# how big to the xingu rhoms get?



## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

im considering getting a big rhom, i have a 5-6 inch un identified serra, but thinking of selling him and getting either a black diamond xingu or a 12+inch peruvian highback. do the xingus get in the 12+ in range? ive seen em about 6-7 inches max.

btw, whats the going rate for like a 14incher? i saw a 10 on one of the sponsers sites for 350 and a 12 for 400. it 500 reasonable for a fish that big?


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## «PïRåñHªß¥të» (May 5, 2003)

in the wild they could get up to 20" and weight close to 10 pounds


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## jackburton (Nov 25, 2003)

IAM NOT SURE BUT I THINK ALL RHOMS GET 12+ I WOULD GO FOR A PERUAN HIGH BACK MYSELF


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

aight, i thought they would get just as big. i dont think ive ever seen pics of a xingu black diamond bigger than 7 inches, thats why i was asking.
would a 10+ incher be ok in a 90?


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## blueprint (Jan 3, 2004)

that would be fine but take into consideration the cost of a 10"+ Diamond... if you can find one atleast.

a rhom will not grow to it's capability in a home aquarium.... if you get it around the 6-7" Size it will most likely not grow past 13" in it's lifetime.


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

o i know, im fully aware that no fish can grow out to full potential in home aquaria. i dunno if this is something im actually gonna do, although it is in the back of my mind. right now im just tryin to get some info about the possibilities, you know what i mean









later fellas


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

blueprint said:


> a rhom will not grow to it's capability in a home aquarium.... if you get it around the 6-7" Size it will most likely not grow past 13" in it's lifetime.


 although this is just an opinion as it has never been proven!!


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## blueprint (Jan 3, 2004)

CraigStables said:


> blueprint said:
> 
> 
> > a rhom will not grow to it's capability in a home aquarium.... if you get it around the 6-7" Size it will most likely not grow past 13" in it's lifetime.
> ...


 it sure has.. go read up on the OPEFE website... there are many written observations by hobbyist that have kept rhoms for years without it growing to it's full capability. i've been in the game for a long time and i have a friend that got a 3" Rhom back in jr. high school, he's had the fish for over 8 years and i swear he's grown to probably 6-7".


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

blueprint said:


> CraigStables said:
> 
> 
> > blueprint said:
> ...


 you want to speak to knifeman about growing large Rhoms. He has posted a couple of interesting threads over at fishpost talking about over in the far east it is fairly common for Rhoms to grow from a small size to very large!


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## blueprint (Jan 3, 2004)

i'm not doubting it, but i am fully aware it'll most likely never touch it's full potential, there is no way to duplicate a wild enviroment in a home aquatic life style. Diet and Nutrition isn't the only thing that will help a Rhom grow to it's capability, the amazon provides vitamins and is constantly replenished with fast, fresh moving water, something you can't duplicate in a tank. i highly doubt a wild piranha ever tasted shrimp, goldfish or beefheart in its natural habitat... if anything you will need to feed them Cichlids which is there primary diet.

this is my opinion.... and i'm not doubting knifeman, he has an impressive collection and although i see it possible, i will again repeat myself and say it will not grow to it's full potential in a home aquarium.


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

blueprint said:


> i'm not doubting it, but i am fully aware it'll most likely never touch it's full potential, there is no way to duplicate a wild enviroment in a home aquatic life style. Diet and Nutrition isn't the only thing that will help a Rhom grow to it's capability, the amazon provides vitamins and is constantly replenished with fast, fresh moving water, something you can't duplicate in a tank. i highly doubt a wild piranha ever tasted shrimp, goldfish or beefheart in its natural habitat... if anything you will need to feed them Cichlids which is there primary diet.
> 
> this is my opinion.... and i'm not doubting knifeman, he has an impressive collection and although i see it possible, i will again repeat myself and say it will not grow to it's full potential in a home aquarium.


 but the home aquarium also has its benefits in that case....you can control the filtration of the water so it is far superior quality than the amazon, you can control their diet so they are always eating heathy foods regularly, you can keep them safe from diseases and treat them if they do become ill, etc


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

BTW- is the thread I was refering t, it makes for very good reading!

EDIT- I removed the link as knifeman is going to start up a new thread to talk about this!


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## notoriouslyKEN (Jul 31, 2003)

keeping Ps in an aquarium provides them with no natural predators. I firmly believe that any fish can outgrow its max size in the wilderness confined in an aquarium as long as it is given proper space, water conditions, and nutrients.


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Ahhh...this is the kind of interesting discussion I like. I don't know that Mike wants links to other threads from different sites though. I'll have to talk with him and see. Maybe he won't mind me starting a brand new thread here (with essentially the same opening information), and seeing if we can generate a whole different set of ideas on this site.

As far as pictures of large black Xingu rhoms, how about this guy:
Black Xingu


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

Knifeman said:


> Ahhh...this is the kind of interesting discussion I like. I don't know that Mike wants links to other threads from different sites though. I'll have to talk with him and see. Maybe he won't mind me starting a brand new thread here (with essentially the same opening information), and seeing if we can generate a whole different set of ideas on this site.
> 
> As far as pictures of large black Xingu rhoms, how about this guy:
> Black Xingu


 I agree, that why I neve linked to it in the first post I mentioned it in, but then ended up posting it anyway!

I think reposting it again on here would be a great idea, I'll edit my post now to remove the link so we can get some new ideas!


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## MR HARLEY (Aug 12, 2003)

blueprint said:


> i'm not doubting it, but i am fully aware it'll most likely never touch it's full potential, there is no way to duplicate a wild enviroment in a home aquatic life style. Diet and Nutrition isn't the only thing that will help a Rhom grow to it's capability, the amazon provides vitamins and is constantly replenished with fast, fresh moving water, something you can't duplicate in a tank. i highly doubt a wild piranha ever tasted shrimp, goldfish or beefheart in its natural habitat... if anything you will need to feed them Cichlids which is there primary diet.
> 
> this is my opinion.... and i'm not doubting knifeman, he has an impressive collection and although i see it possible, i will again repeat myself and say it will not grow to it's full potential in a home aquarium.


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

Knifeman said:


> As far as pictures of large black Xingu rhoms, how about this guy:
> Black Xingu


 nice! thats a fish i want in my tank


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## Blitz023 (Feb 19, 2004)

sooo beautiful..... must.... have ....one....


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## NTcaribe (Apr 8, 2004)

i highly reccomend this post be pinned it is certainly a hot topic on how big a piranha or any fish of that matter on how big it will grow
aquarium or natural habitat wouldn't you all agree?


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

nasty typhoon said:


> i highly reccomend this post be pinned it is certainly a hot topic on how big a piranha or any fish of that matter on how big it will grow
> aquarium or natural habitat wouldn't you all agree?


 I believe Knifeman is going to address this topic very soon with another informative post of his, so I guess that will be pinned and very much debated!!


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

CraigStables said:


> nasty typhoon said:
> 
> 
> > i highly reccomend this post be pinned it is certainly a hot topic on how big a piranha or any fish of that matter on how big it will grow
> ...


 I'd like to, but first I still have to check with "X". He has been pretty stealth today.


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

Knifeman said:


> CraigStables said:
> 
> 
> > nasty typhoon said:
> ...


 I hope it can get started, as that other one was very informative, and with more P owners over here it might come up with some more theories!


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

CraigStables said:


> I hope it can get started, as that other one was very informative, and with more P owners over here it might come up with some more theories!


 EXACTLY what I am hoping for too!


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

Knifeman said:


> CraigStables said:
> 
> 
> > I hope it can get started, as that other one was very informative, and with more P owners over here it might come up with some more theories!
> ...


 This is why you are here John, to share your info. Post away!


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Okay Mike...done. Here is a link to make finding the thread easier:
Growing Large Captive Rhoms


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> blueprint Posted: Apr 22 2004, 02:47 PM
> 
> QUOTE (CraigStables @ Apr 22 2004, 02:42 PM)
> QUOTE (blueprint @ Apr 22 2004, 02:35 PM)
> ...


I wrote that page several years ago and updated it occasionally (last time was over a year ago, I think). I tend to agree with Knifeman about the methods to promote growth. Paulo Petry (a PhD in these type of fishes) pretty much said the same thing as Oliver, however, the requirements to growing them large is something U.S. hobbyists spend little money or having knowledge in doing it. A fish will sometimes grow beyond known size records, certainly not unheard of. The captive P. nattereri that exceeded 16 inches in a public aquario is a good example. I'm sure there are others as well, but little attention paid to them.

Certainly there are certain trace elements of minerals and food that captive rhombeus don't get in captivity that stunt growth. Feeding "goldfish" a natural thiaminese inhibiter doesn't help either. Fish that live captivity (even wild in small ponds) to grow small because of natural hormones that inhibit growth. Which is another reason why I discourage crowding fishes.


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

wow this thread turned out more helpful than expected! thanks for the info frank and john!


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

john, waht is this drip system to which you refered? im un familiar with this type of setup. also good luck with growing out your rhom!


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

I wrote a thread that I think may have been pinned in the Tanks & Equipment forum that gave pretty good detail about the drip system and it's design. I tried to find it using the search mode for you, but was unable to do so. Maybe someone better with the workings of the search feature can help?...


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

This might be of some use.


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