# can black piranhas & redbellies live together?



## Andres

So I'm new and I've been looking all over for info. It sounds like black piranhas will kill everything, but I just wanted to make sure. *Can black piranhas and red bellies get along?*I had red bellies before but I sent them back cuz I wanted fully grown ones so now I'm looking to get 9 (6 black ones & 3 red bellies). If they cant get along then should I get black or redbelly?................thanks


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## outlook8

no, serras(blacks) and pygos(red bellies) cannot live together...serras are a solo species and need to be kept alone, while pygos can be kept in a large group(shoal)...


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## frantzml1982

What size tank are we talking about??? If you want to have alot of Piranha's in one tank stick to pygocentrus genus. Even then don't overcrowd them or you could have casualities


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## MR HARLEY

Hi ..Welcome aboard!!!!
sorry Blacks need to be by themselves as one in the tank so no grouping..

But you can have a group of reds or Caribe or Piraya or Ternetzi or Super reds


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## MR.FREEZ

black piranhas should really be a solitary fish, they do not mix with others


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## Dawgnutz

Man if your ordering 6 adult black piranhas (rhoms) thats going to be some serious money. Plus the amount of tanks. I'd go with a mixed shoal of pygos if you want different fish living together.


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## Andres

Weird......I thought blacks could be in a group. O'well, you guys are experts. So now I want a group of some kind of piranha [9 again (I dunno 9 just seems good)] anyways I want a group of 9 that arent too scared of people and will be preatty mean. I'm looking for something that will eat a cat looking to eat fish. I've browsed this forum before and someone asked "what's the most agressive piranha" and he got served pretty bad....I just want a recomendation for a pack of 9 that look cool, got big teeth, arent scared of people, and will put on a show when it comes to feeding the *occaissional* large fish/animal. My tank is 250 gallons. Again thanks for helping the new guy


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## Dr Exum

no.. reds can live in "shoals or groups" and black are a solitary fish ...........

Welcome ............... go for the reds they may be more intersting to watch


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## frantzml1982

Go for a large shoal of Cariba. They are nasty and great fish.


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## Dawgnutz

Most of the pygos are rather shy, although some members have aggressive ones, but if your wanting them for show, then I think you'll be disappointed. I would go for a wild group of pygos


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## MR.FREEZ

pygos are the only ones your goin to beable to group and majority of them or skittish and shy for a long

time till they get used to you and their surroundings. i think all piranhas "scare" people that dont know

about them, were do you think all the myths come from? but if you gettin in to the hobby for their

hollywood reputation your probably going to be disapointed.

250 gallon tank is suitable for around nine piranhas but i doubt they will "put on a show" with lots of people

around to watch them eat. they really arent the vicous killers you may think they are.


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## jaejae

Andres said:


> Weird......I thought blacks could be in a group. O'well, you guys are experts. So now I want a group of some kind of piranha [9 again (I dunno 9 just seems good)] anyways I want a group of 9 that arent too scared of people and will be preatty mean. I'm looking for something that will eat a cat looking to eat fish. I've browsed this forum before and someone asked "what's the most agressive piranha" and he got served pretty bad....I just want a recomendation for a pack of 9 that look cool, got big teeth, arent scared of people, and will put on a show when it comes to feeding the *occaissional* large fish/animal. My tank is 250 gallons. Again thanks for helping the new guy
> [snapback]1013304[/snapback]​


Hi and Welcome,

Go for a smalll group of RBPs (the less you have the less messy your water will become and the less up keep will be required). RBPs are the probably the easiet for the beginner enthusiast and are also the easiest to find. If it doesn't work out you can probably find more but if you buy a 8inch rhom(black piranha) and it kicks the bucket then that's a HUGE waste and a shame. U will propbably also have difficulty finding another anytime soon, depending on where you live and how much money you have.

And please don't be feeding your piranhas any "large animal" (such as a cat







) for your entertainment of watching them tearing an animal to pieces. This should really not be your first motivation in getting piranha. If you are feeling bloodthirsty, go watch National Geographic and lions hunting in the savanha.

That being said, once again welcome aboard and I hope you become as enthralled by this incredible fish as everyone else has!

Jason


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## zrreber

This question has been answered to many times now....


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## RedBelly Dom

My friend had a black and redbellied together and they never ate eachother.


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## Dawgnutz

RedBelly Dom said:


> My friend had a black and redbellied together and they never ate eachother.
> [snapback]1013459[/snapback]​


How long were/are they together?


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## RedBelly Dom

They were together for a couple of months, then, he got rid of his RBP and just had his black. A week after that his blackpiranha died. He didnt take good care of them.


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## furious piranha

im going to have to agree that 9 caribes would probably be the most agressive pygos


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## Handikapped

go with 3 piraya, 3 cariba, and 3 super reds...or a tank of 9 piraya would be badass!!!!


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## galland

Is there a novel way out there to prevent the same questions from being asked repeatedly. No offense but it just seems that everytime I come to this forum it's the same questions. How many P's in a tank, do reds and blacks get along, what can I keep with my P's. My idea is this. . .have an internal redirector if the question posed has been asked a number of times. Perhaps an automatic search feature when certain words are picked up. Just a thought, your site.


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## Mack

Andres said:


> I just want a recomendation for a pack of 9 that look cool, got big teeth, arent scared of people, and will put on a show when it comes to feeding the *occaissional* large fish/animal. My tank is 250 gallons. Again thanks for helping the new guy
> [snapback]1013304[/snapback]​


Sorry man, but then piranhas aren't for you. Piranhas are generally very skittish, and are not nearly as aggressive as they are cracked up to be.


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## ESPMike

In my short-term experience, I have found ps can get comfortable with a few people around, but if you want to put on a spectacle for all your friends you might not have much luck. My reds have gotten comfortable with me being around, I can literally put my face right up to the tank, like my nose on the glass, and theyll either attack my nose or go about their daily business. However 3 or more people in the room and theyre hiding in the back and wont even come out for feeding. I think itll all about how much time you spend with your ps.

That said, Id definately do some pygos. Thats a good size tank and a group of 9 pygos is pretty interesting to watch, their interactions and whatnot. If you want them to be more active, try putting the tank in an area where people are around alot, so they get used to the croud.

Oh, and Id avoid feeding them a cat, thats kinda sick. Im a dog person myself, but still...

Good luck!

-Mike


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## SmokeHaze

i know a guy who has a black mixed with others in a 50gal...the black is huge and the others are small..he has several hiding spots that the black can't get into...i wouldnt recommend it though


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