# Fighting Or Sexing?



## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

I have two 7" Piranha. They are both red bellied and they look different. so I'm 99% sure that they are male/female combo. anyway, they usually sit side by side in one side of the tank, but for some reason the last day or so they went to the opposite side of the tank and are both chilling over there. the male seems to be trying to get away from the female when she starts to turn black.

I have noticed them doing the wiggle next to each other a few times in the last week. i thought they were mating, but i see no eggs.

today they were high up in the tank, dead dcenter and i saw one bite the middle of the female. then they chased each other around the tank, and the dude went to the corner that they arent usually at, and she is about 5" away from him, just staying there.

whats going on?


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Sounds like spawning behavior imo. Females will float a day or two before spawning. Its probably the male chasing the female. Male will make the nest. If they spawn the male will circle/fan the spot for a few days. He might leave at feeding time ect but will return right back to that spot. After a day or two the eggs will hatch & they'll fall into gravel where you can't see them. & yellow eggs are hard to see on some colors of sub. They're hard to see even on black sub a foot away.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Same sexes will try to spawn together on occasion, even more so with only two fish. Is the female look bloated to point where she looks brindled?her ribs showing? Spawning can get aggressive so there very possibly could be some fighting.


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

If i take a picture, would you guys be able to tell if they were male/female? Im really worried. the "girl" seems to have him cornered, and hes never been cornered. hes been there for the past 45min


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

It could be some prespawnign behaviour so I would just keep an eye on it and see if anything comes from it. Spawnign can be agressive so even though it is different then a territorial dispute it can still cause injury so just keep an eye on them and hopefully in the next few days you will find eggs.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

I've never seen a female harass a male. Its always the other way around. Least it is with my fish. Is one fat & one skinny? Throw some pics up. Nothing else I'd like to check em out. Welcome to site btw.


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

Yes one is fatter and more round, and the other has a different shaped head and is more slender. can i upload pics on here or do i have to photobucket em?


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Sorry I'm not the one to answer that ???


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

How are you determing male vs female?

You do not need to use photo bucket. As long as you have the pics as a file on your computer you can upload them directly byt doing "browse" then finding the file and then uploading it.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

X2

I dont think itll give us an answer as to whos the male and female, but it will help


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

here are two different ones. sorry all i have to take pics are my nokia smart phone

the top picture is where one has been chilling alot today. they are usually at the other end of the tank normally. its quite odd.

i did a 25% water change, and my new house has softened water. although i hear piranhas like soft water?


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

see the different shaped heads?

you can also see the one i think is female is totally black in the first picture vs her second pic


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

its still going to to tough to sex them...nice looking reds you got though. That one does have a goofy lookin mellon on it


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

yeah i named the strange headed one, shreddy krueger. he also has a tiger eye on one side. its so tight


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Idk top one just looks shaped different.I've never noticed a difference in head shapes on male & females. I'm not sayn it can't be done by head. But I don't look at head. I look at overall thickness, shape of belly, & profile view of belly shape. Female should be bigger than that but she could have smaller spawns first few times, or she might not even be ripe yet.they should be darker but again its not set in stone that they'll get dark.mine don't always turn black. But most are blk most of the time.


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

will the cichlids eat the eggs? because i noticed some oval shaped yellowish things on the filter ?


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

Im sure the cichlids would munch on the eggs. But if they had eggs the parents would be a bit more protective and chasing the cichlids outta the area.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

She definitely dark in 1st pic. I love the blk diamond appearance. Look at second pic. Look at difference in belly. Top-male has flat belly. Bottom-female's belly dips down a lot more giving her a rounder appearance. You can just make out the ribs on her. She gets older & bigger spawns,her ribs will be a lot more noticeable.


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## beastin (Apr 12, 2011)

I love my beautiful awesome red bellies. I think they will be super happy in their 55 gallon. How long should I let the 55 gallon run with no fish in there before I transfer them? Im a little worried about moving them because they really seem like they are about to get it on haha.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

the_w8 said:


> Im sure the cichlids would munch on the eggs. But if they had eggs the parents would be a bit more protective and chasing the cichlids outta the area.


Not always! I've watched plecos run em off a nest & pleco was 1/2 their size. Also watched neons go right in nest while male is circling, & eat eggs & newly hatched fry.

Transfer your aged(29gal) water to 55gal. Your cycled filter & fish to 55gal n your done.


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

beastin said:


> I love my beautiful awesome red bellies. I think they will be super happy in their 55 gallon. How long should I let the 55 gallon run with no fish in there before I transfer them? Im a little worried about moving them because they really seem like they are about to get it on haha.


You cant just let it run.. You need to cycle it. You need an ammonia source in the tank or else you will not start the cycle. Im not the member to tell you about it as Im not expert.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Switching them to a new tank could trigger them to spawn.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

wow bruner you impress me everyday withyour knowledge !









why dont you try a biger project like piraya and cariba ?


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

I'd really like to raise a group of margins. Cariba or maybe terns be nice also. I think margins would spawn as easy as rbp if they were grouped together. sh*t ill even go as far as to say I also think margins will be the next piranha spawned in hobbyists tanks.


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