# Ways of feeding...



## xiiutao (Jan 8, 2006)

I was just wondering if anyone has any nifty ways of feeding there piranhas other then just dropping the food into the tank. I was trying to think of a way to attach food to a string or something so it will hang in the water. My piranha is still to new to try anything like this with, but I was just interested in knowing if anyone has taught there piranha to come to the top for its food or if they have any weird 'inventions' that hang the food in the tank or anything.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

I would feed my cariba by hand quite often. It was indeed very scary for me, but I was careful. They would come right to the top and tug on the fillet. I admit it sure makes your adrenaline (sp?) start pumping.








~Taylor~


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## bmpower007 (Feb 11, 2005)

Ive once placed a bag of feeders in the tank, and my reds with just bite threw the bag. Ive only tried this once.


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## PiranhaStein (Dec 30, 2005)

If you get some tongs you might be able to hand feed a little bit. THe only thing I do when I feed them is soak whatver is going in in liquid vitamin, then I turn off the powerhead and filter, as the filter likes to eat the food more then the p's. then I drop it in, hopefully I can train.. them to get hungry once the filter and powerhead are off.


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## Oscar5001 (Sep 22, 2005)

My reds will take food out of my hand. That's about as creative as I've gotten.


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## xiiutao (Jan 8, 2006)

Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I am just weird. =P

I was trying to think of a way to tie a string on my center support on my tank and hang the food in my tank on a paper clip or something. But I think my fish would just rip it off the paper clip and I would have to reach in and get out the leftovers anyways. Plus if he tried to take a bite out of the paperclip or string I don't know what that could do to him. But I am still thinking of ways and if I find one useful and safe I'll make sure to post it! lol Thanks again for the replies.


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## quickdeath (Jan 15, 2006)

xiiutao said:


> I was just wondering if anyone has any nifty ways of feeding there piranhas other then just dropping the food into the tank. I was trying to think of a way to attach food to a string or something so it will hang in the water. My piranha is still to new to try anything like this with, but I was just interested in knowing if anyone has taught there piranha to come to the top for its food or if they have any weird 'inventions' that hang the food in the tank or anything.


I am new to the game with 6 baby reds, how is your elongatus? I was thinking of getting one, the black mask, same as you have.. is he super aggressive? I have read a few stories of how they hit the glass and follow everything outside the tank.. is this true? As far as my little reds, I bought a breeder screen and I put their food in it and just dip it in the water.. they swim in it to eat and it reduces all the mess. My guys are between 1 1.5 and 2 inches. They ahve no problem with guppies, goldfish and earth worms. They seem to eat anything I put in.

Reply about your fish! If you can only have 1 in a tank it's got to be pretty active!


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## xiiutao (Jan 8, 2006)

> I am new to the game with 6 baby reds, how is your elongatus? I was thinking of getting one, the black mask, same as you have.. is he super aggressive? I have read a few stories of how they hit the glass and follow everything outside the tank.. is this true? As far as my little reds, I bought a breeder screen and I put their food in it and just dip it in the water.. they swim in it to eat and it reduces all the mess. My guys are between 1 1.5 and 2 inches. They ahve no problem with guppies, goldfish and earth worms. They seem to eat anything I put in.
> 
> Reply about your fish! If you can only have 1 in a tank it's got to be pretty active!


So far my elong is pretty aggressive. I ahve only ahd him for about 4 or 5 weeks, and he finger chases a lot. He will chasing you out of my room sometimes if he feels like it as well. He doesn't swim around all that much, but he will bit the glass if you make him mad. He does come out at night when the light is off he is always swimming around, and attacks just about anything he sees in the dark.


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## ___ (Feb 19, 2006)

Are you looking to get him to come out of the water or just rip in to something in the center of the tank


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## Hemi (Nov 13, 2005)

a string works well 
use your hood to hold it up
tie a knot on the outside end 
and leave it outta the tank
they shouldnt be able to pull the knotted string past the lid


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## I-Eat-My-Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Finger feeding is as creative as I have gotten as well.... But my fish are now so skittish they won't evne take food out of my hand anymore anyways..... I like putting a few feeders in there and watching them chase them around... or feeders that are just a bit bigger than they are and watching them chase it around...


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## xiiutao (Jan 8, 2006)

bader666 said:


> Are you looking to get him to come out of the water or just rip in to something in the center of the tank


I'm looking for a way to get my piranha to come to the food, and eat without leaving leftovers that I have to pick out of the tank. If ther are leftovers in the bottom of the tank I have to get them out and this freaks him out cause he is still new to the tank, so anything I put in the tank or any adjustments I make he gets scared and that isnt positive to get him use to his new home.


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## ___ (Feb 19, 2006)

well i tryed a full scallop yesterday but my P wasnt hungry at all so he just took a little chunk....i think if he wasnt hungry he would have had more....maybe wait till hes more hungry and try a little bit of scallop or something you can hang from a string or air line if he eat the first little bit try more hung in the tank if he doesnt eat it pull it out and toss it


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## rocker (Aug 12, 2005)

when i notice one of my p's sint getting enough i put a piece of food an a atick and put it infront of their face. Then he eats off it
View attachment 95174


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## Eating Machine (Jan 27, 2006)

I have used the thread tied on to the food method, and had a fish swallow the knot, and I then had him on the line, as if I were fishing..

I now use a small clamp that I have tied to a shoelace, and I put the food in the clamp. When they are done, I merely have to pull the shoelace out, and don't have to disturb the fish at all, or get my arm wet..


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## xiiutao (Jan 8, 2006)

Eating Machine said:


> I have used the thread tied on to the food method, and had a fish swallow the knot, and I then had him on the line, as if I were fishing..
> 
> I now use a small clamp that I have tied to a shoelace, and I put the food in the clamp. When they are done, I merely have to pull the shoelace out, and don't have to disturb the fish at all, or get my arm wet..


I was thinking of trying the clamp and thread method. It seems the easiest and safest method I have heard of so far.


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

I dangle shrimp afew inches out of the water and my Oscars jump right out the water with their mouths open and snatch it from my fingers


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## xiiutao (Jan 8, 2006)

Sheppard said:


> I dangle shrimp afew inches out of the water and my Oscars jump right out the water with their mouths open and snatch it from my fingers


Ya my fathers oscar jumps out of the water for his food all the time. But it doesn't seem piranhas are so obnixous about eating. They are thorough when it comes to scoping out there food, or my piranha is.


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## ___ (Feb 19, 2006)

my mom and dad had oscars and piranhas food or no food they would jump out on to the floor....my little guy has hit the lid a few times...i now keep a small rock on the lid


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## Osiris_x11 (Feb 18, 2006)

bmpower007 said:


> Ive once placed a bag of feeders in the tank, and my reds with just bite threw the bag. Ive only tried this once.


Hehe... that was actually a Zip-lock bag commercial/advertisement! Do they owe you for trade-mark infringement...


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## Fishjunky (Nov 11, 2005)

i'm not sure if you guys seen my other thread on this. But I simply lower a chick leg down into the tank three times a day! The P's get their fill and I use tongs to remove the bone or what ever is left after 15 mins. I also notice that by putting it is the same place every time the P's are learning where to go when they are getting hungry. My P's now stay on blimp and growth rates are insane! If they don't finish the drumstick I simply wrap it up and put it back in the fridge for later. Let us know what you decide. This has been working really well for me!


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## ___ (Feb 19, 2006)

im kinda doing the same thing with scallops.....BTW how is the chicken in the water does it make it dirty or what


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## C0Rey (Jan 7, 2006)

im trying out a clip. they really freak out though!
but they also go for it so ill keep trying thill theyre used to iT!


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## Fishjunky (Nov 11, 2005)

The chicken causes almost no mess at all! What's so cool is I can put the left over in a ziplock and put it in the fridge and re-use it until it's all gone. I can't believe how clean the whole process is. You can't beat it fat happy fish in super clean water. All of parameters have tested perfect since I've been doing this! Of course the two 1/4 water changes with R.O.D.I doesn't hurt that! LoL!


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

they make a veggie clip for saltwater fish you just suction cup it to the glass and place the food into the clip. you can make it at the top of the tank or anywhere you want.


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## Fishjunky (Nov 11, 2005)

ben2957 said:


> they make a veggie clip for saltwater fish you just suction cup it to the glass and place the food into the clip. you can make it at the top of the tank or anywhere you want.


I was a bit cautious about doing that becuase I thought maybe the clip would get bitten and the fish could injure themselves. Let me know how that works out for you.


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## b_ack51 (Feb 11, 2003)

I've tried a few things...

Hand feeding Irritans
Fishing line and shrimp
Fishing line and tilapia, put fishing string on bobber and the food was pushed around tank by powerhead/filter current


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## ___ (Feb 19, 2006)

> The chicken causes almost no mess at all! What's so cool is I can put the left over in a ziplock and put it in the fridge and re-use it until it's all gone. I can't believe how clean the whole process is. You can't beat it fat happy fish in super clean water. All of parameters have tested perfect since I've been doing this! Of course the two 1/4 water changes with R.O.D.I doesn't hurt that! LoL!


what is R.O.D.I.....two water changes, in what amount of time? i didnt think it was good to change it to often


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## Fishjunky (Nov 11, 2005)

what is R.O.D.I.....two water changes, in what amount of time? i didnt think it was good to change it to often
[/quote]

R.O.D.I. = Reverse osmosis and deionization. This a prefiltration system for tap water. This starts things at ground zero as far as water parameters. I use buffers and R.O. Right to get the water dead on for Piranhas. As far as 1/2 water change a week in 1/4 amounts can be very healthy as long as the tank is established. I have found that by doing this I have had many different fish that I have bought off of friends that have lived together forever just looking at each other and then Bam! they spawn for me. I'm hoping this works for my Reds!


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## Osiris_x11 (Feb 18, 2006)

If you don't like to deal w/ leftovers/clean-up and consequences of ammonia/nitrogen levels, try to make the 'meals' more edible-sized...

ie. linear, but thinner portions in terms of size;to keep it from floating, make it denser (squeeze/concentrate the mass)

I use to do this w/ the beef, chicken, fish bits I'd give my rbp's.


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## CloneME (Feb 24, 2006)

I have baby rbps right now and i was thinking if it would be possibly to hang like a breeder box with the net around it. Put the food in there and try to get them to swim in the box and just eat what they want and leave the rest. Obviously this wouldnt work for when they get larger but would be great when they are small. Also I used to feed my mandarin dragonets when I kept saltwater by doing something like this. I would put a clean bottle or container in the tank and put their food in it. This way they could eat all they wanted and the other fish couldn't get to it. Lots of good ideas on this thread I will have to try out when my ps get bigger.
Later
E


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## jinx1387 (Mar 1, 2006)

bmpower007 said:


> Ive once placed a bag of feeders in the tank, and my reds with just bite threw the bag. Ive only tried this once.


This has happened to me once too. i put the bag of feeders in the water to let them get used to to heat difference forgot for about an hour and came back and the bag was empty!


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## jconroy (Dec 21, 2004)

Guys, I have been wondering and experimenting with the best ways to feed the P's for years now. My current setup works pretty well in keeping the scraps (waste) to a minimum. Here are a few photos of what I do with my terns.
(I'm going to try the chiken leg suggestion too.)

View attachment 97086


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