# True Blue Diamond Rhom



## Bobbyd123 (Jun 9, 2013)

I was thinking.... So aquascape had peru rhoms for 100, black n gold diamond 125 and blu for 150 all same size 4 inches. Now from what i have read u cant tell whats what at that size. A jet black, blu diamond, gold or whatever. SP i went and paid for the blu and got an excellent specimem. Active, Aggressive and perfect looking. Could the extra money, $50 in some chases, be going more towards personality of the fish and temperament rather then actual "breed" of rhom? Also whats a good amount of water to change a week and whats the most u should do at one time? Like 25-% for example


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

Bobby,
We've had numerous discussions on these and other forums about this very topic...In general, yes, a rhom is a rhom is a rhom...however, the diamond variants do have higher backs and glittery scales which normally show gold, silver, and blue hence the names blue diamond, gold diamond, black diamond etc...having said that, this is the main reason why I never went by that "a rhom is a rhom" theory because our vendors (aquascape, shark aquarium, etc.) do indeed charge more money for the diamond variants and it doesn't have anything to do with personality and behavior because all rhoms are basically the same in that regard!

some are shy and skittish, some are ultra aggressive and finger chase, others are just docile and sit in one spot all time, etc...but what it really comes down to is the person...if you like the fish and the way it looks, then buy it!!...these factors trump everything else...it's gonna be your fish so don't worry what anybody else thinks!...the only other piece of advice I can give you is you gotta be patient with rhoms...give him time to come out of his "shell"...most of the time they will, it's just a question of "when" and not "if".

PS...Once your tank is cycled (and I assume it is) you only need to do about 25% weekly water changes although some hobbyist's do more and some even do less!..but a good ballpark figure is 20 - 30% per week!...


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## Bobbyd123 (Jun 9, 2013)

Thanks da manster for all ur advice. Im happy with my rhom the way he is. Hes awesome. Id love for him to grow into a jet black or all blu, blu diamond or black diamond.. Can piranhas get parasites from frogs? They have these tiny african frogs at lfs that would be a nice addition to his diet and they r small, one mouthful. I don't want the thing to suffer. Now im giving him silversides n frozen shrimp/krill with ocasional live treats like mollys. No feeders tho too much risk. Any other ideas for balanced diet for growth and nice colors?


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

I've always have used feeders and continue to do so and never had any problems..it's no secret how I feel about this subject...I'm one of the very few in this hobby that is adamant and passionate about it...Furthermore, all of my piranha's have grown to be healthy, aggressive, and nice colors as members on here, Keepers, and MFK will vouch for!...







...I've never done frogs so I don't know if they will give parasites or not...I think if you give your fish live during the juvi stages they will develop an immunity to most diseases..a lot of health issues also come from poor water quality and people neglecting their tanks...or busted heaters, ammonia spikes from leftover food, doing too much water changes and altering the pH levels too rapidly, etc...So, in short, as far as diet goes I've always done live feeders, nightcrawlers (giant earthworms), smelt, and silversides!...All of my piranhas went crazy and nuts on each of these items and no issues whatsoever!...


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Another thing when it comes to IDs, Importers know the location the fish was captured or the exact tributary. Absolutely key to identifying different "types" of serras at smaller sizes.

If you dont know that collection point, and only have a picture it can be almost impossible to ID at that size


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

Ægir said:


> Another thing when it comes to IDs, Importers know the location the fish was captured or the exact tributary. Absolutely key to identifying different "types" of serras at smaller sizes.
> 
> If you dont know that collection point, and only have a picture it can be almost impossible to ID at that size


very true, indeed!


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

aegir beat me to a point i was gonna make. ive seen "black piranha" for sale almost as much as the common goldfish. but theyve turned out to be anything and everything but. unfortunately when you deal with a local pet shop for instance they often give generic labels and what you see is what you get but youll never truly know what. 
lets face it, most young serras all look alike. 
even thought ive been around here for years and been a piranha fanatic for even longer i still scratch my head trying to figure out all the different strains of serra


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## Bobbyd123 (Jun 9, 2013)

Agreed on that! My friend Bought black piranha years ago about quarter size. He grew into a red belly though lol weird right? Lol i was si JEALOUS at first....


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

even at a juvie size i can tell a red belly apart from a black piranha lol
ah well, im sure he got sh*t for that mistake. lesson learned.


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