# Help Breeding



## new era

Hi, I have 6 red belly piranha in a 125g tank. They are 6-7 1/2 inches and i'm not sure what i could do to help make them breed. I have a heater and a filter (Fluval 405). I'll try to post a picture of my tank and if any successful breeder can help me that would be great. Any advice is accepted..


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## Guest

Would love to see a picture of your tank







Around that size they should start becoming sexually mature, the only thing I suggest is a varied diet and you could try and trigger spawning by adding slightly cooler water during water changes. Once reds start breeding they breed like rabbits.

On a side note, the Fluval 405 is inadequate for a 125G tank filled with pygos. First of all that filter is only rated for up to 100G/340gph and when you have messy pygos you need alot more filtration then required (usually about 10x the gph...so thats 1250gph). I would recommend adding an FX5 to your tank. Its rated for aquariums up to 400G/925gph. That way with both filters you would have approx. 1265gph which is plenty of filtration to handle growing messy pygos


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## primetime3wise

i agree with ksls said, you have to have good water quality and may have a hard time maintaining it with just that filter.

from there, raising the temp to about 82-84 is about the #1 thing you can do, and you can also try the trick of doing a large water change with cooler water, let the tank temp drop a few degrees with the cooler water, then raise to the 82-84 range.


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## new era

Okayy, thnks for the advice. More questions, What other kind of food would be good? Pellet and live? How much water should be added to the tank? How much water is a BIG change?

Below is a picture just taken today, finally got it on photobucket. It looks way better in real life than in pictures. The video is still sending to my gmail so still gotta wait on that.

Tell me what is needed so they will start breeding..afraid they are too small/young.










http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc250/punk-d-out/IMAG0049.jpg


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## CLUSTER ONE

don't feed goldfish or minnows.

Use things like raw shrimp, talapia, silversides, haddock, scallops, pellets. A regular water change is usually around 10-20% so a large water change would be upwards of 30%. Personally I would not do more then 50% at one time as a quick change in water chemistry will stress the fish


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## Guest

Why is your water level so low?

Also can you take some pictures of your actual fish? Would be nice to try and figure out size.


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## new era

Okay, so no minnow or goldfish, got it! I purposely set the water low so I could just put new cooler water in..is that okay? a few more questions, when do I change the water, day or night (light on or off) how long before adding the new water? Right away after the change? Just use new tap water or should I add stress coat? I'll post up picures of the fish as soon as I get home.


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## primetime3wise

right now i would concentrate on getting them on a good diet and having good water quality...adding more filtration. hard to say from the pics if they are old enough to breed, yet, but even without the little trick i was talking about, you will still have a very good shot at it once they reach the size/age and if they like the conditions in the tank. for sure add more filtration though.

then, if you really want to try what i was talking about, after a few weeks...just change like 25% of the water, but with cooler water so the temp drops a few degrees, then just raise it to like 84 and see what happens. don't get too discouraged if it doesn't happen right away, esp. at the size of your fish as they might not be old enough, or they might just need more time to adjust to the tank.


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## new era

Okay, so should I fill my tank all the way up and add more filters? After that just feed them well for 2-3 weeks and change 30% of water with cooler water..

More questions, sorry.

If temp is set at 82-84 degrees, when should I change temp,before change, during water change, or Right after the 30% water change? When should I raise the temp back up to the 80s?? Right after? 1,2,3 days? Weeks?

Thanks again


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## primetime3wise

they may very well breed without you doing anything special. *IF i were you i would just add more filtration and leave the tank full and make sure the water quality is up to par for a few weeks. make sure your water parameters are in check and i would leave the temp in the normal range of 76-78. feed them a nice varied diet and change maybe like 25% of the water per week. then, after a few weeks (i would wait a few months but i know its exciting and you want them to breed soon) you can try what i was talking about with stimulating them. for that, you could do a slightly higher water change, like 33%, add cooler water to the tank so that it comes down a few degrees, then turn up your temp with your heater at the same time of the water change, to 82-84. just turning up the temp may have the same effect, but i know of some people like to use the method i just posted.

your biggest issue is if they are old enough to be sexually mature. from the looks of the photos its very hard to say but they are close, if not yet.

you could also look into adding more decor to the tank even if it is fake rock and fake plants...it helps them to a little more at ease, but make sure they have 1-2 open aresa to breed in if they want.


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## new era

Thanks Primetime! I'll fill my tank up as soon as I get home and add some fake plants maybe real plants. Thinking about java fern, any suggestions about adding java fern? Well, I'll take a few pic of them up close. Since I have a Fluval 405, what other filter should I add? I have a heater but seems to not be working too well so I added another heater, is it better to get a bigger one or is it better with 2 heaters, with 1 heater maxed out it is in the low 70s, 71-73.


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## Guest

ksls said:


> On a side note, the Fluval 405 is inadequate for a 125G tank filled with pygos. First of all that filter is only rated for up to 100G/340gph and when you have messy pygos you need alot more filtration then required (usually about 10x the gph...so thats 1250gph). * I would recommend adding an FX5 to your tank. Its rated for aquariums up to 400G/925gph. That way with both filters you would have approx. 1265gph which is plenty of filtration to handle growing messy pygos
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Also two heaters are better in a tank with your length, not only does it spread the heat more evenly reducing cold spots but incase one heater fails you always have a back up!


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## new era

So I would need a fx5 to be good? How just another filter? Which other filter will do best besides a fx5?


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## primetime3wise

if you can afford an fx5, i say go for it, if not you could come down to some of the cheaper canister filters, and i think you would be ok if you keep up with water changes and feed moderately. at the size of your pygos they are going to really slow down their growth rates, so imo 3-4 feedings/week are sufficient.


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## primetime3wise

new era said:


> So I would need a fx5 to be good? How just another filter? Which other filter will do best besides a fx5?


maybe like an eheim classic 2217. you can find them at a good price online. about 1/2 the price of an fx5, but also only about 1/2 the gph. i just got 3 of them because people seem to think that eheim makes the best canister filters. again, i would say an fx5 if you can afford 1, or hell 2 of the eheims :0 i don't think its necessary though, but would be nice.


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## new era

Here is a video of my red belly. Please let me know if they are too young or too small. Any suggestion about the lighting will help also

Thanks!

Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/user/yeelthao


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## primetime3wise

nice rbp, but no one can tell you for sure at that size, and esp. from that video...if they are not sexually mature, though, they are close.


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## new era

If they are close, about how much longer before they are mature?


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## primetime3wise

i have no definite answer for you. all i can say is they are usually sexually mature by 6"-7"...if your are not could be a few weeks to a few months is my best guess.


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## memen

good advice here. I will try this technic now with my nattereri.


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## new era

Here is an update with my reds!






all comments are welcome


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## primetime3wise

looks like you could be really close, the two in the middle are a little darker than the others and the one on the right middle, in the front looked like he was moving gravel around a little for a nest.


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## new era

I have eggs now! It's orange. Is it good?


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## primetime3wise

It's very good :0


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## primetime3wise

geez, i looked at your vid and that was quick! like only 2 weeks ago you were asking what you could do to help get them to spawn. gotta love how easily rbp breed.


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## new era

Yes i love it. Maybe just my luck. Someone said some unlucky raised reds for 20 years and still no spawning. Just hope they hatch and survive! I'll keep everyone posted.


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## new era

Here is another video of my reds after spawning. The male is fanning his nest and seems like i might get another nest going.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/profile?user=yeelthao


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## Nzac

grats on the spawn, sometimes all it takes is to add a couple more fish to the setup and wait a week


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## new era

Most of my eggs hatched today! I moved most or about a few hundreds in a 10g with 2 sponge filter and a heater set to 80 degrees F.

Enjoy this quick video..this is my proof that my reds spawn.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/profile?user=yeelthao


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## Guest

Hmm, your link did not take me to your video







Congrats on the recent spawn, now raise the fry for the next 2 mths and document with pictures so you can get the Breeding Award


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## new era

ksls said:


> Hmm, your link did not take me to your video
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> Congrats on the recent spawn, now raise the fry for the next 2 mths and document with pictures so you can get the Breeding Award


Idk why it didn't work for you but go on YouTube and search "yeelthao" check out my videos. Somehow its easier to do a video and upload it on here than a pic. Picture everyday or every week? Is it already too late to start?


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## Guest

Not to late at all


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## new era

I'll try to put some pictures up every few days along with a video. If I put all these info to PKEEPERS do I also get an Award for that website?


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## Guest

That website is not a part of Fury, therefore you will have to contact one of their staff.


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## new era

Okay, here is another update with my frys, I believe they are 1 week old..I don't see their Orange bellies anymore so I feed them brine shrimp. I did a horrible job so any suggestion on how to clean out the eggs with sucking up the little ones? Plan on doing a 75-80% water change with their parents' water.

Enjoy the little ones, FYI I also shot a little clip of my brine shrimp setup.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/profile?user=yeelthao


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## new era

Wow, i lied. They are not 1 week old. It feels like a whole week but according to my videos and info they are only 3 days old maybe 4. Are they a little big for 3-4 days old?


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## new era

Update!

Day 5 pictures after water change. About 10 minutes ago. Ammonia level at 0.25ppm. Okay?



















Video this morning at 7am.

Day 5!

http://www.youtube.com/user/yeelthao


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## new era

Video update at 3 weeks and 3 days old.
Other rbp fry are 1 week and 1 day old.
Green terrors are same as first batch.

Don't know if it'll work but enjoy.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=pevRPEyPrcQ


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## new era

Update, 5 weeks old and 3 weeks old red.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/profile?user=yeelthao&v=c3-Ou7H60jU&view=videos

Only a little left, the green terror keeps eating them and they keep eating each other.


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