# 1st Time breeding



## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Hello, I am a new member, although I have read posts on the forum quite often. I have two RBP's in a rather large tank, and to my surprise I woke up yesterday morning to eggs. Went to work this morning and my wife called and said they were swimming around the tank at 8:30 this morning.
I am on my way to pick up another tank shortly. Any info would be appreciated. I am in the military and currently in Japan. So, tank size is different here as you may imagine. About how many centimeters is a 10 gal tank? I am just going to get another big tank and go from there. Is it a bad idea to move the fry to a big tank right from the start?


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## Makoa84 (Aug 27, 2003)

http://www.piranha-fury.com/information/de...tereri_breeding

You can take a look at that article and it could help you out!! Congrats on the eggs im still waiting for my Reds to breed!!

Welcome to P-Fury by the way!!


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

The eggs need day of two in order for them to be properly fertilized.

they will breed agian. Get the 10g set up(I don't know the conversion in centimeters). If you leave them in the tank, they will not suvive, and will reak havok on your water parameters, suck up the eggs, and prepare for the next time.

Good luck

keep us posted


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Two days in the fry tank and I probably have from 1200 to 1500 that all have developed eyes and are very active in the tank. I put some vegetation in for them to hide, three different air stones and the light stays on continuously. So far so good. There are still some in the big tank I could not get, but they are doing OK so far as well.


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Heres a shot of the fry. This is around a 1/5th of the fry that are in the tank. Not so bad.


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Here is mom. Sorry about the flash.


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

sweet! Nice pics









They appear to be doing really good. What are you gonna be feeding them? They are gonna need small amounts of fresh water to help them grow. Have you put any thought into how your're going to do water changes?. I suggest making a mini syphon. What kind of filtration do ou have in the fry tank?

keep us posted, and keep taking pics!


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## HOLLYWOOD (Feb 6, 2003)

I also suggest taking out the fancy decoration. Rearing tank's are best kept bare. Decoration will only act as a place for uneaten food/dead fry to decay and create ammonia. It will also trap your fry when they begin to venture out for food.


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Ive been syphoning water out and then bringing water in from the main tank. I usually change the same amount of water from the main tank on a regular basis, so I know exactly how to mix my chemicals. This way the fry tank is operating under the same chemical conditions as the water they were born in. I figured that must be good enough since they hatched the day after the eggs were layed. This morning before I left for work, there was about 30 or 40 swimming around the tank, vice the small movement around the bottom of the tank they have done since birth.

I only put the decor in for somewhat of a refuge. Most of the local pet shops here recommended group isolation after a couple days to increase the survival amount. Like I said this is my first experience so I am learning as I go. If you guys think the rocks and plants are a bad idea, I will take them out.

As far as filtration, I have only been changing about a 1/3 of the tank water every two days and lots and lots of aereation. I have a small fluval set up but not in use until they start to swim a little more. Dont want to run the risk of losing any, even with the sponge filter for the suction. I just figured I would try something different, cause everyone suggests the sponge filter method, but, some posts also say that most or all of the fry end up dead. So, I am working on trying another method(requires more work though) to see if it increases the survival rate. Then I can pass the info on to you guys if it works or not. I am in the learning phase, but if I can help the knowledge level of us all, I would like to.


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## HOLLYWOOD (Feb 6, 2003)

GTR said:


> I only put the decor in for somewhat of a refuge. Most of the local pet shops here recommended group isolation after a couple days to increase the survival amount. Like I said this is my first experience so I am learning as I go. If you guys think the rocks and plants are a bad idea, I will take them out.


 Refuge? From what?

"Most of the local pet shops here recommended group isolation after a couple days to increase the survival amount. " Take it with a grain of salt. Most LFS have no experience in breeding Piranhas.

G-luck with your experimentation.


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

If there is one thing that just about everyone has learned about LFS, it's that unless it's ash, pedro, or George you can just about be sure they don't know there stuff.


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Alright then, the decor is out. I am not familiar with what your LFS have told you in the past............or any thing considered local anywhere in the US. I live in Japan, both places that I shop have at least 3 different species of piranha. At each shop, there is at least one staff member who owns P's. These guys will help as best they can, I just wanted more opinions. But as everything in life, no two people will tell you the same thing. By the way, the decor is out. Thanks for the good info.

On a seaperate note, I will be picking up a 50gal tank next week. Not for the fry though. I got lucky and found a Black piranha today. 5" long and I am going to pick it up for 100 bucks.







What a deal. I have been wanting one for a long time, this is the first one I have found in Japan.


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

Different things are going to work in different individual situations. Like the time you have avalable to give to husbandry, and your tap water conditions, are going to be things that may dertermining factors in your sucsess.

Removing the decore was a good call. Also, IME a sponge filter is nessesary, you need some mechanical filtration. I also had sucsess with a small hang on filter, with an ajustable flow, and somthing covering the intake, but you will still suck up a # of fry.

It's all trial and error, and finding out what works for you. I have had 1 suvivor in a batch, and have had 50 from another. One thing is for sure, it's alot of work.

keep us posted

what stage are you fry at, are they still little tansparent guys? Do you give them any freshwater?


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

They are about a 1/4 inch long now and yes still transparent. But this morning there were about 200 swimming around in the tank. Lots and lots of activity from all of the ones still laying on the bottom. Mostly swimming for a few seconds about an inch or two from the bottom and then settling down again. But the 200 are very active swimming and darting around the tank constantly.

No freshly treated water yet, still removing 1/3 from the fry tank and then syphoning from the parent tank. Growth is apparent and activity levels are growing every day. So far, so good.


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

Cool, Keep us posted on the progress


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Now there is loads of activity in the fry tank. At least a 1000 are swimming around. It actually reminds me of going to the shop when they have an over abundance of gold fish in a tank. You cant see much through the masses. Its awesome.

Earlier posts I said I could not get all the fry out of the main tank.......This morning they were very visible. Swimming around the top of the tank. Now I am going to get the net and transfer them to the fry tank. Here is a shot.


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Here is another view. Kinda hard to see. I didnt want to end up with a flash that made it even harder to see.


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

A week into it and I have transferred the other remaining hatched fry from the main tank. All together I probably have about 2000 now that are alive and well. The fry tank does not appear to be big enough in the near future. Here is a shot of about 1/4 of the fry in the tank.


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

whoa









Looks like you got a pretty good survival rate there. Keep up the good work!


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## phreakah (Sep 20, 2004)

wow, thats a lot of red bellies!

nice work!


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## Killduv (Jun 1, 2004)

Congrats!!!!
Nice work keep it up


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## GTR (Nov 15, 2004)

Thanks guys. You were all VERY correct on the fact that they need constant care. But it seems as though,so far anyway, all of my efforts have worked. I guess its still kinda early, Im just hoping that around the 3 week old mark I still have the same amount of fry in the tank.


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## spawnie9600 (Nov 15, 2004)

good job got lucky only having 2 p's


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