# feeder fish



## Mafioso (Aug 4, 2004)

I put a goldfish in for my rbp and it took 3 hrs for him to touch it but all he did was bite it and the fish was almost severd in half but he didnt eat it. What could have caused this.


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## delta (Jul 23, 2004)

i wouldnt be feedin goldfish in the first place just to many diseases and parasites


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## Serygo (May 17, 2004)

sorry wrong forum.
Someone please move to piranha feeding and nutrition.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

It's not unusual for piranha's to kill fish without eating it (my Manueli has doen it before) - I have no clue why they do it, however.

One more thing: as said by Delta, I wouldn't be feeding feeders - they are often carrying diseases and parasites that can jeopardize your piranha, they aren't very nutricious, and also contain growth-inhibiting hormones that may affect your piranha's development and well-being.
Instead, I'd offer a varied diet of shrimp, mussels, krill, fish fillet, smelt, earth worms, pellets, and as a treat (once or twice per month) a bit of beef heart, chicken/turkey or some clean live fish (personally I prefer community fish like tetra's instead of feeders: they don't contain the growth-inhibiting hormones, but still pose a risk as far as introducing parasites/diseases go).

*_Moved to Feeding and Nutrition_*


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

judazz... i am attempting to argue with you, one of the greats...









i always see you saying about the growth effecting hormone... i do not disagree that there is a hormone in the goldfish... but i think your piranhas would have to eat many many goldfish to be affected... ive heard of people raising pygos to be 10-12'' just on feeders...

but IMO feeders are a nessesary part of a piranhas diet, it keeps their hunting skills up and its fun for them (us too)

as long as its only a once a month treat i think its good to feed feeders as long as they're quarantined for 1-2 weeks... (im blessed with a LFS that has pretty clean feeders, i still quarantine them though)


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## Mafioso (Aug 4, 2004)

THANKS GUYS also on the feeders at my local shop they have huge ten inch p's and they feed them a ton of gold fish and their huge i wont argue they can have disease. When i told the guy what i was doin he said keep it up i dont know im gettin mixed opinons i guess its up to me.

Thanks again.


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Mafioso said:


> THANKS GUYS also on the feeders at my local shop they have huge ten inch p's and they feed them a ton of gold fish and their huge i wont argue they can have disease. When i told the guy what i was doin he said keep it up i dont know im gettin mixed opinons i guess its up to me.
> 
> Thanks again.


 IMO quarantined feeders as treats are great... but the decision is yours, there is a slight risk


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## DaBreeZe (May 11, 2004)

Feeeedeeeerrrss







i only throw in goldies once every 2 WeeKs

but most of the time i feed them freeze dried krill and cichlid pellets, IMO dried foods are alot easier and alot cleaner than those Dirty slut goldies


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

shutter13 said:


> judazz... i am attempting to argue with you, one of the greats...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 I must say that I haven't really read up on this topic too much, but it never hurts to make people aware of the fact. There's a good pinned topic in one of the non-piranha forums (I think the science forum) about this subject, including contributions from some of the _really_ greats...









I don't know how fast those hormones (Thaiminase / Vitamine B1 inhibitors) will affect a piranha or its development, but most of the experts advice against feeding goldfish or other cyprinids (carp-like fish, including barbs, danio's, koi, etc.) because of the potential risks.
But if you want to feed live fish on occasion, there's plenty to choose from: characins (tetra's), cichlids, etc. - most costly than feeders, but most definitely more nutricious and less risky (although _every_ live animal can introduce diseases or parasites when not quarantained properly first...)

I agree it's a good thing to offer your fish a bit of exersize and the thrill of hunting (and watching it, as a keeper) every once in a while (although I don't feed my reds live food anymore), but if you do it, minimize the risks by a good quarantaine period and the right feeders.


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## Mafioso (Aug 4, 2004)

I dont put my feeders in the tank right away i feed my p a goldfish every 2 weeks is that enough to quarintine.


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Mafioso said:


> I dont put my feeders in the tank right away i feed my p a goldfish every 2 weeks is that enough to quarintine.










a week is good, 2 weeks is great


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## Mafioso (Aug 4, 2004)

Thanks for replys


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## piranhamagnet (Jun 30, 2004)

yeah i dont feed my piranhas feeders as much as i did, maybe once every month or so just to be safe.


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## Piranha_Mafia (Sep 23, 2004)

I'm still skeptical about the harmful effect of growth inhibiting hormones present in cyprinoid fishes. I have had my piranhas for 5 years and without prior training and knowledge regarding fish keeping and nutrition fed them goldfish gut loaded with pellets and flakes as a staple diet for approximately 1 1/2 years to which they grew to about 6 1/2 inches. Thereafter as a result of newfound wisdom accumulated from various reliable experienced sources regarding piranha keeping I have switch and converted their staple diets to a more economical tank-friendly freeze dried foods and pellets. Occasionally I feed them pieces of lean chicken, beef, pork, only then in the past 5 years I have fed them 2 big pond fishes to exercise their predatory instincts. My 5 year old piranhas are now appox. in the 9 to 10 inch range with considerable bulk and are kept in a 125 gallon tank. My point is a staple diet made up cypronoid fishes plays only a small part on piranha maturation and physical development, other factors makes up to contribute to a fishes size potential such as genetics and environment(large tank, quality of water, flow of water). maybe my fishes could have grown an extra 1-2 inches during their fry and adolescent stages but an extra inch does not factor in the enjoyment of my piranhas the health and activity of my fishes matters to me more than size and length.


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