# who has kept a rhom the longest?? How big did he get?



## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Who has kept a rhom the longest.. what size was he when you got him and what size was he when you got rid of him? What kind of filter you used what you fed him...
Trying to see what makes a rhom grow the fastest .


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

1rhom said:


> Who has kept a rhom the longest.. what size was he when you got him and what size was he when you got rid of him?


If your just interested in lifespan, on opefe frank talks about a rhom in a zoo that lived 28 years (it jumped out and died). At the time of death it was only 11"


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## chomp chomp (Oct 28, 2003)

Fluffy arrived 04/21/2005 @ 7" .... today arround 10"

4 years, 8 mos

had a sanchezi 9.5 years before it died mid 2009


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## locust (Aug 2, 2005)

Had this one just under 5 years , he was 10.5 ins now hes about 13.5 ins, a friend had him before me for 2 years from 9ins


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

sean-820 said:


> Who has kept a rhom the longest.. what size was he when you got him and what size was he when you got rid of him?


If your just interested in lifespan, on opefe frank talks about a rhom in a zoo that lived 28 years (it jumped out and died). At the time of death it was only 11"
[/quote]
No not just lifespan, want to see how fast they grow at first and at what point they slow down.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

if you get it as a little guy, it should reach 6" or so within the first year, then growth slows down considerably after that, might get an inch a year or so then they'll max out around 10".... some people have grown them a bit faster and a little larger, but the growth that i described is what i would consider to be the average.


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## Us And Them (Dec 4, 2008)

1rhom said:


> Who has kept a rhom the longest.. what size was he when you got him and what size was he when you got rid of him? What kind of filter you used what you fed him...
> Trying to see what makes a rhom grow the fastest .


I Think the question is being a little too specific.you need to look at the bigger question like " What makes Fish Grow in General " ?

Think about it , you can do little things like Raising the temperature which in turn Will Increase its metabolism, making it eat more. Adding Powerheads to Expend energy and exercise .

Foods that promote Growth , Supplementing with Vitamins , Keeping up with water changes and Gravel Vacs.

Anything after that is left to Genetics and God.


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Jon87 said:


> Who has kept a rhom the longest.. what size was he when you got him and what size was he when you got rid of him? What kind of filter you used what you fed him...
> Trying to see what makes a rhom grow the fastest .


I Think the question is being a little too specific.you need to look at the bigger question like " What makes Fish Grow in General " ?

Think about it , you can do little things like Raising the temperature which in turn Will Increase its metabolism, making it eat more. Adding Powerheads to Expend energy and exercise .

Foods that promote Growth , Supplementing with Vitamins , Keeping up with water changes and Gravel Vacs.

Anything after that is left to Genetics and God.
[/quote]
I understand what you're saying but for some reason rhoms slow down considerably and why . I'm trying to figure out what size they start to slow down and if at that size ,tank size matters or not.


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## Us And Them (Dec 4, 2008)

Depending on who you ask Some say 6 " some Say 7 " . Rhombeus arn't the only S. Species that Slows down in Size. Mannys are known to grow slow . Same with Sanchezi and same with S. Elongatus.

If I were to take a wild guess I would say the reason Fish slow down in growth Considerably around that size is due to the Fact that nature really has no intention for them to live past that size and , If they do Bonus for them. and , if they happen to Grow to 24" Well than you know its super Lucky , because not many of those beasts are around .

I could be wrong = )


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

I think it's in their best interest to grow as fast as they can in the wild.. I think in captivity they slow down for a reason,just trying to figure out if it's water quality,tank size,it can't be food, they eat a lot better in captivity (at least mine does). I'm constantly monitoring the water params (ammmo 0,Nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10, PH 7.6,water changes 2x week...) powerhead, vitamins (nourish) ... So i'm trying to gather info and see what works best from others experiences (long term).


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## hungry84 (Sep 8, 2007)

mine is called bruce. brought 3 but he is the last one just over 3and half and is 10.5 inch


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

hungry84 said:


> mine is called bruce. brought 3 but he is the last one just over 3and half and is 10.5 inch


red bellies or a rhoms?


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## TJcali (Mar 27, 2009)

I think he's talking about Red Bellys


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## Uncle Jesse (Feb 18, 2007)

I got mine on April 4 2007 at a half inch. Today he is around 7.5 to 8.5 inches. Finger chaser now but was super shy till 6 inches. (About a year)


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

febsalien said:


> I got mine on April 4 2007 at a half inch. Today he is around 7.5 to 8.5 inches. Finger chaser now but was super shy till 6 inches. (About a year)


what do you feed him? You have a powerhead? tank size? Filter... Just trying to gather info and see what works best.Thanks for the info.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Does anyone know how big nattereri grow in captivity ? average size ?


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## Uncle Jesse (Feb 18, 2007)

1rhom said:


> I got mine on April 4 2007 at a half inch. Today he is around 7.5 to 8.5 inches. Finger chaser now but was super shy till 6 inches. (About a year)


what do you feed him? You have a powerhead? tank size? Filter... Just trying to gather info and see what works best.Thanks for the info.
[/quote]

Prolly get flamed but anyways

35 gal for the first year then a 45 gal until last month now he shares a 125 with a peacock bass, divided of course with a rena xp4 and 2 AC 110s.
The only reason I moved him from the 45 is that when I was out of town my dumbass buddy feeding him a mouse. To make a long story short he lost any eye due to the tank being out of whack for a week from that. 
I only had an aquaclear filter on both the 35 (ac50) and the 45(ac70). I did do once a week water changes tho. Pretty much eats everything except crayfish he wont eat those. Goldfish, earthworms, beefheart, shrimp, catfish, deer, walleye, one eyed baby gold piranhas, anything LOL. Now it's mostly shrimp.


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## als (Aug 23, 2003)

My friend Mike has a rhom that is 29 yrs old and still living! 
If you have any questions go on Monster Fish Keepers and contact (arapaimag)
als


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## bigshawn (Dec 29, 2005)

als said:


> My friend Mike has a rhom that is 29 yrs old and still living!
> If you have any questions go on Monster Fish Keepers and contact (arapaimag)
> als


29 years, wow...........


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

als said:


> My friend Mike has a rhom that is 29 yrs old and still living!
> If you have any questions go on Monster Fish Keepers and contact (arapaimag)
> als


how long has he had it for?


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## als (Aug 23, 2003)

I believe this is the oldest rhom in captivity that is still alive..


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## uhjkool (Mar 26, 2004)

Has anyone tried following http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=38230


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

I just read the whole thread. So basically i will continue doing what i'm doing at the momment. I feed him daily(shrimp,sole,talapia,silversides,krill all soaked in nourish by seachem) ,do 2 or 3 smaller water changes a week than one large one,using a powerhead for current. I'll see how big he gets in 4 months from now(i've already had him for 2 months) I got him at 6".


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## Mike61704 (Jan 3, 2010)

locust said:


> Had this one just under 5 years , he was 10.5 ins now hes about 13.5 ins, a friend had him before me for 2 years from 9ins


lol, couldnt help myself but your rhom looks like its so old it lost its teeth...LOL


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

i actually like how rhoms look at 10" more than at 14"+!!


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

So,it's been almost 1 year and he's grown a full 1/2 inch.In mid November i want to take him out and measure him properly.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

How big was he when you started with him? I have had my rhom for 7 years or so and I dont I dont think he has grown any larger. He looks 100% better then when I got him...and he is the perfect shape and weight for a larger rhom....but I dont think he is growing.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

I had a diamond rhom bought at 6.5" March, 09 sold to a friend in June, 09 at 7.2"-7.3"


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Grosse Gurke said:


> How big was he when you started with him? I have had my rhom for 7 years or so and I dont I dont think he has grown any larger. He looks 100% better then when I got him...and he is the perfect shape and weight for a larger rhom....but I dont think he is growing.


I got him at around 6"...maybe .1-.2 smaller.

How does everybody measure their piranhas?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

IMO....the best way is to just eyeball them. Im not taking my fish out to measure him....I just make an educated guess. It isnt worth the stress to the fish to drag him out of the tank to get a measurement. If you need to remove him for another reason then I could see it...but not to just measure him.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

I measure when I first got mine before I add to the tank, if I want to measure again I just put a ruler up against the glass and wait for the rhom to get as close to it as possible and as parallel to the ruler as possible then I take a picture with the fish and the ruler together. should be pretty accurate if done right.


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

Put up a measuring tape in front of the aquarium, wait from him to swim parallel to the tape, take a picture and you have your measurement.


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

jp80911 said:


> IMO....the best way is to just eyeball them. Im not taking my fish out to measure him....I just make an educated guess. It isnt worth the stress to the fish to drag him out of the tank to get a measurement. If you need to remove him for another reason then I could see it...but not to just measure him.


Agreed.


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## Blackdude (Feb 28, 2003)

My rhom is around 9 years old

here is my old thread:
http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/188948-my-rhom-growth-rate-since-2001/

he's getting close to 11 inch !!!


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## impalass (Nov 20, 2009)

Great job on your rhom, can't wait to see some pictures. My new 9+" black diamond is in a 90g, he's a bold beast, but the only time he sees the other side of his tank is when he wiggles his way across the front glass as somebody walks by, or when I'm cleaning the thank.


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Blackdude said:


> My rhom is around 9 years old
> 
> here is my old thread:
> http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/188948-my-rhom-growth-rate-since-2001/
> ...


Good job! I'd love to see one that big...never saw one in person.


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

I picked up a 14 inch monster 2 years ago, and he's now up to 16 inches after some much needed antibiotics (which can stimulate growth) and other meds. I need to upgrade to a larger tank, but I'd say I've done a good job maintaining good water quality, current and nutrition.


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Rough996 said:


> I picked up a 14 inch monster 2 years ago, and he's now up to 16 inches after some much needed antibiotics (which can stimulate growth) and other meds. I need to upgrade to a larger tank, but I'd say I've done a good job maintaining good water quality, current and nutrition.


What do you feed him? What are you water params?


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

1rhom said:


> What do you feed him? What are you water params?


He's in a 125 gallon tank (waiting to upgrade to 240-300 when I can move him off my second floor and into the basement, once that's finished). My water parameters are always on the mark (weekly water changes), as I use two Rena XP4's canisters (with lots and lots of bio), and two Emperor 400 over-the-top for filtration. I do utilize a UV filter (green machine), which helps to keep the water crystal clear. For current, one of the XP4's utilizes the jet output fitting discharging across the 6ft length, coupled with the current of a Koralia 5 powerhead. Genghis (my rhom's name) likes to swim within 1 foot of this current output for long periods of the day. I think he REALLY likes the amount of current the Koralia 5 offers... it's broad enough to engulf him in the current (he's a big boy).

For nutrition, I either feed tilapia fillets (cut into half-dollar sized chunks) with protein pellets stuffed inside (one or two large ones). I alternate between the tilapia and shrimp with shells still on (good for his coloration). In the end, the ratio is probably 2 to 1 in favor of the tilapia. He eats 2-3 pieces every other day. I never feed him live food, but he'll occasionally pick off a few of the scavenging fish I put in his tank (zebra danios, various tetras).


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

Rough you've done a great job with that beast! I remember when you first got Ghengis and the rough shape he was in. With your dedication and knowledge you got yourself a beast many wish to have! Does he have any chinples seeing that he's in a 125G?

Would it be possible for you to throw up updated pics of him?


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

the_w8 said:


> Rough you've done a great job with that beast! I remember when you first got Ghengis and the rough shape he was in. With your dedication and knowledge you got yourself a beast many wish to have! Does he have any chinples seeing that he's in a 125G?
> 
> Would it be possible for you to throw up updated pics of him?


Thanks. He doesn't have a chimple - at all. I can't tell you exactly why that is, because he does nose the glass at times, and when spooked, will ram his face against either side. lol. I may do a couple of things different than most keepers, so it could be; I maintain a 1 tablespoon to 10 gallon ratio of aquarium salt. I've done this over the 2 years I've had him, because he had a bad case of gill-curl from the time I received him. It seems the salt really helps his healing/regeneration abilities. In addition to that, I'll ocassionally give one dose of Melafix whenever I may have been a tad late on the water change (high nitrates). Between the two (salt and melafix), they seem to have kept any chimple formation from occurring.

I haven't taken pictures in nearly a year, so I'll get some taken this week and post them up.


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

you have any plans on upgrading to a 180G+ anytime soon or in the distant future?


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

the_w8 said:


> you have any plans on upgrading to a 180G+ anytime soon or in the distant future?


I'm still saving to get the basement finished. That's in the near future (hopefully by this Spring). Once that's done, I'm going to go all-out on the tank. I'm looking for 300 gallons first, then 240's - depending on which one gives me a better deal with good quality. I've had a buddy offer me a 180, but I turned it down. I couldn't get that set up on the 2nd floor with the 125 still running, so it wasn't an option to move him to the basement just yet. Besides, I want to keep this guy for life, and want the best environment (and biggest tank) I can provide him.


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