# Red Belly Piranhas..!



## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

What's going on guys....

I'm new to the fish world and need a lil help. Looking to setup a piranha tank in my bedroom....

I bought a 30 gallon tank lastnight from Craigslist in good shape. Came with a light, 2 heaters, a filter, and thermometer.

Any key points I need to know??? And do they smell?! Since there kind of messy...


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2011)

Hemi_man

Congrats on your fish tank purchase!!! Trust me it wont be your last, this is one addictive hobby, lol

First of all you need to start cycling your tank. This should be done prior to adding any fish and can take a bit of time. By skipping this step or using one of those liquid quick starts, you could be asking for a lot of problems. Here is a link to cycling:

http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/196087-cycling-101/

If you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask.

Also what filter do you have exactly? In a tank of your size you have limited yourself on what you are able to keep piranha wise. Redbellies get to big to fast so a single (solo) Serra such as a small Rhom or Sanchezi would work well for you. If you did want redbellies then you could start with 3 little ones but you would need to upgrade to a 75G in the very near future.


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

I recently got a friend started with P keeping in a 30g. Sanchizie is a great way to go. Filtration is key! She is running filters rated for 100g on her 30g tank.


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## daughter snatcher (Sep 27, 2009)

Go with a sanchezi. Its the only P that will be comfortable in those dimensions. Or a solo RBP. good luck


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## Skepsis_DK (Aug 15, 2011)

ya i have 4 red bellies in a 35 gallon and will be upgrading hopefully in a month. they grow quickly so be prepared to buy a new tank in a few months, depending on how big they are when you buy them


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Ok I see all good info here. I'm getting a stand, gravel, and driftwood today after work.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of filter it is. I just know its black(lol) about the size of my hand and the guy said he had a school of cichilids or something.

And I was going to get 3 or 4 red belly babies so I could witness the whole growing process.


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2011)

It should be stamped with a name on it some where including a model number. The reason I am asking is because I want to make sure your filtration will be able to handle your bio load


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Ok I'll have to check later....


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

Welcome to the hobby man. I agree with ksls you can start a shoal of reds in a 30g but be ready to upgrade in 6 months or so (possibly even before that). If you're going to go that route you're going to need a monster filter on that tank also. I'm going to guess what you have currently is a HOB (hang on back) type filter, which just isn't going to cut it for Piranhas.


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

No label or numbers, but a guy at work says it looks to be a 20-30gal filter. And I should be ok for now since I'm getting lil small ones


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Welcome. If its the size of your hand its not big enough. With piranha at a 1" or bigger, you can never have too much filtration.


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## e46markus (Dec 9, 2010)

I would go pick up an Aquaclear 110 or even a canister filter like an Eheim classic...something you could move to a larger tank down the road.


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Could I use these things here to get started and slowly upgrade for a larger setup?

#Anxious

This my first tank also, I'm really a lil lost lol


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## gjohnson1989 (Dec 19, 2010)

cant really see whats in the tank but i do a heater and a siphon which is always good lol.. as far as the filter, that thing isnt going to cut it man. not enough space for media. just bite the bullet and get a canister or ac 100 now so youll already be ready when you upgrade.


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

glad youre getting into the hobby. start the tank cycling process. as far as going with red bellies, you can pack a shoal of reds in a 30 for a few months. some would argue that even a solo red is too much for a 30.

the trick with a healthy shoal is a larger tank then you think they need. for one, they are fast fish. although often calm for much of the day they have a habit of dashing. and they relish in cover. planted and nicely decorated tanks go far. which is why most of us that have had piranha have learned that getting them into a well sized tank that can fit plenty of coverage and open swimming areas is the way to go.

the basics is to cycle first. once the tank has been up and the water is good to go, you can start right away. but for a shoal of 3-4 reds i would try to get yourself a 75 gallon eventually at least. 
they may not look to be huge, but the natural aggression of these fish can cause high stress in tight quarters. you and the fish will appreciate a nice tank in the future


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

O ok, so would you recommend just getting 2 lil ones instead of 4?

SHOULD I CLEAN/RINSE THIS GRAVEL BEFORE USING???????


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

My setup so far. I have some black gravel but I'm not sure if I should clean it first.

But what yall think about the tank?!


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## e46markus (Dec 9, 2010)

Ya wash the gravel in a bucket before you put it in the tank to get rid of any dust/dirt. I would still highly recommend getting a better filter. And kinda hard to tell for sure but if that's a sea shell i would ditch it, it'll affect your water parameters.

I would also read up on the cycling process HERE

It can take a few weeks for your water params to be in check before you can add your piranhas.


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Yea I'm going to upgrade the filter. This just to get me started.

No sea shell just some rock I bought....


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Cycling 101 looks like a headache


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Could you guys help me out with a list of what i need...Far as getting my water started(chemicals , testers, and what not).

Local aquarium shops SUCK!


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2011)

Ok, here is an easy version of a FISHLESS CYCLE

What you need is a bottle of HOUSEHOLD AMMONIA. You can find this at your local grocery store or a hardware store. You want the unscented (no perfume).

You will also need a MASTER TEST KIT for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates

Get your ammonia test kit ready! Add some ammonia. Start small, only a couple of teaspoons for a small tank around 10G, or use about a 1/2 cup for larger tanks around 55G. Let it sit for an hour or so to allow the ammonia to circulate. Test the water with your ammonia test kit. Your goal is to get a reading of about 3 to 5 mg/L (or ppm, it's the same). If you have zero ammonia readings, add a bit more to the water. Not too much...you are using a toxic chemical afterall. Let the tank sit. Test. Keep testing and adding SMALL amounts of ammonia until you get a reading in your test kit. When you have a reading, you may want to add Cycle or StressZyme if you've decided to use these products. Keep in mind that the commercial bacteria is bottled in a non-toxic form of ammonia, so if you use them, your ammonia readings will be higher than if you hadn't used them. This is OK. You may discover your ammonia levels will go over 6 ppm (parts per million), which is fatal for all fish, but this is OK too, since you don't have any fish in the tank.

As soon as you notice high levels of ammonia, stop adding ammonia to the tank. Now is the part where your patience is tested! Let things run their course, and keep testing the water. Once a day is fine, or once every other day. After a few days, you can begin testing for nitrites as well as ammonia. If you aren't getting any readings for nitrites at all, that's OK. These things take time. Don't do any water changes yet, and continue to let everything sit. When your ammonia starts dropping, you should definitely be able to read some nitrites. After the ammonia reading drops to zero, start adding just a little bit more ammonia again every day, just a teaspoon or so...not enough to force the reading above zero again, but just enough to keep the newly grown "ammonia-eating" bacterial colony happy.

When you notice your nitrites are spiking (reach a maximum and start going down) you'll know you're almost done! In my experience, the tanks have finished cycling within 3 or 4 days of the nitrite spike, but the amount of time will vary for everyone. When your nitrites drop to zero AND your ammonia is zero, then your tank is cycled! Do a large water change, around 50% to 80%. Do not change any filter media, and do not vacuum the gravel during this water change. Refill with fresh, conditioned water, and lower your heater to 25°C or whatever temperature is best for the fish you intend to keep. Let everything chug for several hours or overnight. Test the water for both ammonia and nitrites again. If everything is still zero, the tank is cycled and you're ready to add fish!


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## Hemi_Man (Sep 22, 2011)

Starting my cycling

Think my tank turned out pretty good..!


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## daughter snatcher (Sep 27, 2009)

Its not a headache. It just takes time that's all.


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## PeachSoda21 (Aug 30, 2011)

sent priv. msg . . . .

Try to get 4 fish atleast(if you go rbp). . .master test kit. . .fish/cleaning net about 3" across. . .A top cause piranhas have been known to be jumpers also get you some low watt bulbs. . .thermometer . . .maybe grab some flakes if you get babies


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