# My piranha has "Stupid" Disease



## 94NDTA (Jul 14, 2003)

I have had my piranha for about 3 weeks now, and yesterday, he started acting.... stupid. He stopped eating, he sits in his corner just above the gravel, sometimes he will touch the rocks, but not really look like he is breathing hard. Whenever I feed him, he FLIPS OUT like the flakes are going to attack him or something (he has been eating flakes since I got him) I started to throw in some freeze dried plankton about a week ago, and he has been eating those fine, untill he stopped eating. I then turn off the light, and he starts acting kinda normal, minus the not eating. When I turn on the light, he sinks to the bottem like he is having a heart attack or something. then he goes to his corner and pouts again. My PH is 7.3-7.4, my temp is 79, ammonia and nitrite were non-detecable, Nitrite was about 15 PPM.Is there anything that could be contributing to this behavior?


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## wrathofgeo (Aug 23, 2003)

try keeping the light off, my rhom was like that too... was he like that when you first got him? or he used to be fine with the light? try feeding him some shrimp or something more than flakes...


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## 94NDTA (Jul 14, 2003)

He use to be fine with the light, and fairly active. He is about 2 inches long, so I don't know if he is big enough to eat shrimp. How long should I leave the light off? a couple days? I also did a 30% water change yesterday


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## kouma (Sep 1, 2003)

**EDIT** Nevermind.. I think you meant NitrAte


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## wrathofgeo (Aug 23, 2003)

try keeping the light off for a day and see how he acts, also how long do u usually keep the light on? i wouldnt leave it on longer than 12 hours so that your p has time to rest.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

perhaps you should dim the lights, piranhas eyes do not like bright lights.


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## Makoa84 (Aug 27, 2003)

That is the same thing my red did. When I first introduced him in my 100g tank he was very inactive and didn't do much of anything. Then a week later he started eating flakes and pellets like he normally did. Then the next week all of a sudden he would do exactly what you described and got scared when I put the flakes in the tank. So then I started doing some trouble-shooting and tried feeding him with the just the room light on and that really seemed to work. But now ever since I started feeding him shrimp all he will eat is shrimp. I wouldn't worry to much I think that is normal behavior for red's. Just try different things like I did and hope for the best!!! Good Luck!!!


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

He might still be acclimating to the tank. If you've had him and he's been eating alright before, he might be going on a hunger strike. P's do this sometimes.


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## 94NDTA (Jul 14, 2003)

tecknik said:


> He might still be acclimating to the tank. If you've had him and he's been eating alright before, he might be going on a hunger strike. P's do this sometimes.


 I was feeding him a fair amount before, so maybe that could be it. How long does "hunger strikes" usually last?


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## fluidnyc (Oct 15, 2003)

Why not give him a minnow or a feeder goldfish.. (something live)
Maybe cut the tail alittle on the feeder, so it cant swim so fast..

Try taking your finger and flick lightly on the top of the water..see what his reactions are..


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