# 10-12" Piraya



## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

Got the P virus BAD. Am looking to trade the current stock of my 144g half circle, 59"L x29"D x30"H, Eheim 2260, 801 power head, and Rena 400+air bar, for a 10-12" Piraya. 
I know this would be good for the rest of its life, the question is could I grow him out to 16-18" in this set up?
With 2x 33% water changes and vaccums weekly, a stronger power head and all he could eat quality diet, would 20" + be possible?

Power head question concerning my 90g and 9" Rhom. I removed the air tube and opened up the 401 PH to full current, should I put it on a timer and have it off for the night? I have it surface level top left, pointing to the opposite front corner and the Rhom seems to sleep? or hover bottom left where I'm guessing the current would be the weakest.

Thanks again, Mark.


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## Soul Assassin (Nov 21, 2006)

impalass said:


> Got the P virus BAD. Am looking to trade the current stock of my 144g half circle, 59"L x29"D x30"H, Eheim 2260, 801 power head, and Rena 400+air bar, for a 10-12" Piraya.
> I know this would be good for the rest of its life, the question is could I grow him out to 16-18" in this set up?
> With 2x 33% water changes and vaccums weekly, a stronger power head and all he could eat quality diet, would 20" + be possible?
> 
> ...


Yes when he is 12", 18" dont know, possibly, (but I dont know how this half circle tank looks) it depends if the fish is very active or not, but I would do someting bigger. Although, you will most likely not grow a piraya to that size in a tank. I think Frank (Alex's piraya) is 22" or so and he has it in a 400 gallon. Dont know at what size he got it at...

For the rhom, just make sure there is a dead spot or two. Usually under the PH. I leave mine on all the time.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Id be suprised if you could get it past 16". For this size fish (14" plus) you would probably want a tank much larger (like 240g plus) if you actually want to try to grow it out to 16" plus. Main thing is water quality, nutrition and paitence. It will take years but i dont think it will ever reach 18" plus unless you keep the water pristine and get a bigger tank in a couple years. Its deffinitly possible, but you cant keep a 20" fish in a 144g IMO and you will want a bigger tank to just get it to its potential.

if im not mistaken frankenstein was caught from the wild at around 18-20" and originally Wes' then it got sold to als at around 20"


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

Thanks for your replies, Soul Assassin, and CLUSTER ONE.

I realise now that a piraya would not be happy in my 144g long term and think later this year I will move my 9" rhom to the half circle.
To visualize it's comparable to a 150g square, but with round corners and longer back, a deep, and tall tank. Would this be a good forever size for a rhom ?
Now I will be trying to choose between a lg. shoal of exadons, vs. a single sanchez for the 90g. But this won't happen till after the rhom is moved.
I would still love to own a piraya, but will have to wait and see if I out live my arow.

Re; the 90g power head current, I moved some rocks to make a second dead spot.


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

sanchezi in a 90gal! holy crapoli! That thing will be living is style! Your not interested in caribe or reds huh? good luck!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

impalass said:


> Thanks for your replies, Soul Assassin, and CLUSTER ONE.
> 
> I realise now that a piraya would not be happy in my 144g long term and think later this year I will move my 9" rhom to the half circle.
> To visualize it's comparable to a 150g square, but with round corners and longer back, a deep, and tall tank. Would this be a good forever size for a rhom ?
> ...


Im not saying you cant keep it in a 144g. You can deffinitly confortably keep a solo piraya in a 144g. All I am saying is i doubt you will get him 16-18' in this setup. If your trying to grow a monster I think you will want a bigger setup but a 144g would be fien for a couple years as a growout if you wanted to upgrade in a few years when its abit bigger

it depends on what you mean by forever. you could keep a rhom or piraya in this tank for its whole life but id suggest a larger tank either initially or upgrade to if you want to do a serious attempt at growing a monster p. It will be a lot harder to grow a fish to 16" in a 144g then it would a 300g but a 144 would be fine if you are happy with the fish mayby only putting on a couple more inches. A 144 also isnt a ton of room for a fish over 14" or more especialy if its weird dimentions. Its possible with this tank though i think it will be harder


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

CLUSTER ONE, I understand what your saying and have stopped dreaming about growing out a monster. My up grading days are over, the half circle was my retirement present, we live in a condo with space constrains, hence the weird sized tanks, and I am very pleased with what I have.
At the time of my impulse buy, (9" diamond rhom) I thought the 90g would suffice for the long run. After much reading up, getting side tracked by piraya, and all the great informative responces from P. Fury members I'm going to eventually move the rhom to the 144g {11" more lenght + 11" more depth than the 90g 48"x18" footprint} and plan on breaking my personal record of 7 yrs. for keeping an individual fish with him.
As for the 90g stocking my wife likes a busy tank so 30 +/- exodons it will be.

Dolphinswin, I kept 6 rbp and 12 exodons in a 125g 72"x18"x24" with my then young son for 3 or 4 yrs. They maxed out to 10-12" on a diet of feeder goldfish only, no quarentine (it was the late eightys} and we only lost four exodons in all that time.


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

going to see frankenstein tomorrow. taking a trip down to Hamilton. ill take some pictures and post them


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

if u were to do an exo tank with the 90 id do mor than 30 probably more like 50-60 lol


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## Johnny_Zanni (Nov 8, 2009)

BuckeyeGuy777 said:


> if u were to do an exo tank with the 90 id do mor than 30 probably more like 50-60 lol


90 in a 90


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

A lot has changed since september, picked up the 10" piraya, waited months for him to come out of his shell, during that time was discouraged to the point of getting rid of him, and putting the crazy rhom in his tank.

Hung in there instead and now the piraya has come out of his shell with a bang! He destroyed all the jungle vals on "his" side of the tank and is a very interactive piranha, plays peek a boo with us then comes charging out like a lion, feeding time he'll wolf down his lg. chuncks of white fish fillet and the do laps in his half circle tank till the next chunck of food hits the water. Gone from being a shy delicate eater to attacking and wolfing down one entire large talapia fillet, or 4-5 large raw shrimp, both stuffed with 8-10 massivore pellets every third day.

Back in the 90g, the 9" rhom, according to friends has "really grown" I can tell he's bulked up, but length wise idk. He's active, does'nt chill in a corner as much anymore, explores every inch of his tank, eats like a pig and goes totally crazy whenever anybody so much as looks at him from across the room or passes by. He's such a maniac that he has a permanent chimple for life.

The wife and daughter want me to choose one to keep and replace the other with a herd of exodons. Ironically the piraya is now my favorite, but I don't want to part with the rhom.
I'm guessing I have a year or two before (if?) he out grows his tank, and then I'll have some decisions to make.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Have you considered keeping some exodons with the Rhom or Piraya? Some has had success keeping them in with their P's... I personally haven't tried it though...


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

piranha + exos= 5$ per snack IMO


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

I say keep the fish you have. Exodons are great to look at, but have no personality. Your fish on the other hand has personality which is priceless IMO


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

Smoke said:


> piranha + exos= 5$ per snack IMO


Agree


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

Inflade said:


> I say keep the fish you have. Exodons are great to look at, but have no personality. Your fish on the other hand has personality which is priceless IMO


Agree again, and thank you.

Exodons inspite of being very entertaining, especially at meal time, are not for me, I'm afraid I'd tire of their hyper schooling and no personal eye contact.

I remember my red bellys as being pretty stationary, and I hate to say it, boring. My two solo guys have great personalities, and I'm very pleased with them. Yet I often read here and else where that solo serras are "boring"

Am I just lucky, or is it a case of solo Ps are not for everybody ?


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