# Best Solo Piranha



## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

I have sort of asked this question in some of my other post. It's time to do an official post since it looks like i'll be getting my new tank in a week or two. I'm upgrading my RBP's to a 125g. This means I'm going to have an empty 55g. What is the best fish I can put in there alone that i'm going to get the most action from? My P's now hide a lot, i'm hoping by adding more an making a larger group they will not be so shy. What i'm looking for is a pretty, outgoing, an fun fish to keep solo in my 55g. Someone who will swim around alot, not hide most the time, goes after anything you put in his tank, an has personality. I know that you can't depend on just the breed for this, it matters on the fish itself, but what breed am I most likely to get something of this nature? I can zero in on a breed then talk with the seller to make sure the fish is what i'm looking for. If you can let me know the fish, if he can live his life in the 55g or someday will need an upgraded tank an also about what I'll pay for them. If there is a season to buy also that would help. Any helpful info on the fish would be appreciated. I dolike the more natural looking fish with the colors. The elongus (spelling) is personality wise pretty cool, but i'm not sure i like the looks an the plain colors. I like the gold or yellow ones a lot but the only two I have seen in fish stores are more skittish then my rbp an hide 24/7 even with food in. So I need some help here. I don't know the fish well enough to make a good call on this. Had I known more about the fish when I got mine, I probably would have went with a shoal of cariba, instead of red belly. I got them though and I like them, don't know if I could part with them so I'm stuck with a fish that likes to hide lol. Don't want to make the mistake again. 
Thanks for all your help


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

piranha hide alot, no matter what specie most of the time, its rare to get a finger chaser. With that 55gal you'd have a good chance of getting an agressive fish with an elongatus, the fasest and only odd shaped piranha. Labeled as one of the most aggressive species. You can also get sanchezi, ruby red spilo, gold mac, manueli(IMO), basically any serrasalmus minus rhom unless ud like to upgrade later.


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## TheSpaz13 (Apr 9, 2010)

Personally, I would go with the elong, but I've had an obsession with them for a while now. Other choices are a Ruby Red Spilo (RRS), Mac, Sanchezi...all three of them would be fore life. You could also fit a rhom in there for a little while but you will definitely need to upgrade down the line.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

I heard Rhom's get big. Dunno if i'm up for that right now. I like the manueli a lot. Just have had a hard time finding them. The gold mac sound like something I would like and I heard the ruby red's are along the lines of what I would like also. It's hard to pick between these cause I like all Piranha so much. I think of all the aquarium fish they are the most interesting an look so cool. I'll have to see what I can strum up. Thanks for the info


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## e46markus (Dec 9, 2010)

I had a 5" elong in my 40G long tank (same footprint as your 55G), he was hyper active and would bump into the sides of tank. Was essentially the reason I let him go, he deserved a 75G or any other wider tank. I swapped him for a 3" ruby red spilo and honestly probably the best fish I've ever kept.


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

Serrasalmus irritans should do great in a 55g tank for life and they are really outgoing most of the time... any other small Serra (Marginatus, Sanchezi, Spilopleura) should do great in there too...


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Dolphinswin said:


> piranha hide alot, no matter what specie most of the time, its rare to get a finger chaser. With that 55gal you'd have a good chance of getting an agressive fish with an elongatus, the fasest and only odd shaped piranha. Labeled as one of the most aggressive species. You can also get sanchezi, ruby red spilo, gold mac, manueli(IMO), basically any serrasalmus minus rhom unless ud like to upgrade later.


Mannies get huge DW


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## TheSpaz13 (Apr 9, 2010)

The rhom and manny will definitely outgrow that tank but you will have years before it at that point. Remember the serras grow pretty slow. Mannys are good but they are a little more rare then others, and when you can find them they are a little more needy too. RRS and Macs would definitely fit well in that tank, but I would seriously consider that elong. A four foot tank, with a power head would work great for one of them, they love to swim.


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

TheSpaz13 said:


> The rhom and manny will definitely outgrow that tank but you will have years before it at that point. Remember the serras grow pretty slow. Mannys are good but they are a little more rare then others, and when you can find them they are a little more needy too. RRS and Macs would definitely fit well in that tank, but I would seriously consider that elong. A four foot tank, with a power head would work great for one of them, they love to swim.


How many many do you see past 8" like none. But I guess they are sometimes very active so a bigger tank would help. I would say they will be fine for a long while in a 55gal though.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

I have a powerhead on it an as of today got a canister filter for a 200g tank that does 520gpm its by fluval I think the name was. I love the manueli looks, the ruby reds are cool too. I Wouldn't mind getting a fish that may outgrow the tank as long as I could get over a year out of it in this tank. Mac's you can get in a gold color an they look more like the natural piranha don't they. May be a good route for me. Unless they are not to outgoing. That is my #1 I want this tank to stay in my living room an I want an active fish in it. So thats my biggest set right now. Mr Hannibal has given me some pretty good advice so I'm going to look into the Serrasalmus irritans, which will be a first for me. Someone told me I would like anything in the _Pristobrycon family? I'm sure these are expensive an hard to find though?_


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

RedBelly11 said:


> I have a powerhead on it an as of today got a canister filter for a 200g tank that does 520gpm its by fluval I think the name was. I love the manueli looks, the ruby reds are cool too. I Wouldn't mind getting a fish that may outgrow the tank as long as I could get over a year out of it in this tank. Mac's you can get in a gold color an they look more like the natural piranha don't they. May be a good route for me. Unless they are not to outgoing. That is my #1 I want this tank to stay in my living room an I want an active fish in it. So thats my biggest set right now. Mr Hannibal has given me some pretty good advice so I'm going to look into the Serrasalmus irritans, which will be a first for me. Someone told me I would like anything in the _Pristobrycon family? I'm sure these are expensive an hard to find though?_


The manny will be fine in a 55gal for well over a year. The irritans will be VERY VERY hard to find. its hit and miss on active or agressive fish.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

Dolphinswin said:


> The rhom and manny will definitely outgrow that tank but you will have years before it at that point. Remember the serras grow pretty slow. Mannys are good but they are a little more rare then others, and when you can find them they are a little more needy too. RRS and Macs would definitely fit well in that tank, but I would seriously consider that elong. A four foot tank, with a power head would work great for one of them, they love to swim.


How many many do you see past 8" like none. But I guess they are sometimes very active so a bigger tank would help. I would say they will be fine for a long while in a 55gal though.
[/quote]

there are bigger ones out there, you don't see them often is because no one import them at large size and they are more delicate than most other piranhas so many die before they can get to a decent size or the ppl that do have large manueli don't post them here.


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

I've had my Manny in a 55'er for a little over a year now..He was 3 inches when I first got him and now he is easily around 5 - 6 inches!...I'll wait until he hits near double digits in size before I upgrade...Maybe another 3 - 4 years I guess!...Thats how it was with my black diamond rhom also!...


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

What is it about manni's that make them more picky? What could I do to comfort this also? I got a canister filter three times the tank size and a UV light filter with a power head all will stay on the 55g. Honestly I really like the manni's I think they have nice color an like their body shape. I would love to get one of these. I like the rhoms also an all the gold ones I have seen. I just want to make sure I get a fish I can properly take care of an the fish be happy. I don't want to get in over my head an the fish pay the price. That's why I'm doing my research now.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

I would stay away from a manny because they are way harder to maintain and your not ready IMO

go with a sanchezi, mac, ruby red, etc.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

OK I can look in that direction. If i'm not ready better to save the fishes life, an my money. I'll check some other types out.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

yea ive been in the game for a bit now and i still dont think im ready for one...


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

Thank you for the heads up. Are Rhoms or gold spillo's hard to care for? Is the gold spillo an active fish?


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

No they not hard to maintain but you do have to have all your parameters in check and lots of water changes for fresh water for the fish and a variety diet. This all helps with the fishs appearance, coloration, aggresiveness etc. But aggressive behavior is always hit and miss


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

piranha-freak101 said:


> I would stay away from a manny because they are way harder to maintain and your not ready IMO
> 
> go with a sanchezi, mac, ruby red, etc.


I totally disagree with this...I don't know how these rumors and myths get started and perpatrated on messageboards...From my experience alone, Mannies are no different from any other piranha as far as care goes..If you keep your water parameters in check, have ample filtration (10x - 20x's turnover rate) and do your water changes, you will be fine!...







...I think a lot of people get confused with the fact that Manny's do tend to stress out a lot and sometimes they don't survive the shipping process and therefore it's recommended that only experience keepers have them and that is why some of these fallacies get started...







...Bottom line, then only time a piranha would become sensitive to water conditions is if the water quality is bad...Doesn't matter if it is a Pygo, Rhom, Elong, or Manny!..


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

Da said:


> I would stay away from a manny because they are way harder to maintain and your not ready IMO
> 
> go with a sanchezi, mac, ruby red, etc.


I totally disagree with this...I don't know how these rumors and myths get started and perpatrated on messageboards...From my experience alone, Mannies are no different from any other piranha as far as care goes..If you keep your water parameters in check, have ample filtration (10x - 20x's turnover rate) and do your water changes, you will be fine!...







...I think a lot of people get confused with the fact that Manny's do tend to stress out a lot and sometimes they don't survive the shipping process and therefore it's recommended that only experience keepers have them and that is why some of these fallacies get started...







...Bottom line, then only time a piranha would become sensitive to water conditions is if the water quality is bad...Doesn't matter if it is a Pygo, Rhom, Elong, or Manny!..








[/quote]
Hahaha shut me up!

I said stay away cause iv heard of some members mannies randomly dying and getting all these diseases if conditions arnt prestine


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

Well I have been doing research and I hear most of these grow very very slow an can live a very long time in a 55g an some of them max out at 6". This is good give me ample time to get ready for a bigger tank. With this in mind I think i'm going to go with a gold, or black gold diamond rhom? I hope I labeled them correctly. I see so many different names for the same fish. I like the gold, I like the rhom's looks and there reputation. I seen one that was all black with yellow belly I liked. I like the blue diamond ones also that are black with the blueish tint. That or a manni I still love those! Probably my favorite looking fish. I have actually got use to the elong's looks. I'm guess when the time comes I will go with whatever I think is the best deal. These are all costly fish so I want to make sure I do everything right. I'm excited about it I wanna do it all now but know I need to be patient.


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