# 5 Piranhas In 55 Gallon Tank With Alot Of Plants



## kidcapri33 (Dec 6, 2011)

i have 5 redbelly piranhas in a 55gallon tank. i have read that 5 is ok as long as there is alot of cover(plants) in the tank, they range in size from about 3inches to about 5inches. i overfeed them and am constantly walking by them so there is no dominance issues. they all seem 2 be getting along great ive had them about a week... i have also read that they require 20gallons per fish why is that? please school me.. i have some1 able 2 take 2 off my hands but i read that they cant live peacefully if there isnt a school of 4 or more.
-bruce


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

first off welcome.
to get to your questions...Yes, 5reds in 1 55 gallon tank is not really good. the issue is that not only are you raising fish that can grow up to 10 inches but also they will end up fighting and killing each other. a 55 is only 12 inches wide your going to need at least 18" wide tank like a 75 and even 4 is about the limit in a 75.

It is weird this is the third time this week someone has asked about "overfeeding"...if you were suppose to overfeed it would just be called feeding. you dont want to do this..it can cause some serious health problems for your fish. if your feeding more than once a day or even once every other day its really to much.

give us some details on your tank
what type of filter, temp, how long youve had the tank and P's, what are you feeding
even post some pics.
this will help us help you better


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## kidcapri33 (Dec 6, 2011)

aquaclear110 filter, ph7.0, had them a week. 0 ammonia,79degz...Error You aren't permitted to upload this kind of file" this is what i keep getting posting the file


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

try uploading them to photobucket

whats your nitrite and nitrate reading?


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## eatfish (Jul 30, 2003)

You are all crazy. If you have proper filtration and you do not neglect your fish then they will do fine. If anything keep them in that for another year or so and try to upgrade to a 125 or bigger. You will be better off if you can get them on pellets as well.


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

eatfish said:


> You are all crazy. If you have proper filtration and you do not neglect your fish then they will do fine. If anything keep them in that for another year or so and try to upgrade to a 125 or bigger. You will be better off if you can get them on pellets as well.


what are you talking about...


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## mike996633 (Oct 15, 2011)

I agree with buckeye they need more room.


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## Nzac (Oct 13, 2010)

5 in a 55 may be ok now, but by the time they all hit 5"-6"+ nitrates will be a pain to keep low, meaning most likely more than 1x weekly waterchanges. Simply put, 20 gallon per fish is reccomended to keep water parameters nicely in check between weekly water changes. the more water you have, the more waste it can handle before becoming toxic.

as far as crazy, maybe a little but that doesn't change anything about the proper care of fish. As I said in a different post, I know a guy that has 25 adult reds in a 150gallon tank, he is doing 50% waterchanges every other day to keep his water in somewhat decent condition. That is great for him, but I would not want to do that, nor would I ever reccomend that to anyone. 1 week of him getting lazy could be fatal for those fish.


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## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Lmao buckeye you dont know what youre talking about!! I have 4 6" rhoms in a 20 gallon tank with an fx5. 75% water changes daily to deal with nitrates. I keep them from fightin by keeping the tank too small for them to get at each other.

5 will be okay in a 55 til the get to about the 5" mark. Theyll probably start killing each other off by then. Find an 18" wide tank. 75 gallons would be good for 5 rbp imo.


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

ScarsandCars said:


> Lmao buckeye you dont know what youre talking about!! I have 4 6" rhoms in a 20 gallon tank with an fx5. 75% water changes daily to deal with nitrates. I keep them from fightin by keeping the tank too small for them to get at each other.
> 
> 5 will be okay in a 55 til the get to about the 5" mark. Theyll probably start killing each other off by then. Find an 18" wide tank. 75 gallons would be good for 5 rbp imo.


i dont know what the crap your talking about and i hope you are just joking but unless you have something productive and helpful find somewhere else to troll...we are giving solid advise on how to properly keep and care for Piranha.

any way, Kidcapri...if you have any more questions about anything just ask


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

hi scars


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## eatfish (Jul 30, 2003)

when i got my first piranhas 10 years ago i started doing onling research and landed here. I asked the same question that is being asked here and got the same answer. I got 3 rbps and 2 caribe, all were 3". I had a 55 with 2 penguin 440's and a magnum canister. Since i had bought the fish before i did my research i decided to disregaurd the adviced i had seeked here. With a weekly water change of 30-40% my fish did fine. I fed gold fish until they were all about 6". At that point i started haveing water issues so i switched my fish to pellet food. Problem solved. I kept those fish for 6 years or so in the 55 with no problems. They were beautiful healthy fish and i regret to this day getting rid of them. As for you "new" advice givers here, perhaps you need a little more experience under your own belt. I dont know any of you other then what i have seen posted in the most recent threads so dont take it personal but... Try not to let your own "hypothetical" ideas get in the way of some newb getting into the hobby. And if you wanna try and say you tried 5 P's in a 55 and you couldnt do it then your not a good fish keeper.

And Scarsandcars, thats funny but i forgot more last night then you will learn in a lifetime.


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## Nzac (Oct 13, 2010)

after reading this last post I am gonna call bullshit... if your 2 caribe were "beautiful healthy fish" they should have been longer than a 55 is front to back.

Can 5 rbp live in a 55 for life? possibly. can a man live in a jail cell for life? yes. does that make it a decent life?

and since you wanna talk about first piranhas...
My first reds i had 4 in a 55(dime sized), fed nothing but guppies/rosies/goldfish(going by fish's size), 100 of em a week kept in a seperate tank until feeding time. They hit 10-11" in 2 years and could barely turn around in the tank. I got rid of them simply because I couldn't afford a bigger tank and they needed it. Back then I didn't know jack about ammonia/nitrites/nitrates(figured if the water was clear and not smelly it was good quality) or proper diet, but then again, there was no internet then.

Is this what I should offer up for advise to people or would it make more sense to offer up knowledge from experiences that will offer their fish a better life, and them less headaches?


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

X2 Nzac
i was just messing with scarsandcar but eatfish listen up why the crap are you contradicting good advice...just cuz your arrogant and like to do things the wrong way doesnt mean that you should screw someone else up. for someone thats been around since 2003 youd figure theyd be smarter than that . but it makes since your post did say you have have forgotten a lot. so when your done screwing people up then maybe you will spend some time trying to remember the things you learned


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## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

See thats cute, because I had my first piranha about 10 years ago as well. Im not saying it cant be done, Im poking fun at the idea that buckeye is crazy for suggesting a larger setup. Im not saying it cant be done, but to suggest that its going to work for everyones laughable. get off your high horse and stop taking yourself so seriously, because no one else is.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2011)

Dear Piranha Fury members,

I do not know a lot about piranha fish, but to suggest to keep a living thing in a small area is wrong. I just got a new larger aquarium today after talking to my local fish retailer about being disappointed with their service and advice. Being stuck in a small area isn't something healthy, I've seen a lot of grown men go crazy and fold from the pressure. Being walled up with no escape definitely effects your mental state, you also have to learn to adapt to make do with what you have, working out in a small area, sleeping right beside were you defecate, it is not a nice way to live. Eat fish, acting like a tough guy on the internet does not mean it is true in real life, respect people and you shall be respected, don't be a cell soldier. If you don't respect people and earn respect, don't expect someone to defend you when you get your care package taken.

Sincerely,
Gangster Dave


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## eatfish (Jul 30, 2003)

Lmao, what are you talking about gangsterdave? When did I appear to be a "tough guy"? I was sharing my experience and responded to a couple other people. 
I will say to those of you who mentioned keeping the fish confined. You are WACKADOODLE! They are fish, in an aquarium. Now I suppose people can define adequate space by there own personal opinion but it will remain nothing more then YOUR opinion. So if you own fish in any restaurant glass cube then your confining them. One could argue that in the wild they swim miles in search of food and to breed so even in a 10000 gallon tank they are still confined. However like snakes the only reason they travel is to eat or breed. So if they have enough room to eat then they should be fine. Lets keep in mind people, they are fish purchased for our enjoyment.


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

alright your either on crack or a legit wack job


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## ScarsandCars (Jul 17, 2011)

Youre just another one of those "i can keep big fish in small tanks" kinda people. How big did your pygos get in that 55? How nice were their colors? Pics please.


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## eatfish (Jul 30, 2003)

The RBP's were around 8" and the caribe were 10", the RB's were avarage looking but the caribe were very nice. I know i have some 35mm prints around somewhere, ill try and dig them out at some point and scan them to share. Since you asked for a picture of Piranha and i cannot provide on i hope you will settle for this completely off topic picture of a Lampropeltis Zonata


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2011)

Dear Eat fish,

In your original kite you came across very hostile insulting other members opinions. I'm still learning about piranha fish, but I know all there is about dealing with tough guys. To move up in the game you have to be down, and I'm down to defend my fellow piranha fury members when they are insulted and attacked in return for the knowledge they have about piranha fish. You also called piranha fury members "whackadoodle", I don't know what this word means but I'm assuming it means something bad. If that's the case and your willing to back up the talk, we can exchange details and settle this like men.

Sincerely,
Gangster Dave


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## eatfish (Jul 30, 2003)

I really enjoy the humor in your post but I'm not sure if you expect to be taken serious. Ill assume you participate in some sort of street gang, bloods crips type gang not gangs of new York, and you are no banging on the web. That is honestly hilarious. Before you make plans to meet up with someone from another state you might want to check with your PO. Wait nevermind with your attitude your going back to prison eventually regardless. 
My god, what has this forum come to


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

eatfish said:


> I really enjoy the humor in your post but I'm not sure if you expect to be taken serious. Ill assume you participate in some sort of street gang, bloods crips type gang not gangs of new York, and you are no banging on the web. That is honestly hilarious. Before you make plans to meet up with someone from another state you might want to check with your PO. Wait nevermind with your attitude your going back to prison eventually regardless.
> *My god, what has this forum come to*


with people keeping 10 inch piranha in a 12 inch wide tank i wondered that my self


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2011)

Dear Eat Fish,

I am no longer an active gang member and I don't support or glorify the gang lifestyle. You are correct when you say I do not gangbang or fly flags on the internet, but that does not mean I'll allow someone to treat me or my fellow members like punks. I am not from the Pepsi generation, I was in the game for a long time and I am not on wearing or eating anything state issued for a long time, so don't worry about me I handle mine. My P.O. knows I've left the life I once lived behind me, so I don't need her consent to handle my business. Send me an email message if you want to settle the beef you evidently have with me, I settle drama with the lama easy.

Sincerely,
Gangster Dave


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## eatfish (Jul 30, 2003)

Dave with all due respect, your an idiot. You want to fight in real life over a internet debate regarding the housing of fish. Had we been having this discussion over a pizza at the local hangout I would gladly accept your offer and teach you a thing or two. However I have a wife 2 kids a job a house 3 vehicles and several other toys and hobbies I enjoy that are not worth the ramifications of flying to whatever hood you live in and slapping you around like a little girl. Tell all your homies in your youth facility I said hi.


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## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

First off I couldn't stop laughing and at you guys go back and forth at each other. I've been keeping piranhas for about 10 yrs now. 55 gallons is too small imo. If they're 3" then I guess its ok but once they all hit the 5"-6" range then you have to upgrade to a bigger tank. I know its a pain but you will experience problems in the long run. Not only does it stress the piranhas out but they will fight each other constantly and get extremely territorial. Disease might occur if water ain't maintained. I had to learn the hard way a long time ago.. So once they do get larger, upgrade to a bigger tank and to everyone who can't or refuse to get something bigger then a 55 gallon then keeping piranha's isn't for you.. Just being honest


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## Guest (Dec 24, 2011)

Wow, this thread was an interesting read









Anyways to the OP, 5 reds in a 55G is fine when they are juvies (4 inches or less) but you need to either thin the shoal down to 3 or upgrade your tank after that. A 75G will house 3 reds for life comfortably, like Buck has said these fish can get 8-12 inches and would benefit from at least an 18" wide tank.


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## daughter snatcher (Sep 27, 2009)

wow a lot of arguing here! bottom line. if you have all the resources for a bigger tank, then get one. can your fish survive in the 55 for life, sure. would i recommend that, NO! reds might get 8" females might get 10" but rare especially in captivity. its best to just keep your water healthy because that will determine the health of your fish. as far as cruelty goes, if you were concerned for the interest of the fish, you wouldnt have a fish tank, you would want them to live naturally in the wild. that goes for the pet trade in general!

ps

gamgster dave...you know your white right?


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## bcp0715 (Aug 26, 2011)

i might get attacked by the vet members but i was thinking of doing 4 in a 55g.


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## memento (Jun 3, 2009)

@eatfish : I'm perfectly sure it's possible to let a human grow up in a men's room with minimum dimensions.
Doesn't mean it will fully develop or have any quality of life though...


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