# Piranha not eating :(



## shx06 (Nov 23, 2005)

I usually feed my piranha prawn on a every other day basis,(buy frozen prawn). My piranha is about 6months old. the prawn i had in my fridge had run out 3 nights back so i couldnt feed it. the next day i went out and bought another pack of frozen cooked prawns (bigger than the last ones i used to feed) but it hasnt touched it. all it does is swim around the upper area of the tank. can someone tell me what i can do because i dont want it to DiE!! please reply. It's also gone to a very vivid red at its belly.


[email protected]


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## mobster (Oct 28, 2005)

why dont you try live feeder fish. maybe your p's are fed up eating prawn and want to taste other variety.


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## shx06 (Nov 23, 2005)

i've fed live feeder before many times..its nt legal round here but still....but if p's are hungry should they just eat anything??


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## mobster (Oct 28, 2005)

yes try red meat or beef heart.


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## SAFETYpin (Feb 1, 2004)

I'd keep offering him food and remove it if he doesnt eat it. I would stay away from feeders and red meat. Feeders carry disease and gold fish have little to no nutritional value. Red meat is fatty and can make a greasy mess in your tank. Not a pro just my opinion. I feed white fish fillets and raw shrimp.


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## Northstar (Jun 19, 2003)

If he's hungry he'll eat. Mine have gone longer on their hunger strike. And I think that Raw is better than Cooked. And here is your chance to offer him something else, pellets, beef hearts, any other white fish fillet. Keep us posted.


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## piranha98 (Jun 15, 2005)

welcome to the site and yea just try feeding him different things it could just be a feeding behavior or he doesnt feel comfortable


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## EvilRaven1031 (Oct 22, 2005)

mine tear beefheart to shreds and will also go through2 dozen ghost shrimp (live) in about 15 minuites. ive also heard that catfish is good too


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## boontje (Mar 27, 2005)

try fish (whole fish, fish filet), better go for the "white fish" these are low in fat

stay away from mammal mat, beefheart 
and avoid feeders

what size are your fish?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Hunger strikes are very comon. Mine just got off one that was over a month....and now he is eating like a pig. 
I would not do feeders. Try getting some whitefish...like has been said...catfish chucks are what I use. For small fish, I cut it into bitesize portions. For Serrasalmus, I find it much cleaner, and they eat better when they fish is cut up.

Moved to feeding.


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## LGHT (Nov 9, 2005)

I like to give my young ones a variety outside of fish, like blood worms that help their digestive track, flakes for extra protein, brine shrimp, etc etc. Would you want to eat the same thing day out for the rest of your life?


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2005)

Hi there mate and welcome to the site.

Don't worry too much on the non eating front, i'm in the UK too and i'm sure you could get away with a few feeders. I don't personally use feeders though.

I'd look for a reason he is hanging around the top of the tank. Have you got a lot of surface agitation/movement. It could be low oxygen levels within the water. It would also be really useful to get a full freshwater master test kit and post us some results. If he is a red within a group of them he may be getting bullied. Thats another reason for the fish to move to the top out of the way.

Let us know some more details and I'm sure some people will be able to help.


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## shx06 (Nov 23, 2005)

Mellor44 said:


> Hi there mate and welcome to the site.
> 
> Don't worry too much on the non eating front, i'm in the UK too and i'm sure you could get away with a few feeders. I don't personally use feeders though.
> 
> ...


i shudda mentioned earlier...that i only have on baby red belly piranha.....yh i tink da oxygen levels low cos i ent changed da water now for a good 2/3 months.....if jus turn on the air bubble tingy 4 today and c hw it goes n 2mo im gnna do a partial water change.

thnx all ppl hu replied!


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2005)

If you haven't changed the water for a long time it could be high nitrate, not very toxic unless at high values.

The bubbles will work but they are effectively just breaking at the surface and releasing the oxygen out of the tank. But when they break the surface they also cause agitation allowing oxygen in. So it will work, easier method, not to mention quieter is to use a powerhead or water pump. Jet the water close to the surface causing small waves. Its the most effective way of maximising dissolved oxygen in the water.

Best getting a test kit, make sure no traces of Ammonia or Nitrite and then address the Nitrate. Keep the Nitrate at least below 40 and preferably around 10-20 ppm.

Wish your little P luck! I'm sure he'll be fine.


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## shx06 (Nov 23, 2005)

My PIRANHA has started to eat again...wooooo hooooooooooo! i found out dat it doesnt lyk eating cooked frozen packd prawn.....i went and bought a pack of raw frozen prawn and large shrimps and he's lovin ittt.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR REPLIES.......

for pictures of my juvenile piranha go to my msn space...sumtimes it doesnt load up but couple of refreshes on da internet explorer does the trick.

http://spaces.msn.com/members/shx06/Person...t&_c=photoalbum

on top right hand side it will say view:"choose the piranha album from the drop down list"

you can see how much the piranha has grown...newer pics are in the beginnning of the gallery and older ones nearer the end.

If you've gt gd experience of keeping red belly's den add me to your msn contacts . [email protected] i get worried sik wen ma one starts behaving wierd cos i only have one and i luv it to bits! i dnt want it dieying before ive even fed it interesting*** things.

No not mice or rats or eny other fury animal!


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2005)

Providing they are frozen and then thawed you are better feeding raw shrimp anyway, my P's love this too. More nutrients in the raw variety


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

§#ª×™ said:


> i've fed live feeder before many times..its nt legal round here but still....but if p's are hungry should they just eat anything??


As with anything else... "It's only illegal if you get caught!"
It's a stupid law anyway.

Unless your fish is not eating due to an internal parasite, I wouldn't worry... they go literally MONTHS without food in the wild.

Keep us posted.


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## steve1337 (Oct 25, 2005)

you mean its not legal to feed ur fush feeders? I never heard of such a thing... If that is true you must live in a very liberal (and crazy) town.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2005)

Its not the town its our whole nation! Not that I mind I don't feed mine feeders anyway. And there isn't a live food SWAT team or anything


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Mellor44 said:


> Its not the town its our whole nation! Not that I mind I don't feed mine feeders anyway. And there isn't a live food SWAT team or anything :laugh:


From what I understand it's more of a policy than a law... some pet stores won't sell fish if they know you're gonna use them as feeders... I know Petsmart is like that...


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## JYUB (Dec 19, 2003)

Grosse Gurke said:


> you mean its not legal to feed ur fush feeders? I never heard of such a thing... If that is true you must live in a very liberal (and crazy) town.


LMAO!!! I had a pet shop do that to me once when I fed my old RBP's some mollies, the girl freaked out when she realized teh second time they were food!


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Yeah, it's strange how the lfs people deem goldfish as "Okay to get torn to bits" but use anything else as a feeder and you're a monster!

One time I told the lfs person that they were a "Racist" because of it!


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