# Need You For Article



## leg89 (Dec 10, 2008)

ok so context here:

i'm a moderator for the biggest french piranha forum with Memen which is aslo a member here. we are working hard to update our speecie section that you can see by clicking on the link here (it's on the bottom of the page):
http://www.piranhas-fr.com/biologie.htm

I'm in charge of the specs for S.Marginatus and S. Gery.

I know few members here have really great pics of those speecies so i'll MP some members I know, but anyone who feels can contribuate to that topic is welcomed!

also, i'm basically basing myself on OPEFE and D. Schlesser's book, but though i'm okay with size and rivers they live in, not much is said towards their comportment in the home aquarium. so if you have anything to feed me as to comportment, it'd be grandly appreciated.

I know Cable Guy as a SUPER aggressive Marginatus, but anyone ever had one too so we could try to establish a general tnedency for the speecie?

so things i'm looking for:

- pics / vids

- ease to maintain (water param)

- general comportment (more ambush or outgoing, chasing you through the window or hiding)

- cohab

- best possible setup (do gery do better with great flow?)

those kinds of info

Be assured that sources will be posted on the page, we do not intend to steal anyone's material, only ask for collaboration and giving back the credit for the great material!
(like what was done by memen for S. elong)
http://www.piranhas-fr.com/especes/elongatus.htm

aight thanks!


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## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

My Marginatus is quite aggressive but shy at times. Quite a personality on it, which I can explain. Most of the time, it sits in a select spot, which is usually where its at most of the time. When walking by the tank, it will chase me and smack the glass trying to attack me. It will easily finger chase, and get aggravated with me if I try to mess with it. It does have a shy side, but usually when other people than me are around. I guess it likes the hand that feeds it.

In my opinion, it doesnt like a power head or too much flow. Its not out much swimming like my caribe do. It seems to be more of an ambush type fish.

I have it in a well planted tank with very bright lighting which doesnt seem to bother it much. I do find it roaming the tank with the lights off more than with them on, but no one is usually around the tank at those times.

I can get better pics if you need them, just let me know.


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

i now have 4 geryi in a 125g. as far as a cohab, and tank setup, my experience has been that they need time to adjust and settle more than anything else. of course a large tank is needed, but i found out over the course of several weeks that it didn't seem to matter much if the tank was heavily decorated or close to being bare. i messed with my tank set up more than a few times, and either way they just needed time to acclimate as they would claim a territory in every setup i tried. the largest and most dominant one would take 1/2 to 2/3 of the tank for himself regardless of the set up. he still owns most of the tank, but he has calmed down to where he TOLERATES the other fish in the tank and their is now seldom outbreaks of conflict.


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## leg89 (Dec 10, 2008)

very nice! this type of information isgold for me! Schlesser didn't say much in his guide in regards to maintenance of those speecies. if you could compare them to other more common piranhas, would you compare the marginatus so a well setted rhom? and would you compare the gery shoal to a caribas shoal? or is it different?

also, what would you consider a tank minimum? as for gerys, when kept in shoal, what tank surface should we count per fish? 
I know there's no rule of thumb when it comes to those questions, but just to give the future owner an idea?

@Maknar: I'll probably go at Cableguy's place to take some gooof pics myself, but the more quality pictures of different specimens i have, the better so if you can take some time for a photoshoot, i'd be perfect!

again, thanks for your collaboration!


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## baddfish (Feb 7, 2003)

Whats up leg89? Like maknwar stated, my Marginatus is very similar in regards to aggression. Usually aggressive but can be shy at times. The placement of its tank has alot to do with it being used to having alot of movement around it. I believe this allows it to get used to movement around its habitat. It will choose to dwell around the same spot for some of the time which is very close to the driftwood but every now and again, ill take a look towards it and find it dead center in front of the tank sitting and watching all the movement around the room. If anyone gets near the tank, it will immediately charge at the movement. The tank sits between 2 couches and if someone is sitting near the tank and decides to turn around and look at the tank, this will trigger an immediate attack at the movement usually causing whoever is sitting there to jump backwards. Its quite amusing when this happens. The only water flow in the tank is from an aquaclear 110 so i would say theres NOT too much water movement. As far as feeding, when being fed a night crawler, it will usually grab it before it reaches the gravel. If its a live rosy red minnow, it sits until the fish swims near and then rushes it. There are live plants growing out of the driftwood so i have bright plant lights on throughout the day. This does NOT affect or seem to bother the Marginatus in any way. As far as the water quality, i do 30-40% water changes monthly and this seems to do the trick. I hope this little bit of info helps you some. This fish is by far one of the best Piranhas ive ever owned. I say this after having owned MOST species.


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## leg89 (Dec 10, 2008)

ok very nice from you guys!

now, aren't there some great pics? comon cable guy, i know you got some good stuff! haha

and no gery pic?


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

never kept geryi but here are some pics I took, not very good ones but at least you have few more options to select from.


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## leg89 (Dec 10, 2008)

thanks JP!


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

here are some other pictures. it's a 9" marginatus if memory serves me right


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

leg89 said:


> very nice! this type of information isgold for me! Schlesser didn't say much in his guide in regards to maintenance of those speecies. if you could compare them to other more common piranhas, would you compare the marginatus so a well setted rhom? and would you compare the gery shoal to a caribas shoal? or is it different?
> 
> also, what would you consider a tank minimum? as for gerys, when kept in shoal, what tank surface should we count per fish?
> I know there's no rule of thumb when it comes to those questions, but just to give the future owner an idea?
> ...


you could probably get away with a 75g or 90g with say, 3 S. geryi. an issue would be the most dominant one in the tank may take most of the tank for himself and not allow the others much "wiggle" room. i like, and use a 125g for my 4 adult S. geryi, and even then the two dominant ones own 90% of the tank and don't allow the more passive two to move around much, or a territorial dispute erupts. for these reasons i would say these fish are even more aggressive and territorial than something like P. Cariba. I also have 3 cariba adults in a 75g and they do quite well together...they aren't as territorial, in the sense they seem to need less tank area and they allow each other to setup smaller areas, a little more tolerable of one another.

so, a 100g or 125g seems to be ok for 4 (or 5) adults, similar to what one would prescribe for pygos. ideally, though, i *think* a 180g would be the best to allow the fish to relax a little more and be more active. GG said he saw a huge difference, when he had these fish, between a 125g and 180g, in terms of how active they were.


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## leg89 (Dec 10, 2008)

very nice info!

would you compare a gery shoal to a mac shoal? there seems to be more successful gery cohab, aren't they?


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

i understand what you are saying, and i can only speak from my own experience. i have now had cohabs of both of those species, geryi and macs. i'd say they seem to be pretty comparable or similar. now that my geryi are settled, they might get along a little better than a mac group, less fighting, BUT i did lose a geryi after a few short weeks...and i never lost a (brazil) mac. i'd still say though, over the long run, geryi are probably a safer bet for a group of serras. i have seen, around here, a lot of mac cohabs that don't seem to last long.


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

problem though comparing geryi cohabs to anything else, there just has not been a lot of them, over the years, here.


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## leg89 (Dec 10, 2008)

true that...

still ver interesting as i'm getting a better grasp of the attitude of the fish.

so now...PICTURES! haha

i know there are few members with great ones so please be generous!


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