# Piranha Food?



## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

I recently had to sell my venezuelan rhombeus because it would only eat live feeder fish and no matter what I did it would not eat anything dead. So I was wondering which serrasalmus has the best feeding response. I liked my rhoms attitude and appearance but it was very difficult keeping and feeding feeders in my dorm room. Anything I get would have to be able to stay in a 40 breeder for at least a couple years. The tank has been cycled and nitrate and phosphate levels are less than 5ppm. So far I am stuck between a purple sanchezi, hollandi piranha, maculatus, ruby red, and half tail brandtii.

Please let me know what you opinions are on which is the best as far as feeding. I like the brandtii but I need to know if the tail would grow back eventually. Also need more info on the hollandi. Whatever I get it would have to be able to eat shrimp or fish filet.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

It's really up to the individual fish, but all of my macs have been really good eaters.


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## Sacrifice (Sep 24, 2006)

I voted mac only because you see a ton of vids with them eating all kinds of food. However to say that a your rhom wouldn't eat anything but live may have been true for you but IMO you didn't try dead the right way. As many will say you can get them to eat whatever you want if you do it properly. First off how long did you try to get him off feeders. As in how long did you go without giving him feeders? I would've offered him shrimp or tilapia every other day until he ate it. This could take 6-8 weeks sometimes. Trust us your rhom would not have starved himself to death eventually he would've ate whatever you offered him. There are other thing that you could've tried as well.....using Garlic Guard is claimed to help....tie the food to fishing line and let it drift in the current.

I'm by no means dogging on you here man I just wanted to share some tips just in case your next serra doesn't eat dead right off the bat. Welcome to the site. If you have access to a Brandtii I say go for it because you don't see many of them around here anymore.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

The brandtii I was looking at was the half tail one from shark aquarium. I tried for the 8 months that I had him. Just so you know I weaned a pet store lionfish that I had onto dead food. Lionfish are considered very difficult to do it with but eventually my lionfish would eat anything I put in the tank. I am really looking for other options than the mac but if it will have a better feeding response than the other options than I will go with it. I really like the look of the hollandi but I dont want it if it will only eat feeder fish. My lionfish took 3 months to get off eating goldfish.

My rhombeus was set on eating live feeders and he would only eat them in front of me if I starved him for a few weeks.

Also just to clear things up I am not getting a piranha because I want to see a feeding frenzy. If I wanted that I would get some exodons.

Another thing that I am looking at is a piranha that has the largest jaws.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

If your main concern is getting a fish that will readily accept non-live food, then you could really pick any fish you want out of your list... I'd just look at your rhom's refusal to eat non-live food as an atypical situation. Out of all the piranhas I have owned, only one refused non-live food for longer than a few weeks.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Since the compressus are similar to the hollandi how is yours compared to your mac or rhom? I still would like the one with the biggest jaws.


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## Sacrifice (Sep 24, 2006)

From that list if you didnt want a mac I would pick a Ruby Red Spilo. You must have had a really stubborn rhom. Either way I didn't mean to insult you. Ruby Reds still have a nice lower jaw structure.

Look at this beast. I love the colors. It just seems that most don't look like this one once you get them home

Pic from Aquascape:


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

Most of the hollandi I see available for sale I think are actually compressus... All 3 of my serras are actually very similar in behavior, they are all very active, come to check you out when you go near the tank, and hit food immediately when it hits the water. If you want a big jaw, I'd probably get a rhom.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

Like theyv already said any p will do for the "eating" situation. Now jaw structures i would go with ruby red


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Is AS still running the $65 special on the ruby red? Also whats everyones opinion on the half tail brandtii. Would its tail eventually grow back? Right now I am between a purple sanchezi, ruby red, and half tail brandtii from george.

Thanks for the help!


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

I have seen that half tail brandtii, I don't think it'll ever go back, it's been like that at SA for months (if not years).
either a sanchezi or ruby red would do. AE Aquatics, Shark Aquarium and AS all have ruby red spilo and price are pretty similar. if you can go to the stores in person I would do that, I was at AS yesterday and few of the $65 Ruby red spilos have missing eyes or damaged eyes. so best would be for you to hand pick the fish yourself.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Well I think I will go with a sanchezi or mac. Because I dont want a deformed fish and I cant spend over $100 total. I cant order from AE because of shipping issues however I have ordered from both george and pedro with no issues. I was watching some feeding videos of maculatus and the are pretty beast fish but the sanchezi look better. I live about 6 hours from NJ so I cant go there. My lfs has a pair of macs that are probably the most fearless piranha i have seen. I will look around but I think I am going to order form AS. Does anyone know if pedro feeds his fish anything other than feeders?


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Mac


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

I am having a hard time finding any macs for sale that are in a reasonable price range. I am not going to pay $75 for a 6in. mac. I have made up my mind on getting a maculatus but I have to find one first.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

It turns out that the ruby red and mac are almost the same fish just different color variants and locales. Has anyone found any difference between these fish other than color? Also do macs develop red eyes? AS says they have red eyes but there pics only shows there macs with clear eyes.

I am still on the hunt for a mac!


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Check in our Sponsor Forums they usually have small ones in stock, If you think $75 for a Fish is high, Get ready to pay $40 for overnight shipping


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Aquabid has macs 1" & 3"ers.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Thanks

I just dont feel 75 for a mac is worth it when I can get a ruby red for 60. I will check out aquabid.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Since I am stuck between a MAC and a ruby red. Does anyone notice any differences between the two? Does anyone here own both species and can do a comparison. Since this will be my only fish for the next 4 years I want to make sure I am making the right decision. I would like a gold silo larger than 3" but it seems like all the vendors don't have what I want. There is no way I can justify paying more for a MAC than a ruby red.


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

klink67 said:


> Since I am stuck between a MAC and a ruby red. Does anyone notice any differences between the two? Does anyone here own both species and can do a comparison. Since this will be my only fish for the next 4 years I want to make sure I am making the right decision. I would like a gold silo larger than 3" but it seems like all the vendors don't have what I want. There is no way I can justify paying more for a MAC than a ruby red.


i happen to have both. honestly with any P whether its a pygo or a serra it is simply based on the look you prefer since the way they behave is purely specific to that P. if you like a mac snag it if you like the RRS get that one instead. the RRS definitely has more color so if i had to choose one i would get that one but a lot of the ones people get are not like the pictures they see so a good mac may have more color in some cases but it wont have the spectrum of different colors the RRS will.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

What food does your RRS like the best? Was it hard getting it off feeders?

I just bought the 4" one from aquascape. I had to take advantage of the deal they had going on. $100 shipped for a RRS is almost unheard of.

Does anyone have any pics of 6+ RRS. I was searching around and couldnt find anyone that had adult RRS all I see is people with 5 in. ones.









I am very excited to get this piranha.


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

i feed tilapia and shrimp but thats what i feed all my P's. i dont ever really remember offering him any live food really. didnt take long for him to eat.
heres a useful link for larger RRS click here.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Thanks!

Do you have a recent pic of your spilo? It seemed pretty beast 2 years ago I wonder what it looks like now.


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

i voted sanch. the purple sanch is one of my favorite p's and hope for it to be my next.


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

klink67 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Do you have a recent pic of your spilo? It seemed pretty beast 2 years ago I wonder what it looks like now.


naw im sorry i dont sorry. but ill pass the compliment on to the spilo lol provided he doesnt bite me when im telling it to him in sign language lol


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2011)

klink this topic has me worried now.... I dont want my first piranha..... (RRS from AS) To come to me with one eye! Or any other deformities... I guess I was under the impression they were all perfect........ since nothing was said on thier site. You said your getting yours today post pics asap ! hopefully we both get lucky. Cause I am super excited.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

My ruby red is coming in tomorrow. Pedro said that they dont have any deformities so I will take his word for it. I am pretty excited to get my fish in! I already have some feeders swimming around in his tank ready to go for him. I really wouldnt be concerned with getting a deformed fish. If it had issues than Pedro would have described whats wrong with it.









Also just ordered some driftwood and a new T-5 light for my tank. I have decided to put the ruby red in my biocube 29 for now and move my tetras to the 40 gallon.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2011)

klink67 said:


> My ruby red is coming in tomorrow. Pedro said that they dont have any deformities so I will take his word for it. I am pretty excited to get my fish in! I already have some feeders swimming around in his tank ready to go for him. I really wouldnt be concerned with getting a deformed fish. If it had issues than Pedro would have described whats wrong with it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


my RRS is coming as soon as my tank cycles... i cannot wait.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

Just posted pics in the ruby red spilo thread. He is kind of hard to see because of the lack of light and the blackwater extract I put in there.


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## klink67 (Feb 14, 2010)

more in the ruby red spilo thread


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