# My Rbp Journal



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Okay, Here we go!

Now, Im nowhere near an experienced piranha keeper. I have had small groups and couples of piranhas in the past though. This thread will be my journal and place to ask for help and get advice in giving this shoal the best conditions and life I can provide. So, If im making n00b mistakes, feel free to help me learn! Enough about my quest for knowledge, youre here for the fish pics! Click the pics to enlarge.

Cute little guys (a month ago)


Just waking up from their trip from aquascape.


Video of them eating frozen bloodworms. 22JUL11












These little guys are so bold! They eat in front of us, they swim right up to the glass when we watch them. I've been making a point to do this before I feed them. I guess its a little Pavlovian conditioning










They are being housed in a 55 gallon tank with a 
Cascade 700 PennPlax Canister filter
Temp is set at 76 (alittle lower to try and keep violence down)
A powerhead for current (again for violence)
Ammonia staying steady at <.02
The water from my tap comes out with a pH of about 8.0 (I use pH down to get it to about 7.2 but they seem very content and unstressed about the pH)
Their diet consists of Frozen bloodworms, frozen beef heart, frozen brine shrimp, fish flakes, Hikari Cichlid Gold Pellets, and the occasional bit of chicken of night crawlers. The rosies and white clouds in the tank with them are rarely eaten (their fins are another story). I try to keep them on a varied and well balanced diet. I dont want them to get too used to eating live fish.

I know that they will outgrow the tank quickly and I will be thinning out the shoal as they approach that size. (That's a hint that I'll be selling a few in a couple months.)


----------



## Red Sox Fanatic (Jun 13, 2011)

I also bought my 1st batch from Aqua Scape at the same size man these guys grow quick !!!!! Do you have alot of aggression??Feed them more meaty foods like raw shrimp,silver sides and smelt it helps with growth.I will keep my eye on this post has we probably have fish from the same batch.


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

I had a little aggression in the first week or so, the smaller p's that didnt adapt well or stressed out were beat up on or eaten. But i havent had any violence in weeks. Barely any fin nips. Ive only seen them eat one feeder. Where's a good place to find smelt and silver sides etc?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

ScarsandCars said:


> Where's a good place to find smelt and silver sides etc?


You can get silver sides at the LFS and tilapia, shrimp, smelt, etc. at the grocery store.


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Thanks much! I'll look into more next time im there.


----------



## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

nice looking reds man







very cute lil fellas...


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Thanks! I turned the heat up a little to 78. It seems like theyre growing so fast. Or maybe its just me being an overly proud papa


----------



## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

ScarsandCars said:


> Thanks! I turned the heat up a little to 78. It seems like theyre growing so fast. Or maybe its just me being an overly proud papa


haha....yeah mine to...have them for 4 week and they get 2.5 cm...


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Im waiting for my laptop to be mailed back to me and I'll be posting an update on my rbp's soon.


----------



## BanditBrother (Nov 8, 2003)

Nice Ps buddy! Its gd seeing the grow aint??


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Thanks man. I love watching em grow. Its a satisfying feeling knowing I raised them.


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Hey everyone time for an update. I finally got my computer back from letting a friend borrow it. My last photo post was late july. My Rbps were about two months old then. They are 3-4 months ish old now. Theyre staying steady at about an inch a month.


























Im not sure why their color seems so light when I turn the lights on. When I first turn the lights on theyre the darker grey.

When they started getting their colors they started off with only yellow and it weirded me out but like Frank and Bruner said, they turned orange and eventually red. This was about a month ago.

They just started accepting Hikari floating cichlid gold pellets. AND THEY LOVE EM. Besides the pellets their diet consists of tilapia and shrimp and the occasional nightcrawler.










Im currently on the market looking for a bigger tank so I dont have to thin my shoal. But its not looking so good. So if any new Piranha keepers want, I'll sell you a couple at the cost of shipping. I just want them to be in a good home. So PM me if intrested.


----------



## XiDiS (Aug 27, 2011)

Looks awesome man.... hopefully in a few months i will be posting pics of my new lil guys.


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

I cant wait for you to scoop up some fish. Theyre gunna grow like crazy in the tank you got


----------



## Red Sox Fanatic (Jun 13, 2011)

Yeah these guys are quick growers!!!!


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)




----------



## TZiolkowski (May 17, 2011)

My RBP's get much lighter when the lights are on as well. I dunno if it's the bulbs or what (actinic). When sunlight shines in and lights up their tank they get really dark and deep red. Weird stuff.


----------



## XiDiS (Aug 27, 2011)

Nice videos. I hope mine look that good when they get older.


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Now that the move into the new 90 gallon is complete I can relax a little. Me and some friends built the stand today, moved the 55 out and the 90 in. In the next month or so Ive got to build a stand for the 40 gallon for the cariba, build some tops for the 90 and the 40 gallons, get a light for the 40 and one more for the 55. Then I can shop around for an RRS. muahaha


----------



## PeachSoda21 (Aug 30, 2011)

nice there growing fast can't wait til mine are that big. . . need to get me a 55gal for my babies the 10gal has been out grown from day one


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

How many ya got? Maybe invest in a bigger tank if ya got more than 4.


----------



## PsychoPygo85 (Jul 15, 2011)

I noticed they like to take big chunks out off the top of the heads of each other lol


----------



## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Yup theyve been doing that for a little while. Its slowed down alot though.


----------



## PeachSoda21 (Aug 30, 2011)

I have 3 its actually 15gal but i do need a bigger tank there only about 1",1.5",2" like stairs lol my smallest one had an identical bite on its head he my favorite he has the most character


----------

