!

I will be selling half of them (7) when they reach around 5", so all Michigan members keep your eyes open!








~Taylor~


----------



## Malok

your shoal looks great!!


----------



## taylorhedrich

Malok said:


> your shoal looks great!!


Thanks buddy!


----------



## Ringworm

well my first post on this site for years (lost old account) and taylor you got some very very nice natts







i just orderd 10 today will get them in 14-30 days ^^,


----------



## xGROMx

I'm pretty sure that this information is on here some were but whats your water chemestry? the numbers....I was just wondering.

Looks Great, I am putting water in a 135 right now....Hope to go smooth.


----------



## taylorhedrich

xGROMx said:


> I'm pretty sure that this information is on here some were but whats your water chemestry? the numbers....I was just wondering.
> 
> Looks Great, I am putting water in a 135 right now....Hope to go smooth.


It consists of your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels..as well as your pH, hardness, etc. It depends on how specific you want to be. But the first 3 listed are the main ones.

Good luck with your 135 gallon. Have fun!








~Taylor~


----------



## xGROMx

taylorhedrich said:


> I'm pretty sure that this information is on here some were but whats your water chemestry? the numbers....I was just wondering.
> 
> Looks Great, I am putting water in a 135 right now....Hope to go smooth.


It consists of your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels..as well as your pH, hardness, etc. It depends on how specific you want to be. But the first 3 listed are the main ones.

Good luck with your 135 gallon. Have fun!








~Taylor~
[/quote]

Mainly, whats your PH and Temp?


----------



## taylorhedrich

xGROMx said:


> I'm pretty sure that this information is on here some were but whats your water chemestry? the numbers....I was just wondering.
> 
> Looks Great, I am putting water in a 135 right now....Hope to go smooth.


It consists of your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels..as well as your pH, hardness, etc. It depends on how specific you want to be. But the first 3 listed are the main ones.

Good luck with your 135 gallon. Have fun!









~Taylor~
[/quote]

Mainly, whats your PH and Temp?
[/quote]
My pH is about 7.4 and my temperature is always at a rock steady 82 degrees Farenheit.


----------



## Fresh2salt

there looking awesome taylor


----------



## THE BLACK PIRANHA

your rbps are lookin good heres mine I got from killer fish out in wayne about a month ago keep up the good work.

View attachment 119609


----------



## jslove1408

Great fish. My shoal is about 2 weeks behind yours in growth. can't wait to see the next update.


----------



## redrum781

lets see them taylor!!!!!!


----------



## carmenohio

cant wait for the update.


----------



## taylorhedrich

redrum781 said:


> cant wait for the update.


Thanks guys. I've been busy lately, but I should have a few snapshots up later tonight if everything goes well.


----------



## redrum781

good..i want to see the benifits of useing diy food.


----------



## redbellyman21

nice shoal taylor! they are growing quickly, and the red is coming in quite nice


----------



## Trigga

its that time againnnn!!!


----------



## taylorhedrich

*THIRD UPDATE!!!*

Okay, these guys are doing GREAT!! I'm so happy with them. Still no agression whatsoever. I'm also very proud to say that all 14 are still doing awesome and there are no apparent runts. I think of that as a big success since they've all been raised from the vulnerable size of less than 1". They look about the same as the last update, although they are about an inch larger. I have to say that they are pushing 5.5-6". I didn't have the time to net them and chase them all around though to get an accurate measurement...plus I'm not sure if I want to do that to them anyway. These guys are still being fed my DIY gelatin food, but the last few days they've been on Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets, since I ran out of the DIY food. They are eating that like champs with no problems, so it should hold them off fine until I get another batch of food made. I gotta say I love their red coloration and silver sparkles. If I could have it my way, I'd always want them this color.









Anyway, the pics you've been waiting for:



























Thanks for still showing interest in this thread.








~Taylor~


----------



## jslove1408

Thanks for the update they are still looking great


----------



## xGROMx

Lookin good!!! I can't wait till i start my tank blog, going to pick up my 12 next friday from aquascape!


----------



## MONGO 

wow they have grown since the first pictures..good job


----------



## ruger345

They are looking good Taylor.


----------



## bigboi

Yup as said they look great turning into monsters check ya out next month :nod:


----------



## the_w8

its been awhile since I've been on here....Very Nice looking Natts Taylor... A good solid growth since i seen them lasat at an inch. Keep up the great work.


----------



## jaceh14

lookin good taylor... keep it up! are you gonna thin out the shoal?? if so, when you gonna do that?

jace


----------



## taylorhedrich

jaceh14 said:


> lookin good taylor... keep it up! are you gonna thin out the shoal?? if so, when you gonna do that?
> 
> jace


Yes. I am going to be selling half of them for a total of 7 for life in my 130 gallon tank. I should probably put up an ad in the Member Classifieds forum in about a month or so. Right now there are no problems, and they don't appear at all cramped, so I'm not so worried.

Thanks for the nice comments everyone!








~Taylor~


----------



## ethnics

if there not showing any agression at all what so ever, why not try to keep them? i know everyone else would probably say don't do it. but they grew up together since day 1 and have been doing great since. is it because its sorta expensive feeding 14piranhas daily? or you just prefer to have less in 1 tank at a time?

i'm still new with piranhas so please don't bash me to the dirt. im just curious that's all.


----------



## a-ronn

there looking great man.


----------



## taylorhedrich

ethnics said:


> if there not showing any agression at all what so ever, why not try to keep them? i know everyone else would probably say don't do it. but they grew up together since day 1 and have been doing great since. is it because its sorta expensive feeding 14piranhas daily? or you just prefer to have less in 1 tank at a time?
> 
> i'm still new with piranhas so please don't bash me to the dirt. im just curious that's all.


Even though they are doing okay now, they would get really cramped and ornery in a tank that small (130 gallons). Not only that, but I'm in hopes of breeding them when they get older, so that definitely means I can't be overstocked. In the end I'd rather have 7 happy P. nattereri than 14 miserable ones.








~Taylor~


----------



## Dairy Whip

No Update???????? waz lookin forward Dairy


----------



## black_piranha

wheres tha new update!


----------



## taylorhedrich

Dairy Whip said:


> wheres tha new update!


The next update isn't due until October 20th.


----------



## Dairy Whip

awsome not to long away


----------



## Sacrifice

Cant wait for the update.

Keep us posted. Wish I could get a good deal like that.


----------



## Lucouk

Hi taylor

We havent spoken before, i am new to this site.

I have 4 red bellies and have had them nearly a month.

When i got them they were around 1 inch similar to yours. And now they are about 2 and a bit inches.

And they are the complete opposite to yours!!!!!!!!

There MAD!!

They chase each other everywhere, always fighting, They have killed 2 of my community fish ( a leopard pleco at 4 inches included) and a small tiger barb (had it comming)

Each of my fish has there own territory and wont move till its meal time..................

need i say more.... my tank is barmy!!

at meal time i feed them 3 inch frozen fish and they will practically jump out of the water to eat it first.

My biggest P is 2 and a half and Is Mean!! i need to get some pics up


----------



## David Brown

no update??????


----------



## thepiranhakid

yeah nice piranhas, where is the update??????????????


----------



## taylorhedrich

Sorry guys, it's been a long week for me. I will be sure to have updates tomorrow.


----------



## redrum781

can't wait to see them
i got mine a little while after your and want to see the differance between diy food and fish fillets, squid and shrimp


----------



## taylorhedrich

*FOURTH UPDATE!!!*

All is well with the shoal. All 14 are doing great and still have very mild aggression. They haven't grown much from the last update, which is normal, since they are hitting that 6" spot. From now on it will be about 1-2" a year.

Thanks again for still showing interest in this thread.
~Taylor~










Eating their Hikari pellets like good fishies:


----------



## Trigga

DAMN they have shot up man lookinhg great

i think i missed last months so this is big difference to me

Congrats taylor on a great tank


----------



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

my group of 3 is also reaching for 6 inches right now.


----------



## MONGO 

Wow they caught up to my Reds and mine are a few months older than yours but my caribe are shooting past my Reds now. Keep up the good work.


----------



## smallmouth

Looking good!


----------



## bob351

awsome 6" and they still have spots


----------



## jaceh14

still lookin good... how often do you feed them? and how much?

jace


----------



## a-ronn




----------



## mikfleye

looking at the original pics to now, its amazing, great job taylor


----------



## taylorhedrich

bob351 said:


> still lookin good... how often do you feed them? and how much?
> 
> jace


They eat about 3-4 gelatin cubes of my homemade DIY food per day.

Thanks for the wonderful comments everyone.


----------



## Mr. Hannibal

Great job on those Natts Taylor... they seem very colourful and healthy...







!


----------



## Coldfire

Damn Taylor! They are looking great. Keep up the wonderful work.


----------



## Trystan

As per always a stellar showing. They are looking amazing and healthy. Congrats and keep up the good work.

Trystan


----------



## bigboi




----------



## moron

rock and roll


----------



## CloneME

Beautiful reds man. They have grown alot since the last time I checked out your thread. 
E


----------



## Mikos

Very nice Reds Taylor! Good job








This also makes me kind of happy....because my Ps could be Piraya or Nattereri...and my Ps have grown alot but dont have that red color on their eyes







Or shest.
Cant wait untill more pictures are coming







Keep up the good work!


----------



## Stugge

They look great! I can see alot of them with the white tip on the red finn = not much finnips


----------



## taylorhedrich

Stugge said:


> They look great! I can see alot of them with the white tip on the red finn = not much finnips


Yes, they are really tolerable of each other, and I've only seen a few fin nips on them since I've gotten them. I'm really surprised.










Thanks for the great comments everyone. It makes posting this every month worthwhile.








~Taylor~


----------



## bob351

awsome looking rbs taylor


----------



## rocker

6 inches? i guess the picture doesnt do much justice.

looking great.

ive had my baby p for i think over a year now and hes like 3 inches lmao.


----------



## taylorhedrich

rocker said:


> 6 inches? i guess the picture doesnt do much justice.
> 
> looking great.
> 
> ive had my baby p for i think over a year now and hes like 3 inches lmao.


Yeah, like I said, some of them are just getting there.

I can't imagine why your's would be so small. I know you feed him great foods, and his awesome color reflects that.
~Taylor~


----------



## Dairy Whip

looking awsome man!


----------



## dark FrOsT

wow you have an awesome shoal of red bellies i can only hope mine are like yours when i pick them up tomorrow. wow so amazing. congrats.


----------



## MONGO 

did you miss an update?? or did I miss something??


----------



## Linford

Just managed to read the entire topic. Its great, well done on those red bellied piranhas. They look fantastic and so does your tank. Keep up the good work and continue to update us...


----------



## shoal king

those look great .. just a bit bigger than mine... and still with the red belly sparkle very nice...... i hope they keep that for a while.








great the updates keep em coming


----------



## TFMBIGDOG99

Taylor, your done with the updates?


----------



## taylorhedrich

TFMBIGDOG99 said:


> Taylor, your done with the updates?


No, but I plan on slowing them down to about a few times a year...since the reds won't be growing so much anymore.

I can probably have an update on them next week if you guys are still interested.








~Taylor~

...all 14 are still great by the way!


----------



## kobeforprez

great stuff taylor! good job on everything you have done!


----------



## carmenohio

Hey taylor, i was just wondering if by now (4th or 5th) month if they have lost their spots yet? I wasnt sure on when to expect my shoal to lose their spots and they are getting close to 6". I need to sell half of my shoal much like what you are doing and i would think i could sell them easier if they were as adult looking as possible.


----------



## PaNo617

Cool thread taylor







Any updates on these guys?? I'm sure there growth will be minimal, but pics are always good! Keep up the good work man, they look great


----------



## Dairy Whip

PaNo617 said:


> Cool thread taylor
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any updates on these guys?? I'm sure there growth will be minimal, but pics are always good! Keep up the good work man, they look great :nod:


2nd that


----------



## Trigga

Lets see an update taylor


----------



## taylorhedrich

No problem guys, I will take some pictures and have them up by tonight.

You are right, their size is basically the same, but their color is changing. Their spots are fading and they are becoming more shimmery with purple sparkles.
~Taylor~


----------



## Piranha_man

Taylor, I just sat and read this entire thread.
How cool!
As stated about a hundred times... very impressive!

Very motivating as well, for I am cycling my 150 gallon tank right now for a shipment of 1" baby reds that I expect to recieve on Friday of this week.
I too am ordering many more than I want and will be selling them as they grow... keeping the ones I want.

Can't wait to see the update pics later tonight.


----------



## taylorhedrich

*FIFTH UPDATE!!!*

Okay, as I mentioned earlier, they aren't growing as much now, but they are still changing a bit nonetheless. Their spots are starting to fade more and more and their mature, shimmery scales are getting more prominent....although the flash of the camera doesn't show it as much and it makes the dots appear more prominent than they really are.

All 14 are still doing great, but I do appear to have a runt in the shoal. He must have stopped growing as much for some reason. He doesn't seem to get picked on at all though.

The shoal:









Random one out for measuring:









This picture shows the really cool humeral spots that they all have: (most of the time its bleached out from the flash)









Some close-ups:


















Thanks everyone for giving me the motivation to keep this thread going!








~Taylor~

P.S. Good luck with your new batch of reds coming in soon Piranha_man. Feel free to do an update thread like mine if you wish when they arrive.


----------



## moron

YES!!!YES!!!!

its about time!

those are the most beautiful Redz I'v ever seen
They have such a brilliant red color.....WOW......

/almost speechless

/


----------



## Piranha_man

They look great Taylor!

Is there any chance of you doing a feeding vid with them?


----------



## taylorhedrich

Piranha_man said:


> They look great Taylor!
> 
> Is there any chance of you doing a feeding vid with them?


I don't think so. I don't have a digital camcorder, plus I have dial-up internet, so I'm pretty sure that my computer would explode if I tried to upload a video.









Thanks for the nice comment Jim. I'm hoping their color will get even better in the future. They've been without their high color homemade gelatin food for about a month now, but I finally just made some more last night.
~Taylor~


----------



## ~Silly~Spy

they look great Taylor. keep up the good work man.


----------



## Trigga

Very Nice reds taylor...they are looking great!


----------



## Humper

They are looking great. Keep up the good work


----------



## werdna

looks good ive been following it but have never posted... cant wait till next month!!


----------



## Mattones

Verry nice man!


----------



## redrum781

they look good

ps i think i may have a little size on you 
i will update mine in a day or two


----------



## taylorhedrich

Thanks for the nice comments everyone!


----------



## Dairy Whip

Awsome taylor they still look great.


----------



## rustyws

i just want to thank you for your wonderfull idea and Topic and beautifull fish, i hope you willl continue with your update for the next months,


----------



## itstheiceman

me too...they look wicked taylor


----------



## Dezboy

great growth taylor...............fantastic


----------



## PhantastickFish

update?


----------



## Froogle

ARE THEY WILD CAUGHT~!


----------



## Dairy Whip

Froogle said:


> ARE THEY WILD CAUGHT~!


I dont believe they were he started those guys of at pritty small in size


----------



## furious piranha

^he is a she.....those reds look great. glad to hear ur back into ps

^he is a she.....those reds look great. glad to hear ur back into ps


----------



## taylorhedrich

furious piranha said:


> *^he is a she*.....those reds look great. glad to hear ur back into ps


Huh?

Hey guys,
I had my first casualty a few days ago. It sucks to lose one, especially since I got them at guppy size, and now they are 7"+. Anyway, I fed them one evening, just like any other feeding would have been. Then I woke up in the morning with a cloudy tank and them all sucking at the surface. I looked at the bottom of the tank and discovered a bunch of chewed up food sitting on the floor of the tank. For some unkown reason they must have spit it out. Anyway, I did a waterchange and got it all under control. I noticed that one of them was taking it pretty hard and couldn't quite keep his balance as normal. Well, I went to town and came back just to find his tail all chewed up. I removed him and put him into a hospital tank, but he died a few days later. The wounds were definitely survivable, so I'm guessing that he was just too stressed from the bad water perviously.

So, that's the story of my 1st piranha death.








~Taylor~


----------



## Trigga

that sucks taylor...at least your other guys are good..and btw furious taylorz a guy


----------



## MB BOYS

Thats does suck on the loss.. Sorry! I really like the post you started though... Very neat to see the sizes as they grow! Nice work and fish!


----------



## m.a.t.t.L

Sorry to hear about your first loss







But at least all but one made it, I like seeing your monthly updates too.


----------



## spranga

sorry to hear bout that man.


----------



## juggalo45601

Nice dude!!!


----------



## wizardslovak

nice really nice!! how much they going for??


----------



## JorgeRemigio

nice shoal of killers


----------



## PygoManiac

This is the kind of topic which would really help hobbyists buying juvies understand the way rbps grow and change their coloration. ALL the pics are top quality taylor, and your ps look absolutely perfect, good coloration and shape. Good job! But personally I think you should thin them out to maybe 4 or 5 once the grow past 8", at that size they go all black and then the tank is a territorial warzone. Can you share with us their diet and variations right from the days when they were 2"? Most people buy rbs at that size.


----------



## ICEE

very nice growth and tank


----------



## taylorhedrich

PygoManiac said:


> This is the kind of topic which would really help hobbyists buying juvies understand the way rbps grow and change their coloration. ALL the pics are top quality taylor, and your ps look absolutely perfect, good coloration and shape. Good job! But personally I think you should thin them out to maybe 4 or 5 once the grow past 8", at that size they go all black and then the tank is a territorial warzone. Can you share with us their diet and variations right from the days when they were 2"? Most people buy rbs at that size.


Thanks so much for your nice comments.

Yes, I plan on thinning them out for sure. I was going to a while ago, but to be honest I've kinda put it off for a while now, seeing they are being so good to each other at the moment.

When I first got them they were only fed flakes and bloodworms for about the first 2 weeks or so. Then once they started growing their teeth and getting larger, I'd treat them to chunks of whitefish fillet. That eventually led to my homemade DIY gelatin food, which contained:
-Hikari Cichlid Gold Pellets
-tropical fish flakes
-freeze dried bloodworms
-freeze dried krill
-tubifex worms
-fresh earthworms
-whitefish fillet
-algae discs
-shrimp
-carrots
-spinach
-very small amount of lean, raw steak for smell and taste purposes
-peas
-...and maybe even more!
Then when I ran out of the gelatin food, I started feeding them Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets until I could make another batch. Well, I made a huge batch of the food the same way I did last time, and it didn't set. I tried everything, even by adding way more gelatin than necessary, but it just didn't want to set for some reason. So from then on, all they get now is those pellets and treats once in a while.

Thanks everyone for still showing interest in this thread,
~Taylor~


----------



## Dairy Whip

any new pics taylor would like to see these guys 7"+ sounds like there doing awesome good job my friend


----------



## PygoManiac

Damn, that diy food has it all!


----------



## Eric54321

need another update!!


----------



## memen

I want to see more. A big shoal like this is a great experience...


----------



## stevedave

Could we see another update?


----------



## taylorhedrich

Sorry I've been putting this off guys, but they spit up their food again one night about 2 days ago and the next morning they were suffering from it with an ammonia spike. This is like the 3rd time they've done that...and I never notice it when they do.

They seem better today, but I might hold off on the pics for a few days so that they can get their color back. They are doing great though. I lost 1 to cannibalism a while ago. I tried saving him, but he died in the hospital tank. They are getting HUGE! Time for me to put up an ad in the member classifieds to sell half of them.

Thanks again for showing interest.








~Taylor~


----------



## taylorhedrich

Can this video count as an update?


----------



## Trigga

looking NICE! time to start thinning them out IMO...looking a bit crowded


----------



## taylorhedrich

Trigga said:


> looking NICE! time to start thinning them out IMO...looking a bit crowded


I agree with you on that, especially since they are showing aggression to each other now.


----------



## PygoManiac

Amazingly most of them seem to have their fins in good shape. Are they going all dark yet?


----------



## taylorhedrich

PygoManiac said:


> Amazingly most of them seem to have their fins in good shape. Are they going all dark yet?


Their fins are in perfect condition! I think I have a really mellow batch of reds, because I've never had any problems with them. Yes, they are getting territorial though, which is why I am about to post an ad to sell 6 of them in the Member Classifieds right now.

No, they are not showing any dark colors yet. Hopefully they will show signs of breeding when I thin out the shoal.
~Taylor~


----------



## taylorhedrich

The for sale ad is up! Click Here! to see it.


----------



## memen

Great video !


----------



## Trigga

Theyve sold right tyler?


----------



## taylorhedrich

Trigga said:


> Theyve sold right tyler?


Yes. I literally JUST got back from the road trip. 6 of them have been sold, and I'm keeping 7. Maybe once they settle in from all of the pandemonium in their tank after a few days, I will have some pictures of the remainders.








~Taylor~


----------



## Trigga

taylorhedrich said:


> Theyve sold right tyler?


Yes. I literally JUST got back from the road trip. 6 of them have been sold, and I'm keeping 7. Maybe once they settle in from all of the pandemonium in their tank after a few days, I will have some pictures of the remainders.








~Taylor~
[/quote]
cool. how are they acting now with 6 less in their group?


----------



## taylorhedrich

Trigga said:


> Theyve sold right tyler?


Yes. I literally JUST got back from the road trip. 6 of them have been sold, and I'm keeping 7. Maybe once they settle in from all of the pandemonium in their tank after a few days, I will have some pictures of the remainders.








~Taylor~
[/quote]
cool. how are they acting now with 6 less in their group?
[/quote]
Honestly there hasn't been enough time yet. We loaded up 6 of them and left for a few hour drive and then just came back to find them sleeping. I'm not sure how it will affect them.








~Taylor~


----------



## CorGravey

I still have yet to see my piranhas sleep








Oh well thats cool. Keep us updated taylor!


----------

