# How Big Does Piranhas Have To Be To Feed Mice?



## michaelgillen2

I Have 12 red's that I got 2 1/2 months ago at 1" they are now about 4-5 inches are they old/big enough to eat small mice or pinkie's? They are in a 150 gallon tank with a fx5 for filtration.


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## memento

Best advice : don't feed mice at all.
They are not a part of the natural diet, and feeding them make a mess in your filters.


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## michaelgillen2

memento said:


> Best advice : don't feed mice at all.
> They are not a part of the natural diet, and feeding them make a mess in your filters.


What about hairless ones for a treat? I dont want to feed them it alot just for a snack/treat?


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## memento

For an occasional snack, pinkies are fine. Better than fullgrown mice, less messy


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## rchan11

Even the hairless ones will make a mess with the blood mixing with water. You'll need a large water change, not worth it.


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## memento

Not with frozen pinkies. They are a nice snack, if you don't feed them too often.
There isn't much blood and even if it were - blood is 50.6% water...


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## jotman09

iv done frozen rats from petco that i thaw out. its fun to watch and not brutal like live mice. but sum people like that stuff


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## scent troll

old thread but good advice in here. those piranhas look amazing. ive never been an advocate of feeding mice to fish. theres no nutritional value there and lets call a spade a spade...its only done becuase its "cool to watch"

but on the same hand im not one to throw a hissy phit. to each their own.


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## Da' Manster!

I've never done live mice feedings either...but I have done pinkies....good source of protein and calcium but there are far more inexpensive and healthier substitutes like bloodworms, nightcrawlers, and beef heart as an occasional treat.


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## scent troll

beef heart to me is that once in a long long while treat. its so messy i hate it. i actually havent used beef heart in years.


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## Da' Manster!

supposedly Asians use it a staple for their piranhas diet...in addition to red meat, liver, etc....and you see all of those videos on youtube of how ginormous they are...High protein diet!...


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## BRUNER247

I don't understand you guys. Not part of their natural diet? Really? Pinkies or mice have no nutritional value? Wtf!


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## Da' Manster!

BRUNER247 said:


> I don't understand you guys. Not part of their natural diet? Really? Pinkies or mice have no nutritional value? Wtf!


Bruner, my old friend, that is exactly what I just said in posts #9 and #11 so what do you mean "you guys"?!...


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## BRUNER247

As far as calcium goes I highly doubt there is a better food than pinkies or mice except maybe whole live fish. While I agree nightcrawlers are a great food I doubt there's much calcium. Nothing can compare to the nutritional value of feeding live food WHATEVER it may be.


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## nitrofish

That would make an expensive diet. I could see maybe for shock value in front of friends, but realistically it's not ideal.

As far as size, I'm not sure it matters. A few little ones or one large piranha would be able to consume a mouse fairly quickly.


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## AggyAgathor

My 7 1 inch cariba had no problem eating a pinkie, don't see why yours wouldn't be able to. Just don't let a sensitive or squeamish person watch as they will not enjoy it most likely


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## scent troll

I never fed my fish mice...or anything non aquatic for that matter. just seems like its more for the owner then the fish. lets be honest...theres no logic behind feeding a fish a mouse. its a rather slow awful death for the pinkie unless your fish is massive enough to down it in one bite.


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## Fisch

most pinkies are bought frozen. When feeding a pinky it is actually a good thing because in the wild where these fish lived. they have been known to eat red meat as it passed through the stream. they can eat almost anything. With that being said... i hate feeding them anything other than prepackaged food because its gross if it was to much for them to eat.

I have had a half pinky skull sit in the take for a few hours before i finally pulled it out. Its not really that cool ... and can cause serious bacteria build up if your tank is filtering well enough.

Honestly it is on owner preference. I have found that RBP can live off of flake food and shrimp... and be bright and colorful and happy. That's all I feed them until they can eat there first gold fish. Even then you don't want to just feed them gold fish every day. Change it up... make sure they get different types of nutrients.

They are similar to you and I. If I eat nothing but coconuts every day...ill get the runs and become malnourished. Changing up your diet and having a variety gives you more and different vitamins...

So... to answer your question... when you think your piranha are big enough to eat it all in a few minutes and not leave scraps behind... and you don't mind cleaning up the mess.


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## Bmax

I have a couple questions as well, I know I have WAAAAAAY too many RBP's in one tank. I've been reading through these forums as much as I can to see the do's and don'ts. Just found out that I wasn't supposed to feed em beef, I was giving them round steak from the deli. I cut back on feeders as I understand them to be pretty much the junk food of the fish community. I've started giving them tilapia with the occasional beefheart and feeders so that they get some excercise chasing and hunting.

Problem is, for red bellies...they're not very red, if at all and the last couple feedings, they seemed almost as though they could care less about eating (decreased appetite). I'll wait a couple days before I feed them again, meaning tomorrow, but any ideas as to their coloration and behavior?


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## Recci

Feed them cichlid pellets or carnivore pellets then there is nothing better to feed them on.


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