# Newbie Here...



## vince.v

Hi guys n girls,
Im Vince and very new in scissor mouth keeping,i've acquired 2pc of 1.5inch juvi Caribe's from a friend recently.But to my surprise the injuries was quite bad! Chunks bitten off and even missing eye when i got them!Currently they are housed in a 4x2x2ft tank with black backgrounds,they are eating very well even with bad injuries and swimming happily..
The question is - will the gash bittien off recovers bck to its normal form?The gash is behind their heads








Will post some pic's and a short vid when i figure out how to do it.
Thanks for reading.

Vince.


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## vince.v

Here goes nothing(hope i got the pic posting & vid right),a pic of the gash taken by my friend.










Video of them eating after 1hr in the tank.

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid113.photobucket.com/albums/n201/vincentbok/VE1374660600108.mp4

Thanks for watching and hope to get advice n pointers from bro's here.

Vince.


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## vince.v

Another image showing clearer bite marks which is missing and left a big gash in both the P's.They are under med and are recovering..just unsure if they will recover and grow back to their original shape.


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## RayW

Man... you are right, they look tore up! Good to hear that they are happy and doing well.

As for the healing... I am too new with all this to comment, but I know they are pretty tough fish. I wish the best for them!


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## vince.v

Yeah mate...when i got them,they were like ragged cloth!2pc and both had chunks bitten off at their shoulders and smaller pc had lost an eye. Just couldnt bare to reject them bcoz of injuries,im sure they will be eatened if i dint get them off my friend.Feeding them feeder carps and giant mealworms at the moment.Im just curious of the wound will heal up and grow back to what its used to be.


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## Da' Manster!

those bites look deep so keep your eyes open for any infections or fungus growth...Keep your water paramaters up to par, and maybe add some aquarium salt and melafix, and hopefully the injuries will heal...


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## scent troll

to answer your questions...yes. surprisingly they will heal as long as the water and stress remain in good healthy limits. all you need do is continue care taking for them. keep the water quality tip top (i cant stress that enough when dealing with injuries). to assist in healing there are a variety of products like 'stress coat' that really help.

but they will survive. keep us posted on the progress. and good luck man


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## vince.v

Bro Da'Manster & Ocellatus,
Surprisingly their wound is recovering pretty fast! In just 12hrs they ate 2pc of 0.7" feeder carps,today is their 3rd day with me and i've just performed 30% water change awhile ago with salt added.I was worried at first,but now im quite relieved that they are recovering streadily.Will the gash grows back to its normal form? 
Thanks for the advice.

Regards,
Vince.


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## scent troll

if there are physical pieces missing...like the chunk in the ones back...they will heal over but not grow back. they will have that piece missing for life. but they will be good as can be after they are fully recovered just a little deformed. not to worry though happens all the time in the wild

not to mention in my humble opinion a piranha with battle wounds looks all the more intimidating lol

glad theyre doing better tho! keep up the good work


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## Da' Manster!

those kind of injuries won't heal fully, but mostly...they will heal up significantly with proper care...just keep doing the necessary things and you'll be fine!...







...primarily water changes and/or keeping your parameters top notch.


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## vince.v

Battle wounds haha....will post their updates after the wounds covers up.I just found a batch of RBP in my local LFS sized bout 1.2".Another noob question,can i add 2-3 RBP into the tank my Cariba is in?Im thinking hard bout this...what do you guys think?


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## scent troll

yes. as long as they are similar in size pygos can coexist with caribes just fine in a tank with enough room. im sure some have differing opinions on mixing any piranha species but caribes and red bellies (pygos) are so similar in relation they will coexist just fine.


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## vince.v

My Cariba is 1.5-1.7" and the RBP is slightly over an inch,but what im able to see is that Caribas mouth is much much wider than the RBPs.And i've read that Caribas are really canibalistic than any other Ps.Now thats scarry!
My tank size is 4x2x2 equals to 105G.Good enough for 4 Ps?
Filtration is a powerhead that churns out 3k/lhr into a 3.5' filter box


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## scent troll

sounds like a good setup for the 4. yes caribes are highly canibalistic. but the argument can be made all the same for pygos too. very similar fish in not only appearance but behavior as well. i suppose the canibalism shouldnt be an issue when deciding to add or not to add pygos since canibalism pertains to their own species.


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> My Cariba is 1.5-1.7" and the RBP is slightly over an inch,but what im able to see is that Caribas mouth is much much wider than the RBPs.And i've read that Caribas are really canibalistic than any other Ps.Now thats scarry!
> My tank size is 4x2x2 equals to 105G.Good enough for 4 Ps?
> Filtration is a powerhead that churns out 3k/lhr into a 3.5' filter box


Hi Vince,
Yes, plenty good for your 4 cariba and reds...and secondly, the dimensions you describe is your standard 120 gallon tank, not 105...even better...


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## vince.v

Hi De Manster & Ocellatus..
I'll bringing bck the 2 RBP in a day or two,right after my smaller Cariba heals.Two of each Cariba and RBP in a tank kinda sweet.If they dont eat eachother up


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## scent troll

yup thats the plan. im sure itll go smoothly. of course if you have any issues that need help you know where to ask em.


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## vince.v

Thanks bro...will pop more question when i hve em


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## vince.v

Bro's...im feeding house lizards to my P's, will that be ok?


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## Da' Manster!

Personally speaking, I wouldn't recommend it or do it...


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## vince.v

They didnt even lick the lizard,but Chomper (the bigger one P) took a chunk off the smaller one.Just bought some feeders for them,could last for few days.


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## RayW

My RBPs (nearly 8" long) don't even care about the feeders in my tank.... after almost a week they ate one... (I think it was just annoying the one RBP so he killed it...lol)... so I threw two shrimp in there saturday... GONE.


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## vince.v

Mine takes feeders n super mealworms on sight,need to intro more variety of food source to them soon,never thought that few hrs delayed feeding ends with a big gash on the smaller one.Went to lfs and bought 10 feeders and threw it in.Hope it will stop Chomper from bitting the smaller pc.Now im worried bout my coming soon RBPs,they are much smaller.


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## vince.v

Had to move the smaller Caribe to another tank,Chomper took another bite at it.Theres loads of feeders inside the tank..why bite same species?


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> Had to move the smaller Caribe to another tank,Chomper took another bite at it.Theres loads of feeders inside the tank..why bite same species?


because it's the nature of the beast, bro...Pygo's are cannibalistic by nature and very territorial...Casualties are the norm and to be expected...Feeding and hunger aren't the issues as much as it has do with establishing territory and dominance...that, and the fact that the weak link of the chain will more than likely be eliminated by the group at one time or another.


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## vince.v

Aw man....that actually killed my plan to add few more RBs into the tank.Gonna keep em solo then....have to cancel my RB orders.Haha....


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> Aw man....that actually killed my plan to add few more RBs into the tank.Gonna keep em solo then....have to cancel my RB orders.Haha....


actually it might help if you add a few more...shoals do better in bigger numbers...having said that, it still doesn't guarantee that you won't have any more losses.


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## vince.v

Hi Manster...i've removed the smaller Caribe,will try to understand em more before expanding my collections.Thanks bro,appreciate your advices.


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## Da' Manster!

anytime, Vince!....that's what we are here for!...







...and keep us updated on how your fish progress!...


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## vince.v

Update,Chomper is doing great...ate 2 1.3" feeders in 36hrs! How the heck did he manage to finish it is mind boggling! The smaller dude didnt do bad either,left a feeders head for me to pickup.I tried to take a few pics of em but they are too fast for my camera lol.Will update with some pics soon...
Thanks mates


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## vince.v

Hi mates....can anyone teach me on how to post a video clip here other than using YouTube?


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## vince.v

Hi Guys...little update on my Caribe's,only managed to get some shots of Chomper at the moment as the other piece is in quarantine tank.Its wounds is recovering and going around biting fins and tails of its tank mates.


Showing some little teeth.

Sorry for the blur pic as the tank is dimly lit and hard to focus.


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## Da' Manster!

Looking better, Vince!..







...hope our little buddy makes a good recovery!...


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## vince.v

Thanks bro,
Chomper is kinda curious and photo friendly...kept coming close to check out what im doing close on his tank haha.Will post more pics when its stable and the tank is brighter,dont want to freak them out with bright light for now.Heres a pic of them both before i separate them-










As you can see..the bigger Caribe is partial blind due to deformed eye and the pc on the right is totally blind on its left eye.
Thanks for checking my post out.
Cheers.


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## scent troll

awesome pictures man
and the house lizard thing is hilarious to me lol
i would never have thought to do that although i suppose it would mimic a natural prey to a certain degree. it just seems like it might be cruel for the lizards. 
but vince...that caribe is sick looking. sick in a good way. thanks for sharing


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## vince.v

Lol...my Caribes does give Piranhas a bad name by the looks of both fish.They certainly looked mean to the teeth with their eyes missing and battle scars.Im trying different types of diets consisting of feeder fish,frogs,house lizards,pellets and meal worms so far.Very intelligent fish tho...they disabble their victims by taking their tails or limbs then take their sweet time to devour the rest.Interesting behavior and very teritorial once you separate them,i put the bigger pc into the same tank with the smaller pc with a divider.Man...they are snappy,like pitbulls!Luckily i had a glass between them haha...


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## Da' Manster!

Well I'm glad they are in good hands!...







...Hopefully one day you will be able to re-shoal them!...


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## scent troll

vince.v said:


> they disabble their victims by taking their tails or limbs then take their sweet time to devour the rest.










jesus god i hope when i die i dont come back as one of vinces feeders

lol bro your fish sound crazy. we need a feeding video posted asap


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## vince.v

Hi Oc,
Will do bro... .juz moved Chomper to another tank the day before and hopefully his frenzy mode will kick in soon.Gotta buy some frogs for those limbs chomping shots lol.. .but theres still some feeders in the tank for it to feed on at the moment,so it'll take few more days before i can get a good vid.
Cheers.

Vince.


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## vince.v

A vid of my Caribes eating,hope i got it right ...not much of a frenzy but its show how it eats.I used a swivel clip n steel line to hold the food/feeders so that they wouldnt get stuck on the filter and ease of cleaning it after.









http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid113.photobucket.com/albums/n201/vincentbok/VE1375855376289.mp4
Cheers.


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## scent troll

right on man. always amazes me how clean piranha take piece out of something. truly a show of how sharp those teeth are.


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## Da' Manster!

My 7 inch Gold Diamond Rhom is now at the point of taking food from hand!...I wave the silverside in front of his tank and he comes charging at the glass and moves up towards the top as I get ready to drop it in!...


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## vince.v

Ocellatus2000 said:


> right on man. always amazes me how clean piranha take piece out of something. truly a show of how sharp those teeth are.


Yup...those clean cut bites are awesome!Wonder if the cut will be the same on a mammals flesh.A chicken breast ?


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## vince.v

Da said:


> My 7 inch Gold Diamond Rhom is now at the point of taking food from hand!...I wave the silverside in front of his tank and he comes charging at the glass and moves up towards the top as I get ready to drop it in!...


Now thats gonna need a video clip! How bout a hand feed vid bro? Dont think i can do that with my Caribs


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## RayW

Im with vince... you better post up a vid man... I just wish mine would eat...lol


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## vince.v

RayW said:


> Im with vince... you better post up a vid man... I just wish mine would eat...lol


Bro Manster,
That vid will be an awesome one?Hand feeding a P with hands! Woot! Try using a twezers first bro,dont wanna lose your finger tip lol.


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## Da' Manster!

Don't worry guys!...In the next couple of weeks, I'll be getting a new camera and I will post pics and vids!...


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## RayW

WEEKS!?!?!?







I DON'T WANNA WAIT THAT LONG!

How about I come over and bring my waterproof nikon and we can get some underwater HD 1080 video of this action!

But serious... buy a camera tonight.


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## Da' Manster!

RayW said:


> WEEKS!?!?!?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I DON'T WANNA WAIT THAT LONG!
> 
> How about I come over and bring my waterproof nikon and we can get some underwater HD 1080 video of this action!
> 
> But serious... buy a camera tonight.


Sure, lend me about $120 or so!...


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## RayW

I'll just lend you the camera...lol


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## Da' Manster!

dude seriously?!...that i'll work!...







...I'm going to feed them tomorrow!...


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## vince.v

RayW said:


> dude seriously?!...that i'll work!...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...I'm going to feed them tomorrow!...


Now thats a solution lol


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## vince.v

Yes! managed to get a clear shot of Chomper











Totally recovered








Just look how mean with his right eye lol..


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## RayW

AWESOME! He looks great! He did heal up real quick! Unique eye too man.. he looks "serious" lol

Manster - if you still don't have a camera in a couple weeks (going on vacation sat at 0600) annapolis ain't that far... we can video the fish if you really want to do that one day when I get back.


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## scent troll

that fish looks like hes straight from the depths of hell
.....and that kicks ass


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## Da' Manster!

@Vince, Chomper looks great and vicious!...









@Ray, Sounds like a plan!...


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## vince.v

RayW said:


> @Vince, Chomper looks great and vicious!...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> @Ray, Sounds like a plan!...


Yeah...Chomper certainly does look great,now im waiting for the smaller fella to totally healled up.He's kinda skittish being alone...


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## RayW

Well I hope he heals up just like chomper... I am amazed how quick that healed and his eye too! I guess part of it is that they are still young and growing... but also the nature of them... gotta heal quick to survive.

Manster, PM me about the video thing in a couple weeks if you don't have a camera yet, I don't mind making the trip.


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## vince.v

RayW said:


> Well I hope he heals up just like chomper... I am amazed how quick that healed and his eye too! I guess part of it is that they are still young and growing... but also the nature of them... gotta heal quick to survive.
> 
> Manster, PM me about the video thing in a couple weeks if you don't have a camera yet, I don't mind making the trip.


Any young fish does recover faster than adult fish and for P's due to their natural behavior in the wilds,which most of them getting nips and injuries when they are in frenzy attack preys...their body metabolism does evolve to help them to recover faster than any other species of fish.
*Last part is my own observation and is not scientificly proven.


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## scent troll

im always surprised at fish like piranha on how they can have literal chunks missing from the back/belly and still survive and thrive after healing. i once had a red belly with one eye i picked up for free at a petshop that couldnt sell him. he was bit in the face and had facial scarring and one eye. looked really beat up.

he eventually became the alpha of the pack of 4 other reds if you can believe that. i loved that fish dearly. i always had a place in my heart for pets that havent had the best of luck and may suffer from wounds/health. it feels damn good to nurse them back from the dead


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## vince.v

Oc....its the satisfaction of seeing the beatup fella recovers and growup,becoming the Alpha in the shoal is an added bonus.I share the same sentiment bro


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## scent troll

yes sir indeed.
keep me posted on your progress with them.


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## vince.v

My next question might sound stupid but-
How fast does Caribe grows? Like inch per month? Chomper is kinda doubled up his size from the day i brought him back! 
Whats the max size do they grow out in captivity?


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## scent troll

you should expect them to grow about an inch every 5-7 weeks until 5 inches. then slow slightly to an inch every 8 weeks or so maxing out at around 9 to 11 inches.

most people think its all about diet to obtain the best growth rate but i would argue my opinion...its all about water quality! diet aside if your fish is in a so-so environment or unhealthy one even, you can expected stunted or slow growth even with the best diet.


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## vince.v

Oc...i just have them in my care since last 24thJuly and Chomper had gained more than an inch! Im feeding them giant mealworms(main food source) which is rich in proteins and other foods like feeders and frogs..60% waterchange once in two days.
I guess since Chomper had fully recovered and eats alot,it did speed up his growth rate tremendously compared to his smaller mate (est 2" atm) which is still in the mist of healing and not eating as much.


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## Da' Manster!

good water quality, ample filtration, varied diet = best growth results possible!...


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## vince.v

Da said:


> good water quality, ample filtration, varied diet = best growth results possible!...


Yep..with all that running,fish growth rate is spectecularly astonishing.


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## scent troll

yeah a lot of newer piranha owners under estimate how fast these guys grow. id argue red bellies grow as fast as oscars....which are best known for their fast growth rate. its just piranha are so reputable for so many things people forget that these fish get big quick


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## vince.v

With good water parameters and consistant feeding,my P's will hit 6inch in about 3months time.That would be an awesome sight!


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## scent troll

thats pretty damn quick but id say from fry to 6 inches at about an inch a month in growth. so given how yours are already well on their way, sure!


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> With good water parameters and consistant feeding,my P's will hit 6inch in about 3months time.That would be an awesome sight!


Just be careful not to overfeed as this will lead to ammonia spikes and throw your parameters off...and not to mention you'll be doing a lot more water changes...they will grow fast enough with proper care, trust me!...


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## vince.v

I took some scad bck from my fishing trip yesterday,fillet and hook it to the swivel clip....both P's took a few bites and left it.Guess they're not used to newly introduced food,do you feed yur P with saltwater fish?


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> I took some scad bck from my fishing trip yesterday,fillet and hook it to the swivel clip....both P's took a few bites and left it.Guess they're not used to newly introduced food,do you feed yur P with saltwater fish?


nah, I just stick to silversides, smelt, and nightcrawlers!...


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## vince.v

I feed em with what i can get my hands on lol...


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## vince.v

Bro's, im think its time for me to reshoal 2 of them..any pointers on which is the best way to do it?They are separated by a divider at the moment but can see eachother. I might add a school of tiger barbs,carp feeders and wc before removing the divider.Will it be better if i were to add a driftwood in the tank(its a plain tank,no vegetation or gravel)? Hopefully with the driftwood...they wont fight and bite eachother :/
If im in luck and no fights occured...i might add a few RBP's


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## scent troll

sometimes more is better with reds. in fact, all the time (assuming you have the space) 
anytime ive seen or heard of 2 reds fighting like crazy its because the shoal is weak if you will. best way to add to a shoal is just simlpy that...add. make sure the established reds are well fed and calm. add the new p's then kill the lights. really darken the tank down for a good day and keep them calm and cool. the next day they should have taken to eachother. 
there are certainly risks when dealing with piranhas, but in my experience that way always worked


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## vince.v

Hi bro's...i've re-shoal my P's together lastnite and so far so good,there was a little skirmish between the 2 but with some interference from me..both p's are contented atm lol







. Chomper got a few bites from Patch(smaller P)for intruding into his lairs,added some Rosy barbs and baby carps to distract their territorial behavior.Here's some pic to share








Chomper with some minor injuries.


Patch with its Dark Side









Patch and Chomper with their perfect sides.


Patch and Chomper checking out the new tankmate an Indo Tiger who escaped from the divider into the P's side(took him out after photoshoot).


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## Da' Manster!

...thanks for the update!...I hope the re-shoaling works well for you!...


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## RayW

Yeah, I hope there is no more chomps taken outta chomper...


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## vince.v

Normally Chomper was the aggresive one,but i turn the table by introducing Chomper into Patch's home ground,and that balanced the size vs home ground bullying lol...they have their own corner atm.Hope they found mutual understanding


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## Ahmed

Your C's are looking good, keep it up!


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## vince.v

Ahmed said:


> Your C's are looking good, keep it up!


Thanks bro....will do,any updates on yours?


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## vince.v

Which C is meaner looking? Chomper with a bad eye or Patch who's has a missing eye. Lol


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## Da' Manster!

You should rename Patch to "One Eyed Willy"!...


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## vince.v

Willy! LMAO!!! Sounds like a name for a wuss


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## scent troll

naw man everyone knows with a bad ass fish like that its cyclopse 
that fish is badass! 







good stuff all around here


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## vince.v

Haha....as badass they should be,hopefully theu keep their mouth for those feeder and not eachother! Chomper is stabilizing nicely and starting to take control in the tank again...so much for size vs home ground :/


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## scent troll

dont sweat it. cross the bridge if you get to it but right now just enjoy em. sounds like theyre in good hands man so not much else you can do. thats the thing with fish. we provide the food, the tank, the water...but everything else is up to them.


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## vince.v

Thanks bro...yeah,theres nothing i can do except enjoy their company.I've recorded a vid of em finishing a feeder but its in "MOV" format which is a pain to convert


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> Willy! LMAO!!! Sounds like a name for a wuss


That was from the Goonies!...one of the best movies of all-time!...


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## vince.v

Lol...im checking this Goonies on Youtube in awhile


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## scent troll

you never saw the goonies?








man treat yourself to some 80's goodness and have fun. i think mannys nickname will make more sense after you watch it


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## vince.v

Willy still sound of male anatomy lol....


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## Ahmed

vince.v said:


> Your C's are looking good, keep it up!


Thanks bro....will do,any updates on yours?
[/quote]

Check em out!

http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/219865-im-baaaaack-hello-from-bahrain-again/


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## vince.v

Downloaded a video converter just to convert a vid of my C finishing a feeder carp,appologies to those who dont support live feeders. [







here's the link -

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid113.photobucket.com/albums/n201/vincentbok/MVI_21.mp4

Thanks for watching.

Vince.V


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## vince.v

Ahmed said:


> Your C's are looking good, keep it up!


Thanks bro....will do,any updates on yours?
[/quote]

Check em out!

http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/219865-im-baaaaack-hello-from-bahrain-again/
[/quote]

Your my hero bro....awesome vid,feeding from your finger tips...thats crazy!


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## Da' Manster!

nice feeding videos, guys!...


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## vince.v

Thanks Manny....so the link i've attached is viewable? I cant do so thru mu phone tho !
Ahmed's vid was amazing...Ray and i still waiting for yours lol..


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> Thanks Manny....so the link i've attached is viewable? I cant do so thru mu phone tho !
> Ahmed's vid was amazing...Ray and i still waiting for yours lol..


It's viewable for me...I just clicked on the link and hit the play button....worked fine....but yeah, I'm still working on that camera...business has been slow for me the last couple of weeks...but we've got a big project opening up in September and then I should be good to go!...


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## vince.v

Biz had been slow for the pass couple of months bro...last month was the worse,profit and turnover dropped by 50%.Real bad....


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## vince.v

Bros...ever since re-shoaling my Caribe's and minor fights occured,both the P had been in good behaviour.No nips or major fights till now,now im itching to add more P's into the tank again.Do you think its wise to add more P's since they are peaceful now? Will adding more P's will generate food competition between them..which will trigger aggression? Chomper is almost 3.8inch and Patch/Willy (name gave by Manny) had just hit 3.2inch,and the new RBP is bout 1-1.2inch at my lfs.


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> Bros...ever since re-shoaling my Caribe's and minor fights occured,both the P had been in good behaviour.No nips or major fights till now,now im itching to add more P's into the tank again.Do you think its wise to add more P's since they are peaceful now? Will adding more P's will generate food competition between them..which will trigger aggression? Chomper is almost 3.8inch and Patch/Willy (name gave by Manny) had just hit 3.2inch,and the new RBP is bout 1-1.2inch at my lfs.


how big is your tank again?...and so far it's two cariba and one red, right?....if your tank is at least a 75'er than you could probably get away with adding a couple more reds...







....PS..it's not just Willy...It's one-eyed Willy!...makes all the difference in the world!...


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## vince.v

Da said:


> Bros...ever since re-shoaling my Caribe's and minor fights occured,both the P had been in good behaviour.No nips or major fights till now,now im itching to add more P's into the tank again.Do you think its wise to add more P's since they are peaceful now? Will adding more P's will generate food competition between them..which will trigger aggression? Chomper is almost 3.8inch and Patch/Willy (name gave by Manny) had just hit 3.2inch,and the new RBP is bout 1-1.2inch at my lfs.


how big is your tank again?...and so far it's two cariba and one red, right?....if your tank is at least a 75'er than you could probably get away with adding a couple more reds...







....PS..it's not just Willy...It's one-eyed Willy!...makes all the difference in the world!...








[/quote]

Lol...its just 2 caribes at the moment,i pulled back on adding RBP's earlier cause Willy got bitten by Chomper badly..and now im itching to add more again.Tank size was 4x2x2ft bout 110g water level at 90%.What worries me is the size differense...those rbp from my lfs are bout 1-1.2inch and both my caribes are min 3.2inch+.


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## vince.v

Hi guys...i've just acquired a 2inch dead RBP's head,thinking of preserving its skull.What are the chances of me getting the whole skull intact?
Here's a pic of the mutilated RBP's entire head -










Thats one small fish and fragile skull tho...still im gonna give it a shot.Wish me luck.

*i got it from my local lfs when i was checking out his RBP stocks,just the head lying on the tank bottom.Informed the owner and took it home.


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## vince.v

Hi again guys....i appologise if this post is a little provoking to some P loving keepers here,like my last post about me acquiring a dead mutilated RBP head.I've removed all the flesh from the skull of the 2inch RBP's head and heres the semi-end product.Theres still a little more final touchup before its totally done.Tell me what you think...










*i lost both sides of the gill plates due to my own mistake(i turned on the water and flushed it)


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## vince.v

My finished RBP skull







some of the better shots using my digital cam macro mode.







Thanks for viewing


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## Da' Manster!

thanks for sharing!....


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## vince.v

Da said:


> thanks for sharing!....


Thanks Manny..but i can tell you one thing,these fish really does have a big brain,even this little fella.Thats why they know and remember who feeds them and nots...
Im currently waiting for Chomper and Willy to grow up,its fun looking at them hunt as i dont give them handouts like i used to.Prefer them to look lean and mean than a fat blob of swimming P's.Will update em both again when Chomper hits 6inch or more,no more future plans of adding more P's as i can see them cohabitating peacefully now.Heres some pics to share while they grow.









*Sorry for the blur images(was taken a min ago on my mobilephone)









Cheers guys and happy P keeping.


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## Da' Manster!

Looking great Vince!...Chomper and Willy rock like an AC/DC concert!....


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## vince.v

Da said:


> Looking great Vince!...Chomper and Willy rock like an AC/DC concert!....


Thanks bro...


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## vince.v

Hi guys...a little update on Chomper n OneEye Willy







,Chomper hit 4inch now and Willy isnt far from the mark.As you can see..both the Caribes are active,not shy and very responsive towards super large mealworms(1.5").Here's a short vid of them,hope you like it









http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid113.photobucket.com/albums/n201/vincentbok/20130923_035030.mp4

Sorry bout the plain bare tank,i clean it every 3 days..so bare tank is easier for me.
Cheers guys...


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## vince.v

Hi guys...just a little update of Chomper and One Eyed Willy,both are doing great and growing nicely.Chomper is bout 6inch and Willy is almost 5inch now.Their diet are mostly market fish,worms and sometimes quarantined feeder carps.
Here's a short vid of them feeding.
Cheers and Happy P keeping.

http://s113.photobucket.com/user/vincentbok/media/PA220303.mp4.html


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## Da' Manster!

Thanks for the update, Vince!...Chomper and One-eyed Willy are doing great!...


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## vince.v

Yes they are bro...its just that they dont like eat market fish fillets compared to live feeders or large mealworms.If i starve them...fight occurs and it aint a pretty sight.


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## Da' Manster!

well, unfortunately there is always that risk with pygos...it's also one of the very reasons why I've have always done feeders in this hobby over the years...but since I've become more of a serra, rhom, any solo specimen man, I don't really have that problem anymore..did you try smelt and/or silversides?...Most piranhas, even the finickiest eaters, goes crazy and nuts over them and will devour them instantly....


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## vince.v

Bro...yeah,solo is the safest bet lol.Watching them hunt is an exciting...and food competition at its best.I've checked with my lfs,none of them imported a rhom before...if they can get it.Its gonna cost a bomb.


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## vince.v

Silversides is seasonal in my home country..dont get them often,maybe i can find smelt in my local wet markets...will try to get some next week.Thanks bro...


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## Da' Manster!

you're welcome, Vince!..that's what we are here for!...


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## vince.v

Bro's ...my Caribe refuses to eat tilapias,had 10 tilapias and they are still swimming happily for the past 2 days.I drop a feeder carp (hunger test) and it was hit instantly! Im gonna starve them till they finishes off all those tilapias..im trying to wean them off from feeder carps.


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## Da' Manster!

vince.v said:


> Bro's ...my Caribe refuses to eat tilapias,had 10 tilapias and they are still swimming happily for the past 2 days.I drop a feeder carp (hunger test) and it was hit instantly! Im gonna starve them till they finishes off all those tilapias..im trying to wean them off from feeder carps.


yeah, just wait for them to get hungry and kind of starve them and they will eventually accept whatever you give to them as food!...


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## vince.v

Da said:


> Bro's ...my Caribe refuses to eat tilapias,had 10 tilapias and they are still swimming happily for the past 2 days.I drop a feeder carp (hunger test) and it was hit instantly! Im gonna starve them till they finishes off all those tilapias..im trying to wean them off from feeder carps.


yeah, just wait for them to get hungry and kind of starve them and they will eventually accept whatever you give to them as food!...








[/quote]

I will bro..just wc and hope they'll start hunting those pesky tilapias.
Cheers everyone..Happy P keeping.


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## Da' Manster!

feel free to keep us updated every once in a while!...


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## vince.v

Will do bro...its gonna be a long time before there'll be any changes on them as their growth is slowing down.


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## vince.v

120hrs+ and still 10 tilapias in the tank since monday







.. .


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## Da' Manster!

Yo, Vince!..don't leave the food in the tank if the cariba aren't eating it!..you will get bad water quality, and an ammonia spike, and your parameters will skyrocket!..not to mention the harm it will do to your fish...My personal rule of thumb, if they don't eat it right away, I wait a few minutes at the most and then remove it...


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## vince.v

Hi Manny.. .those pesky tilapia is happily swimming in the tank with my Caribe's,been in the tank since Monday and my P's didnt even nip any of the tilapias.They prefer carps than tilapias...this is a record for me for not feeding them for 6 days straight.For other non living or swimming food,its 5-10mins tops before i scoop it up.


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## Da' Manster!

oh my bad!..I thought you meant non-live tilapia!...


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## vince.v

Da said:


> oh my bad!..I thought you meant non-live tilapia!...


Haha..still dont have the time to buy market fish,lfs for feeder is easier.Those tilapias are still there in my P tank.Strange that they are thriving...


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## Da' Manster!

As long as Chomper and One-eyed Willy are doing great, that's all that matters!...


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## vince.v

Yep...as long as they're doing great..


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## Da' Manster!

they should be nearing the 5 - 6 inch mark, right?


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## vince.v

Um...its kinda slowed down now,measured Willy at 6" and Chomper at 7"! Thought they were smaller but measuring tape dont lie...im shock myself,they dont look that BIG !


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## Da' Manster!

damn!...I didn't think they were that big judging by the pics and videos...but pygo's do grow fast their first year so no big surprise there!...


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## vince.v

Yeah....dang! I tried to snap their pics with a measuring tape with flash







didnt work as flash freaks them away from the measuring tape,i recorded a short vid of em lastnite after wc...hungry and curious toothy buggers







.
Here's my short vid to share...bulldog head is showing.

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid113.photobucket.com/albums/n201/vincentbok/20131110_023442.mp4


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## Da' Manster!

Holy crap, vince!...our boys are growing and getting big and healthy!...







...I remember the condition they were in when you first got them...good job, bro!...


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## vince.v

Da said:


> Holy crap, vince!...our boys are growing and getting big and healthy!...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...I remember the condition they were in when you first got them...good job, bro!...


Yeah...they were like rags with bits and pieces missing,its a miracle that the deep gash from their bites healled perfectly.Still a long way to go for this two...should looked awesome like a pitbull when they reach 10inch.
Thanks for the compliments bro...will try to gve them my best tlc.


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## vince.v

One advice..dont put your hands into your piranha tank when they are hungry lol ! Both of my Caribe came for it..luckily i wasnt bitten,managed to pull out before they came close enough for a bite.


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## vince.v

My Caribes growth is slowing down...7.5" and 6.5 and crawling lol,10" mark is gonna be a long way


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## vince.v

A long absence from the forum has come to another chapter,now both Chomper and Willy is much bigger and meaner looking.Here a little update of them.


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