# Feeding Time



## Rbpnoobie (Sep 13, 2017)

Hi guys,

I'm completely new to the piranha care scene. I was given two juvenile red bellies by a friend who is moving away.

I have some experience in tropical freshwater but none with piranhas.

They transitioned to a 30 gallon temporary home very well last night and I was given blood worms cubes and shrimp pellets to feed them until they are larger.

My question is how often should I feed juvies? When should I attempt a first feeding (within 24 hours?) Any way to entice them to eat? Other food recommendations?

Sorry if I am breaking any rules or covering ground already established but I was not expecting to be a piranha owner!


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

I have always avoided frozen foods at first... typically used a pellet that I crushed in a food processor, or between my fingers to about mouth size / smaller.

You can use enriched brine shrimp or other frozen cubes, thaw them in a cup and rinse them, and then pour small amounts in. I just hate when tons of small food doenst get eaten.

Using that always taught my fish to associate a red solo cup with food... which made house parties rather interesting.


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## Raytheon (Sep 5, 2017)

I just tried frozen blood worms with my 5 little guys today and they loved it! I just popped one of the hikari cubes in and watched the feeding frenzy begin! It was a good solid minute of them all swimming around eating as many worms as they could, I can't really tell if there was much waste. My gravel hides everything so it's hard to tell.. I'm assuming whatever they missed for dinner they would scavenge as a snack. Although I don't see my little guys digging around looking for food. I'm also new with piranhas, I'm use to keeping cichlids and watching them dig around looking for food all the time.


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## Rbpnoobie (Sep 13, 2017)

Thanks guys! I started with a thawed blood worm cube and they tore it apart!

I bought a fresh filet of tilapia on advice I saw poking around this forum. It's been cut up into daily bite sized chunks and frozen for easy feeding


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Ægir said:


> I just tried frozen blood worms with my 5 little guys today and they loved it! I just popped one of the hikari cubes in and watched the feeding frenzy begin! It was a good solid minute of them all swimming around eating as many worms as they could, I can't really tell if there was much waste. My gravel hides everything so it's hard to tell.. I'm assuming whatever they missed for dinner they would scavenge as a snack. Although I don't see my little guys digging around looking for food. I'm also new with piranhas, I'm use to keeping cichlids and watching them dig around looking for food all the time.


I'm a fan of putting in very small amounts so they eat the food before it hits the bottom.
The benefit of this is twofold:

1.) No food goes uneaten and thus funking up the water.

2.) It enforces the association with you and food... so rather than them being scared by your presence around the tank, they are "excited to see you".


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