# Wanted! Piranha Lookalikes, Any Suggestions?



## Spudnik (May 29, 2010)

Hi,

After a disaster at work with a display tank of Red Bellied Piranhas, I have persuaded the boss that we might be able to find a fairly convincing alternative that will be easier to maintain and less tempting to ignorant staff members to throw in food at random (to show kids how piranhas feed) and cause a massive ammonia spike!

Can anyone suggest a largish, scary-looking Red Belly alternative?
I have been thinking of either some sort of oscar, large cichlid or something else like red-hook silver dollar...

We have a 6 x 2 x 2 foot tank and two large external cannister filters. We will also be fitting locks to the tank lid to avoid a repeat of last time!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Silver dollars and such look similar though if you know what a piranha looks like then they look nothing alike. Pacus are probably the closest but it will easily outgrow your tank.

I would just have some ground rules created with the staff so everybody does not keep feeding them such as only have one person feed them or make a schedule on who feeds each time and alternate.

There are other large cichlids you could do like jaguars, festaes... and make a cichlid tank.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

If your putting a lock on the lids why not just go with piranha again


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

if its all about observing piranha and feeding habits i wouldnt change.. 
i would put the tank lid under lock and key.

the obvious piranha look-a-like is the red belly pacu. they are designed to mimic their red belly cousin. but regardless of what you have, if employees throw food in at random you might have issues.

you could always go with a school of exodon paradoxus?


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Or some catoprion mento


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

lol
Stay away from the red belly Pacu..........Please......


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## sadboy (Jan 6, 2005)

Just put a nice heavy canopy on it and lock it it. And you should be find. What do you want the tank as? Is it a display tank? Is your place of work have the name piranha somewhere incorporated into it which is why you want P's in the tank?


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

If the employees are the problem then it shouldn't be hard for your boss to straighten them out and get them to stop. You reelly need a lock on the lid just some ground rules for the staff so everybody knows who does what.


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