# Babies On The Loose! In Parent Tank...



## wlemay (May 9, 2011)

So I was able to keep one of the fry from my first batch of RBP eggs and grow him to about 1.5in. I had the baby in a floating breeder tank and somehow the little guy got out and is now free swimming in the parent tank. This happened a few weeks ago, and I thought that he got eaten by the parents. To my surprise I awoke today and found him happily swimming around near the top of the tank, I tried to catch him, but he is to small and nimble and the parent tank is too big with too many little hiding places... To my surprise I saw him swim right in front of the parents which are a good 7in+; they could have swallowed him whole!

Is this normal? I really do not want him to get killed because he is the sole survivor from my first ever batch of piranha eggs, but I have no hope of catching him. Do the parents know that he is their baby & will they leave him alone? Or will they just eat him eventually?

I guess I will just give the piranha extra food and hope they don't get hungry. If any of you have experience with baby piranha being raised in the same tank with parents please let me know what happened!

Good News! I managed to catch him... it was not easy. I put him in my fry tank and I saw him eat like 4 or 5 fry... I am going to have to do something about it.

For future reference if any of u need to catch a little fish like that, use a small bucket / pitcher; wait for the fish to come near the surface & slowly force the bucket into the water without filling it. when the fish comes near by, push down and he will be sucked into the bucket by the water. it only took me one try to catch my piranha baby... and about 15 minutes of waiting


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

They'll jump out of a net or breeder net into the main tank. Seen it bunch of times. He might make it but imo his days are numbered. His luck will run out in the next 1" or so. Use 2 nets to catch him. Hold one still n herd him in with the other. Works everytime.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

OH SNAP!! Hope a noob out there doesn't take what I said wrong n think its ok to stress their fish out by using two nets or that secretly I'm boasting about raising piranha & that its ok I a single rbp baby gets eatn. Or that from my advice that I condone that a 1" baby will be fine with the parents because I stated I've seen it many times.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

BRUNER247 said:


> OH SNAP!! Hope a noob out there doesn't take what I said wrong n think its ok to stress their fish out by using two nets or that secretly I'm boasting about raising piranha & that its ok I a single rbp baby gets eatn. Or that from my advice that I condone that a 1" baby will be fine with the parents because I stated I've seen it many times.


Like I told you Bruner before, you shine in the breeding section. Maybe you should just consider making yourself a stronger member here. Know your limits.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

wlemay said:


> So I was able to keep one of the fry from my first batch of RBP eggs and grow him to about 1.5in. I had the baby in a floating breeder tank and somehow the little guy got out and is now free swimming in the parent tank. This happened a few weeks ago, and I thought that he got eaten by the parents. To my surprise I awoke today and found him happily swimming around near the top of the tank, I tried to catch him, but he is to small and nimble and the parent tank is too big with too many little hiding places... To my surprise I saw him swim right in front of the parents which are a good 7in+; they could have swallowed him whole!
> 
> Is this normal? I really do not want him to get killed because he is the sole survivor from my first ever batch of piranha eggs, but I have no hope of catching him. Do the parents know that he is their baby & will they leave him alone? Or will they just eat him eventually?
> 
> ...


Glad you solved it. Was going to suggest the bucket. But problem solved.


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## Red Sox Fanatic (Jun 13, 2011)

Great to hear you rescued the baby!!


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

Gd luck!


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