# Bonding with Piranhas...anyone else?



## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I have this bond with my rhom. I dont know if it is real...or just my imagination....

A little background on our history. I got her from someone that kept her in a 75 gallon tank with no light..and fed her only goldfish..and she looked horrible. Her first tank with me was a 120 and right away I got her on smelt and catfish fillets. She was in that tank for a couple years until I moved back to Portland and had Ash hold her to ship her to me. Now she is in a 180 with many community fish. We also went though a really progressive bacterial infection that took a few months to rid. To get her back...I had to do 25% daily water changes and dose her tank. Doesnt seem like much but when it is a 180....it is a lot of water changes.
What got me thinking of this is a few things that are different then my other fish.
My geryi are very curious...but its not the same.
My irritans are just brutes and actually get more aggressive with each other when I am around.
My brandtii could care less.

But my rhom is different. I was doing water changes and she was swimming in the 900 gph powerhead. I decided to shut it off...not sure why though. She threw a fit. Kicking up sand..smashing the walls of the tank..just going nuts. So I turned it back on and she settled down...but would not go back to her usual spot at the front of the tank in the current. I have a stool by the tank so I sat down..about 12" from the tank...and she came up to me and settled down..swimming in the current. I put my hand on the tank and she will rub against the acrylic...not with her face..but her side. She just chills 12" from my face and you can almost see all her anxiety fade. It is really amazing. My gf is actually shocked at her behavior when I am around. She acts so much like a dog...nothing like my other fish.
Also..when feeding...I will hold up fish in front of her tank and based on her reaction...she will get fed. If she doest act interested..she wont eat. If she does...she will break the surface of the water to get to the food.

Im just wondering if anyone has this relationship with their fish. This is the only piranha I have ever had that gives me this kind of feedback.


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## Fry (Oct 9, 2005)

she acts like a dog huh?maybe like a wolf????lol yankin you chain gg.thats 1 nice predator you have there!cool stuff.


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## paOol (Dec 4, 2005)

so it doesnt chase your finger?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

paOol said:


> so it doesnt chase your finger?












Not at all. She is not aggressive to me in the least bit. A couple years ago I moved her to a 75 to rearrange her tank..and I thought I had lost her...she totally shutdown. Turned dark black. I think she was in shock. So I grabbed her and moved her arround to continue to have water pass over her gills. Eventually she started to respond and ended up fine. But I took her out of the 75 and moved her back right away.

Pick of her when she was stressed in the 75.










And in the 120


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## Fry (Oct 9, 2005)

She is hot gg!!nice pix


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## booozi (Nov 4, 2005)

Interesting/

Nice pics


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

Those pics are AMAZING!


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## sassyO (Jan 30, 2006)

as I was reading I was thinking my god it would be great to see some pic....and voila you did it.....they are awsome.
Yep you got yourself a ham....she loves her daddy. I know they bond, they have personallities. Its like the dog acts like the owner..per say.
You two have been through alot , why would she not bond...
more pics please, I want to see the others.
k, now I am being a chick demanding things....lol


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## tnpeter (Dec 17, 2005)

i feel my fish bonded with me too, like if i miss a feeding day i will be missing plants the next day , they know when its feeding time,

i will just dunk my hand it and they dont mind, some people always ask them do i take them out when i put my hand in , and what not, i just put it in, had one or two close ones but that is out of my own stupidness, handling smelt, having smelt oli and just after feeding my and putting my hand in, not the smartes thing, thank god i have fast reflexes , other was during a gravel vac , but it was when they were fairly new to the tank, i just pushed one with the tube and it turned around and came at me,

but i really think they know who is the owner


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

Lucky guy GG :nod: ... the only fish i got that behave that way is my Oscar...







!


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## oryschakgp (Nov 5, 2005)

Man look at the gob on that beast! I've only had my caribe for a short time but I feel like we've bonded slightly. I take care of them, they don't bite me. It's a good relationship. LOL. I have mbuna cichlids and i haven't seen any fish as personable as them yet though when the piranha stare at me I have to wonder what's going on in their heads.


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

notonly did he keep her in a 75 he took a grinder to her back to get rid of the hump. before that me and kinfeman kept her in a 180g.
wes


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## jconroy (Dec 21, 2004)

Very True GG. After a few years, with many hours of observing, and a few mishaps, this "bond" does seem the materialize. I had a caribe "Chomp" (my 6yr old daughter named him) who recently passed (eaten by Bubba Jr) who was very like the rhom you have.

Each time I would approach the tank, Chomp would come out the front of the tank and swim back and forth trying to get me to come closer. If I came closer he would "seem to have" a smile on his face. He was an exceptionally smart piranha (I have kept and observed over a 100) with a great personality.

He started out with me in July 2000. I dropped him into a 200g mixed pygo tank with two other caribe and six piraya. These particular fish, especially the piraya were thugs. These fish would wait for another pygo to be not paying attention, or in a compromised situation, and bamb! nail them hard!

Chomp never got caught up in this back-alley mentality. He never went looking for trouble; however of you came calling, you better be ready to answer to the long bell. Chomp never lost a fight and ended up being the only survivor in this particular shoal.

I was so impressed with his behavior, I setup a 90g for him. In my mind I made a promise to him that he would live out the rest of his days is peace. I do not impress easily, and I am known to always keep my promises. For the next four years he lived in the 90g and each time I approached the tank he would give me his "happy to see you" greeting.

This fish and I became so aware of each other, I could tell by the way Chomp moved, flicked his pecs, how hungry he was, or the tank water chemistry was a little off. When it came to feeding, he would literally jump out of the water trying to get the shrimp I fed him.

At first, I thought he was just more comfortable, but after watching him closely after he got the shrimp, I could tell there was something more. It was as if Chomp was trying to get as close as possible to me in a moment when one being was transferring a little life support to another.

I know it sounds weird and you're probably wondering wtf, but sometimes the connection beyond words is simply just there; regardless of circumstance or specie.

Well, when Bubba Jr (15" piraya) showed up, I thought he would like to be moved into the big tank with him and a couple of terns. Gross Gurke, as soon as I put him in the tank I knew and could see that Chomp was not comfortable.

He stayed away from the others and kept to himself. What really surprised me is the effort Chomp gave in trying to adjust. When feeding time came. He came right out, ate up, and then moved back to a location in the tank where he felt comfortable.

After about a week of having placed him in the large tank, I took my 6 yr old and 10 year old down to Disney for a week. Leading up to trip, I had this uneasy feeling urging me to "put Chomp back in the 90g". The feeling was really quite strong. In preparation for the trip I had twice the normal workload, and part of me said "he'll be fine; look how he survived the last mixed pygo tank situation".

While on the trip I kept having these nagging worries about him. Every other day I would call in and ask my oldest daughter (who stayed home), "is Chomp OK?". Each time she would reply Chomp is fine.

Well, when I got home, squeezing myself through the door with my luggage, I went immediately to the tank. There was a light white haze in the tank, the fish were not in there normal territorial positions, and the piraya was hiding in a large stock of plants.

As I investigated the tank, anxiously looking for Chomp, I couldn't find him. My heart started sinking, and my apprehension just exploded; then I found him. He was half eaten in the back corner of the tank, behind some scraggly plants.

I couldn't believe it. How could this be. Chomp was invincible; he survived the "thug" tank. Chomp was exceptionally intelligent; he could out smart any other fish. How could he have gotten eaten? How could I have failed in keeping my personal promise?

I never have reacted to the death of a fish like this before. Usually, the response is; "he/she was a good fish, I will miss it, let's move on".

When I got to work a couple days later, I turned on my computer and my desktop wallpaper brought up Chomp's photo. The picture of him hit me squarely in the face; "He's gone, you let him down". I pounded my fist on my desk, rested my head in my hand, took a deep breath, and let the remorse move through my body.

After a few moments I lifted my head, looked into the screen, and mentally said, "I am sorry Chomp, I will miss you, you were the best". I clicked on my email app and soon the photo of Chomp was replaced by the loading program.

Over the next couple of weeks, each time I booted and the picture of Chomp came up, I had to quickly launch my app to shorten the time I had to look at the picture. I had no idea, I cared so much for this fish.

So Gross Gurke, if you have a similar relationship or understanding, with your rhom, keep it precious.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

PIRANHA KING said:


> notonly did he keep her in a 75 he took a grinder to her back to get rid of the hump. before that me and kinfeman kept her in a 180g.
> wes


Yup...he did. When I got her, she had open sores and a puss bubble on her back from the grinder. I talked to serrapygo when I got her home and was so disappointed in her shape that I felt I had gotten the short end of the deal..trading some pygos for her....but I also felt some sense of responsibility to give her a nice environment. I think that is part of the reason I have such a connection with this fish.


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

Grosse Gurke said:


> notonly did he keep her in a 75 he took a grinder to her back to get rid of the hump. before that me and kinfeman kept her in a 180g.
> wes


Yup...he did. When I got her, she had open sores and a puss bubble on her back from the grinder. I talked to serrapygo when I got her home and was so disappointed in her shape that I felt I had gotten the short end of the deal..trading some pygos for her....but I also felt some sense of responsibility to give her a nice environment. I think that is part of the reason I have such a connection with this fish.
[/quote]
i seriously think you saved her life. she is a old big fish and one of the first true big ones brought in. i couldn;t believe when i heard he took a grinder to her.
wes

plus i bought that fish for 2500 with a 180 and the guy you bought it from paid me 1450 for just the fish so you got a good deal. there wasn't many large rhoms then.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

jconroy said:


> So Gross Gurke, if you have a similar relationship or understanding, with your rhom, keep it precious.


Amazing story and exactly what I was looking for. I have made that promise that she will never see another owner or tank. In all honest...I dont see how I could get her out of the acrylic 180 if I need too..but I have already comitted myself to keeping her until she dies. I feel like this fish has had a rough life, she has been in the hobby for a long time, and it is time for her to have a place she can call home.

Thanks again...that story sums it all up for me.


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

Grosse Gurke said:


> So Gross Gurke, if you have a similar relationship or understanding, with your rhom, keep it precious.


Amazing story and exactly what I was looking for. I have made that promise that she will never see another owner or tank. In all honest...I dont see how I could get her out of the acrylic 180 if I need too..but I have already comitted myself to keeping her until she dies. I feel like this fish has had a rough life, she has been in the hobby for a long time, and it is time for her to have a place she can call home.

Thanks again...that story sums it all up for me.
[/quote]
i would have kept her but in the 6 months i had her she ate only 2 goldfish and wouldnt touch anything else.
wes


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

PIRANHA KING said:


> i would have kept her but in the 6 months i had her she ate only 2 goldfish and wouldnt touch anything else.
> wes


That is so interesting because the night I got home with her...after an 8 hour drive..she ate 2 large smelt....and hasnt stopped eating everything in site. Just an example


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## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

a grinder to a fish?? You mean like a grinder to sharpen a mower blade???


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## BUBBA (Sep 4, 2003)

I feel the Same Way with My Rhom He has Kinda of a History he's a keeper .
here's an old pic of him from a few years back


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

jeff 
i have well water with 8.0 ph from the tap.its very hard. whats your water like?

also as to your topic my rhom is the same way. i've had it about 5 years, i love it.
wes

sean just a regular grinder i guess, maybe jeff knows for sure.
wes



BUBBA said:


> I feel the Same Way with My Rhom He has Kinda of a History he's a keeper .


didn't you get ash's personal rhom? that went from jbolin to knifeman to ash to knifeboy
wes


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Ex0dus said:


> a grinder to a fish?? You mean like a grinder to sharpen a mower blade???


Exactly. If you look at the old pictures of this fish when Knifeman had her...she had a bump by her dorsal fish...now it is a large scar because he "sanded" the bump off.


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## Pat (Jul 19, 2004)

I really love my fish as well Jeff. I've said to any guests he is like a dog. Many times I put my hand to the tank he attacks it. My wife strongly asserts it's his way of playing. I'm still not sure. Thankfully when I have to reach into the tank he just mellows out. I'm looking forward to many years of enjoyment with my fish.

You mentioned that it would be difficult to remove her out of the 180g acrylic. If absolutely neccessary to move her, PM me and I can give you a sedation method that is quite safe. Raul has taught me the basics about sedation with his Biology knowledge. It's nothing to be intimidated by. It allows you to transfer the fish stress free.

Again with regards to the fish bonding... my rhom is totally at ease with me, besides the trying to get my hand. When he's not chasing my hand he'll approach me at the front of the glass and just chill.


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## Hemi (Nov 13, 2005)

kool fish man


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## BUBBA (Sep 4, 2003)

PIRANHA KING said:


> I feel the Same Way with My Rhom He has Kinda of a History he's a keeper .


didn't you get ash's personal rhom? that went from jbolin to knifeman to ash to knifeboy
wes
[/quote]

Yes From Ash To Knife Boy then i snatched him.


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

BUBBA said:


> I feel the Same Way with My Rhom He has Kinda of a History he's a keeper .


didn't you get ash's personal rhom? that went from jbolin to knifeman to ash to knifeboy
wes
[/quote]

Yes From Ash To Knife Boy then i snatched him.
[/quote]
very very nice and social fish. i believe knifeboy bought a15"piraya and that rhom for3000.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

PIRANHA KING said:


> jeff
> i have well water with 8.0 ph from the tap.its very hard. whats your water like?
> 
> also as to your topic my rhom is the same way. i've had it about 5 years, i love it.
> wes


I was on well water also with a ph of 8.3 when I got her. I really dont know what the cause of the change was because the guy I got her from said she would only eat live and he would feed her a 5" goldfish every 2 weeks...but I have never had to feed her live while she has been in my care...and she has always eaten with no issue at all.


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## BUBBA (Sep 4, 2003)

PIRANHA KING said:


> I feel the Same Way with My Rhom He has Kinda of a History he's a keeper .


didn't you get ash's personal rhom? that went from jbolin to knifeman to ash to knifeboy
wes
[/quote]

Yes From Ash To Knife Boy then i snatched him.
[/quote]
very very nice and social fish. i believe knifeboy bought a15"piraya and that rhom for3000.
[/quote]

Yea Crazy Money








The Piraya ended up With Wes From Rare Fish


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## oryschakgp (Nov 5, 2005)

Grosse Gurke said:


> a grinder to a fish?? You mean like a grinder to sharpen a mower blade???


Exactly. If you look at the old pictures of this fish when Knifeman had her...she had a bump by her dorsal fish...now it is a large scar because he "sanded" the bump off.
[/quote]

Maybe one day somone will take a grinder to him and see how he likes it.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Pat said:


> I really love my fish as well Jeff. I've said to any guests he is like a dog. Many times I put my hand to the tank he attacks it. My wife strongly asserts it's his way of playing. I'm still not sure. Thankfully when I have to reach into the tank he just mellows out. I'm looking forward to many years of enjoyment with my fish.
> 
> You mentioned that it would be difficult to remove her out of the 180g acrylic. If absolutely neccessary to move her, PM me and I can give you a sedation method that is quite safe. Raul has taught me the basics about sedation with his Biology knowledge. It's nothing to be intimidated by. It allows you to transfer the fish stress free.
> 
> Again with regards to the fish bonding... my rhom is totally at ease with me, besides the trying to get my hand. When he's not chasing my hand he'll approach me at the front of the glass and just chill.


I have transferred her from and too many tanks with no problem. She will actually swim into the bucket with no problem. My issue with this acrylic is that the openings in the top are so small there is now way to get her out without her being sedated...and then it will still be a problem to just manuver her though the opening. It was hard enough to get her in...I cant imagine getting her out. Fortunately I dont think this will be an issue!!

And I hear you Pat....it is amazing when you actually have that connection with these fish.


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## Pat (Jul 19, 2004)

When I got my Rhom last year it was quite skittish. but that would be because he was fresh out of the river. Now it's very satisfying to have him. Everytime i walk by he chases me or the wife... we have a good laugh over it. He often illicits comments from us talking to him. It's quite funny.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Pat said:


> When I got my Rhom last year it was quite skittish. but that would be because he was fresh out of the river. Now it's very satisfying to have him. Everytime i walk by he chases me or the wife... we have a good laugh over it. He often illicits comments from us talking to him. It's quite funny.


That is what is totally different from this rhom. When I come up to the tank she gives off a sense of attachment...or adoration. Believe me...I know it sounds strange...but I dont feel anything like some of my piranhas where it is like they are pissed off that I would even think to enter their territory...It is almost like she is relieved when I am around. I dont know...it is odd.


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## redrum781 (Apr 10, 2006)

They know to much!............I belive that some piranha are "smart", I have seen dogs that seem to be dumber then my rhom. If they know what is going on, then after time they would become attached to you.......right? Sometimes i talk to him(bubba).


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## SpeCiaLisT (Aug 12, 2005)

I have bonded with my 2 baby macs. When I come into my room and hold the shrimp with my hand they swim to the front of the tank and just look at the food and swim around all happy and stuff. And when Im on the computer they always swim to the right side looking at me on the comp when the powerhead is on. My computer desk is right by the tank just 2 feet away.


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

You gotta think...what do these fish have to do all day and night but sit around and soak in their surroundings? They see the same thing, day after day. They get used to, and recognize feeding schedules. My large cichlids do the same thing. I would like to assume it's personal recognition, but most likely not. It's more like..."here comes food". Plus, the fact that they bite the shyte outta me when my hand is in there leads me to beleive otherwise. But who knows how fish think? Even pet rats have been known for such intelligence, why not big fish?

BTW, GG's rhom needs to be seen to be appreciated. That fish is a garbage can lid with fins!


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## Piranha King (Nov 28, 2002)

SpeCiaLisT said:


> I have bonded with my 2 baby macs. When I come into my room and hold the shrimp with my hand they swim to the front of the tank and just look at the food and swim around all happy and stuff. And when Im on the computer they always swim to the right side looking at me on the comp when the powerhead is on. My computer desk is right by the tank just 2 feet away.


i believe the bond he speaks of takes more than 2 or 3 months to create.
wes


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## joey'd (Oct 26, 2005)

Grosse Gurke said:


> I have this bond with my rhom. I dont know if it is real...or just my imagination....
> 
> A little background on our history. I got her from someone that kept her in a 75 gallon tank with no light..and fed her only goldfish..and she looked horrible. Her first tank with me was a 120 and right away I got her on smelt and catfish fillets. She was in that tank for a couple years until I moved back to Portland and had Ash hold her to ship her to me. Now she is in a 180 with many community fish. We also went though a really progressive bacterial infection that took a few months to rid. To get her back...I had to do 25% daily water changes and dose her tank. Doesnt seem like much but when it is a 180....it is a lot of water changes.
> What got me thinking of this is a few things that are different then my other fish.
> ...


actually i can see the same events in a way occur wit my baby serra. ive said in the past how he reacts and i already can tell when hes hungry and he has his habbits and when i take them away he looks ate me like i took away everything he ever had, be it food or powerhead, he is very observant if you ask me.


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

ey jconroy.. how big was the caribe? and gg how bout ur rhom?

nice bonding stories bytheway guys.


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2006)

Animals and Humans are connected, whether people want to believe it or not. Its not just a owner dominance thing. I think the difference is some animals (dolphins, cats) know how to show this better than less compicated animals.


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## SpeCiaLisT (Aug 12, 2005)

oH okay then. I guess i'm just crazy...


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

This is why serras are great imo. After the initial get use to the environment thing which i have seen go as long as 18 months the interaction that goes on between serra and owner is second to none.


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## kirch24 (Apr 14, 2006)

all i know is you sound like one of the best fish owners i have ver heard of, you really care about your fish haha, i hope my fish get like that!


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## JustJoshinYa (Mar 25, 2006)

I kinda know what you are talking about gg, ive had my rbp since they were dime sized and they are used to me... but 1 of them actually i feel like ive bonded with because its always on the side of the tank where i am while the others just swim to the other side of the tank, when i sit on my comp he/she just swims and stares at me, and sometimes very rarely will chase my finger, i feel like i have a bond with this 1 fish mainly because it doesnt act like the others and just avoid me it actually will sit and be intrigued by what im doing and where im doing it. but who knows what he/she is thinking maybe i just look tasty to it.


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## b_ack51 (Feb 11, 2003)

I don't know if I just read a post on pfury or a chapter from a love novel.

"On the next Maury, Men who love their piranhas too much"


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

b_ack51 said:


> I don't know if I just read a post on pfury or a chapter from a love novel.
> 
> "On the next Maury, Men who love their piranhas too much"












To me...it simply means that this fish has gone from fish statice to full blown pet statice. People talk about their piranhas as pets...yet how many have actually kept one until it died? They are passed around like a used car...bought and sold all the time......unlike a dog or cat that is considered a pet. So that is all I am saying....jackass


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

I've had a rhom going on 7 years now and it's my all time favorite fish. 
Over the years I've watched this fish grow from about 2" to over 8(haven't measured in quite some time) and we've gotten quite used to each other.There's been a few times that problems cropped up and I thought I was going to lose her , I sat like a worried parent wating for things to improve and was relieved when it did.It's nothing like how my oscar was but I'm the only one she responds to at feeding time, I really have to watch my fingers when dropping food in.

My fish is "only" maybe 9 inches now , back then for the first few years her staple diet was feeders and maybe some of what we were having for dinner. We're lucky (us and our fish) to now have this great forum that really helps us to grow our fish and let them attain ripe old ages so we might form a bond with them. My experience with rhoms is that it takes a long time for it to happen but it does.


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## brutusbeefcake (Dec 8, 2004)

im hoping to form a bond with my vinny... hes a beaut but so damn araid of me still - had him for 2 months now and altho hes gotten better is still a long ways away


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## b_ack51 (Feb 11, 2003)

Grosse Gurke said:


> I don't know if I just read a post on pfury or a chapter from a love novel.
> 
> "On the next Maury, Men who love their piranhas too much"


:laugh:

They are passed around like a used car...bought and sold all the time......
[/quote]

The same way I like my women.









I'm definately starting to enjoy my rhom more. I do spend less time just looking at him, and more worried about the plants. But he still gets some attention. I do notice when I sit on the couch, he'll swim back and forth to get my attention.


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## fliptasciouz (Jul 4, 2004)

I certainly had also bonded with my manueli(sweettooth).When i first got him from big als they have him sharing a 35 gallon tank with a juvenile red and all they fed him was just goldfish. I had no intention purchasing another piranha, because i already have a maculatus in my 30 gallon, but this site and Jonas manueli(Manny) had intrigued me so much that i had to buy it even though there is no tank that had been set-up for another one so i used a divider. Within couple of weeks the mac was sold and suddenly i notice parasites started to plague my mannie, it may be the cause of unhealthy diet that was offered to him before i got him. Fortunately he had recovered from the parasite due to extreme care and i was worried like a parent. He began to show his aggression towards me after treatment and eventually he was transffered to a 40 gallon breeder that my gf gave me. He had settled immediately without any stress at all. Afterwhile he had another minor disease with ammonia burn which caused my mannie to have a popeye and it was very frustrating as i have notice if you add anything to many the fish will pay but he still had recovered within 3-4 days. I have gain so much knowledge from many fish forums for aquascaping the tank, nutritional diet/vitamins and fish equipments that certainly benefitted my mannie to grow and explode with beautiful colors on it gills. He had been in the 40 gallon tank for about 1 year & couple months and this past month and a half he was finally in a much roomier tank than before. Sweettooth may been very sensitive and tendency to get sick, but i have grown to take care of him well enough that he responded to recover very quickly. I am very pleased with this pet and have zero intention on selling him. Heres the development of my fish and tell me if you had this fish wouldn't you fall in







with him?
nov/2004 30 gallon








jan/2005 40 gallon breeder








april/2006 135 gallon


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