# Getting Your Fish To Grow.



## Us And Them (Dec 4, 2008)

I've been feeding my RBP's a steady diet of Hikari Cichlid gold pellets a handful around 10am and again around 10pm. I have also been Feeding them Chunks of Tilapia , Scallops ,Krill, Yellow Perch soaked with Boyds' Vitachem every other day. My Reds have never eaten any live food ,Find my Serras' are alot more interesting in the rare occasion they get live food.

I do two 15% water changes a Week and gravel Vac every other day , I find Hikari goes through these fish like mcdonalds and can be quite messy, so it's definetly necessary.

I got my Rbp's at 1.0" Mid December and in only 2 and a half month later they are all sitting at about 4.0 " I also have quite a strong current throughout the tank , 1/4 of the tank pretty much being free from fast current.

I believe all of these things are contributing factors to the strong Growth and Bright reds they have all developed.

Just curious as to what others do to try and increase growth aswell as any success you've had.


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## Armand_caribe (Sep 9, 2009)

I'd add to their diet some more meat like squid and shrimps and once per month some chicken and I'll think their diet could be perfect.

Take a look at this caribe:










He's been with me per about one year now and he's on a diet as follows:

Tilapia, shrimps, squid, seabass, stingray and dogfish: 70%

Chicken and beffheart: 30%

He's about to become a nine incher and he's very thick and neat, his age is about 21/2 years aprox.

Cheers.


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## Us And Them (Dec 4, 2008)

Armand_caribe said:


> I'd add to their diet some more meat like squid and shrimps and once per month some chicken and I'll think their diet could be perfect.
> 
> Take a look at this caribe:
> 
> ...


Don't you think that Chicken or Red meat might be a bit much protein ?


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## Armand_caribe (Sep 9, 2009)

Jon87 said:


> I'd add to their diet some more meat like squid and shrimps and once per month some chicken and I'll think their diet could be perfect.
> 
> Take a look at this caribe:
> 
> ...


Don't you think that Chicken or Red meat might be a bit much protein ?
[/quote]

Well, somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I think if we want to take ours P's to a full growth a protein and fat diet must be followed as long as P's are juvenile/young adults If they are full grown you should decrease that amount of such nutrients not to damage their health in the future.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

No, I don't think that adding chicken and beefheart is a good idea... their diet in the wild consists almost entirely of fish. If you want to feed it to your fish, go right ahead, but it definitely shouldn't be referred to as a necessary or recommended addition to a healthy diet.


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## Armand_caribe (Sep 9, 2009)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> No, I don't think that adding chicken and beefheart is a good idea... their diet in the wild consists almost entirely of fish. If you want to feed it to your fish, go right ahead, but it definitely shouldn't be referred to as a necessary or recommended addition to a healthy diet.


My fish are growing pretty good, they look quite healty so far. I'm planning to decrease the amount of chicken and beefheart as they grow older.

I'm not trying to contradict you but why not to refer to as a healthy diet when results are just in front of my eyes?, why not?.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

You and I have had this conversation on several occasions... It's not a part of their diet in the wild, therefore it shouldn't be considered a part of a healthy diet in captivity. Their diet in the wild is made up almost entirely of fish and fish parts, which means that their bodies are built to handle that as a food source, when you start adding chicken and mammalian meat or other things that they are not built to handle, you aren't providing their natural diet anymore, you are just throwing stuff into the tank.

I also think that feeding steak, chicken, beefheart, etc. just lends more to that "garbage disposal" mentality that some inexperienced keepers have, that's why you still hear of people thinking that hot dogs are a good staple food choice... no good comes from suggesting chicken as a regular food option for piranhas.


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## Alexx (Jan 20, 2006)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> You and I have had this conversation on several occasions... It's not a part of their diet in the wild, therefore it shouldn't be considered a part of a healthy diet in captivity. Their diet in the wild is made up almost entirely of fish and fish parts, which means that their bodies are built to handle that as a food source, when you start adding chicken and mammalian meat or other things that they are not built to handle, you aren't providing their natural diet anymore, you are just throwing stuff into the tank.
> 
> I also think that feeding steak, chicken, beefheart, etc. just lends more to that "garbage disposal" mentality that some inexperienced keepers have, that's why you still hear of people thinking that hot dogs are a good staple food choice... no good comes from suggesting chicken as a regular food option for piranhas.


spot on joe


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## Armand_caribe (Sep 9, 2009)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> You and I have had this conversation on several occasions... It's not a part of their diet in the wild, therefore it shouldn't be considered a part of a healthy diet in captivity. Their diet in the wild is made up almost entirely of fish and fish parts, which means that their bodies are built to handle that as a food source, when you start adding chicken and mammalian meat or other things that they are not built to handle, you aren't providing their natural diet anymore, you are just throwing stuff into the tank.
> 
> I also think that feeding steak, chicken, beefheart, etc. just lends more to that "garbage disposal" mentality that some inexperienced keepers have, that's why you still hear of people thinking that hot dogs are a good staple food choice... no good comes from suggesting chicken as a regular food option for piranhas.


Yeah, We had this conversation once at MFK, I remember that.

You're right with that thing of "garbage disposal", you're pretty much right about that. On the other hand nobody is talking about steak or hot dogs Joe.

Chicken, regarding birds piranha can feed on birds in wild, I'm agree I may not happen daily(we don't have the basis to say how often this happens tho) however you've got to admit It happens.

Beefheart would be the most unnatural source of food to call it some way.

Cheers.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

I really don't think that piranhas eat birds enough in the wild to even consider it as a measurable part of their diet. When piranhas eat a bird that has fallen into the water during the dry season, they are just taking advantage of an easy meal.... just because they can or will eat it doesn't mean it's the healthiest option for them.

I'm not the only one that feels that chicken shouldn't be part of their diet, this is from OPEFE...

"Live fish, including parts (fins and chunks of flesh) is a normal piranha diet in the wild, as is fruit and seeds. Chunks of steak, hot dogs, chicken, baloney ham, gold fish etc., is not."


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## Armand_caribe (Sep 9, 2009)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> I really don't think that piranhas eat birds enough in the wild to even consider it as a measurable part of their diet. When piranhas eat a bird that has fallen into the water during the dry season, they are just taking advantage of an easy meal.... just because they can or will eat it doesn't mean it's the healthiest option for them.
> 
> I'm not the only one that feels that chicken shouldn't be part of their diet, this is from OPEFE...
> 
> "Live fish, including parts (fins and chunks of flesh) is a normal piranha diet in the wild, as is fruit and seeds. Chunks of steak, hot dogs, chicken, baloney ham, gold fish etc., is not."


Friuts? what can of fruits and seeds?....


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

i remember the very first time i got piranhas, i feed them lean ground beef
they had poop strings coming from all which way and i called the lfs and asked
if this was normal and he said oh hell no, protiens such as beef and chicken is
bad for our piranhas even beef heart should be sparingly in a captive diet.

too much mammal meat is bad, its like us eatting mcdonalds all of the time
eventually it will catch up and you will have unhealthy fish....pellets are not
on the "menu" in the wild however, they offer such a wide variety of goodness
to our fish along with frozen parts or even whole fish.

the nuts and veggies they eat are indigionous (spelling) to whats around and 
falls in the waters there.

we can eat and survive on mcdonalds hamburgers all day everyday, but its not
what we are intended to eat, it has to be mixed up...just think, too much meat
and or protiens and you cant poop for a long while.


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## Soul Assassin (Nov 21, 2006)

It's not the protein in mammalian meat that's the problem it's the fat, you should also remove the veins from beefheart

overall I agree with Joe


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## Pirambeba (Feb 1, 2010)

I'm with Joe on this one, mammalian/avian meat is not a staple diet for piranhas in the wild it's mainly fed upon during the dry season when the lakes/ponds start drying up and the piranhas go from hunting/scavanging to opportunistic feeding behaviour. Aside from that, mammalian/avian meat has oils due to it's fat content which will do quit a number on your water quality, IMO I think you should try to avoid it.


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## bigshawn (Dec 29, 2005)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> You and I have had this conversation on several occasions... It's not a part of their diet in the wild, therefore it shouldn't be considered a part of a healthy diet in captivity. Their diet in the wild is made up almost entirely of fish and fish parts, which means that their bodies are built to handle that as a food source, when you start adding chicken and mammalian meat or other things that they are not built to handle, you aren't providing their natural diet anymore, you are just throwing stuff into the tank.
> 
> I also think that feeding steak, chicken, beefheart, etc. just lends more to that "garbage disposal" mentality that some inexperienced keepers have, that's why you still hear of people thinking that hot dogs are a good staple food choice... no good comes from suggesting chicken as a regular food option for piranhas.


I agree Joe..............


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

wouldn't beef be good if its fed to the piranha once every month or once every 2 months ?


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

No, it wouldn't


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> No, it wouldn't


ok thanks, I'll just stay with shrimp, pellets, and tilapia


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