# Live food



## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

Hi all,









Having just started keeping RBP's ( i have 2 baby p's), i am eager to ensure they get the proper







feeding care. I would like to feed them the occasional live meal -mouse or fish, i know i'll feel bad about it -poor little fellas!!!!!.

Whens the best time to begin giving live food to them, i am currently giving them 2 x b/worm cubes a day and will be varying bewtween krill, b/worm and beefhearts, eventually.

Having just found this fantastic w/site, it good to know i can call upon all of your experience piranha fans!!!!!

Thanks a lot. :biggrin:


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## billthomason (Feb 12, 2003)

Hi. I have two RB's too. Mine were babies when I got them as well. About how big are yours? Mine are 2 and 4 inches about and can take down a baby mouse with ease. I started giving them live feeder guppies when they were both about an inch or two each. It really depends on how big they are.

Bill


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## billthomason (Feb 12, 2003)

Hi. I have two RB's too. Mine were babies when I got them as well. About how big are yours? Mine are 2 and 4 inches about and can take down a baby mouse with ease. I started giving them live feeder guppies when they were both about an inch or two each. It really depends on how big they are.

Bill


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## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

HI,

In actual fact i bought a third RBP this afty, i now have 3 baby rbp, they are about 2" long or just a tad under.

Thanks

Merv :biggrin:


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

Exactly what Bill stated. It all depends on the fish. Alot of folks would argue that the best time to feed your Ps mice is when they've reached maturity at about over 4-5", depending how many you have in the shoal also. It also depends how skittish, or agressive your Ps are. 
Another thing to remember is that feeding mice to your Ps arent very healthy at all.. that and gold fish. You can however feed them mice from time to time, even for entertainment.. but wouldn't advice it as a regular meal.


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

Exactly what Bill stated. It all depends on the fish. Alot of folks would argue that the best time to feed your Ps mice is when they've reached maturity at about over 4-5", depending how many you have in the shoal also. It also depends how skittish, or agressive your Ps are. 
Another thing to remember is that feeding mice to your Ps arent very healthy at all.. that and gold fish. You can however feed them mice from time to time, even for entertainment.. but wouldn't advice it as a regular meal.


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## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

Is there any live food i can get them started on now??, bearing in mind its not part of their staple diet -only a weekly treat maybe?????

Thanks


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

Your Ps are still babies. You can start though by giving them guppies to teach them how to start becoming predators at an early age. Reduce your daily food source of blood worms and balance out their diet with krill, beefhearts and freeze dried brine shrimp. Then for a treat, give them the usual guppie/goldfish. In no time your babies will become ferocious monsters you expect them to be.


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## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

so maybe this:

1 x b/worm cube (am) 1 x krill (late pm) daily???
and once a week live food, 1 guppy or goldfish??
and is that sufficient for the 3 rbp's ?????

Soz for so many questions, i just want to get a good routine diet going.

Thanks

Merv.


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

Sounds good Merv!! and maybe instead of a weekly treat of goldfish/guppy, you may want to make it 2wice or 3 times a week. It'll especially help their hunting techniques.


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## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

Thanks for all the advice.
BTW: my LFS chappie has recommended trying frozen cockle (think thats what it is), he says his P's cant get enough of it.
And how does your LFS feel about you buying fish for food for P's?
Do you not tell them? as mine has said not to say anything when buy fish to be used as food.

Also, if i've tiny pieces of food left (like b/worm) and its in a difficult place to reach, is it really necessary to get it??
I am doing a 25% water change every week, this includes a vac of the bottom of the tank..

Soz, just panicing a bit!!!!!!..

Thanks

:biggrin:


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

lastyboy said:


> And how does your LFS feel about you buying fish for food for P's?


 My favorite lfs gives me discount on goldfish, or even for free when I buy additional stuff








I guess the guy just hates goldfish


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## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

lastyboy said:


> Also, if i've tiny pieces of food left (like b/worm) and its in a difficult place to reach, is it really necessary to get it??
> I am doing a 25% water change every week, this includes a vac of the bottom of the tank..
> 
> Soz, just panicing a bit!!!!!!..
> ...


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

uhmm.HUH?!?!


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## lastyboy (Apr 14, 2003)

Soz, made a complete balls-up of the last msg.

what i meant to say was is it ok to leave tiny bits of bloodworm in the tank, bearing in mind some bits aren't easily retreivable and im doing a 25% water change and vac.

What do you think, folks??









Thanks.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

yeah don't bother netting out every little last piece of bloodworm. your guys are at a proper size to eat small pieces of beefhear, salad shrimp, and throw in some rosies for them to get some hunting experience. Later on.

Joe


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

If you worry about food leftovers, think about getting a couple of cleanup catfish, like pleco's or raphael cats: they will eat any uneaten food, and thus keep your tank substrate clean.
There's always a risk involved when adding other  fish to a piranha tank, but many members here have good experiences with either species...


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## nyquil (Mar 29, 2003)

my p's are 1.5-2in and i feed my piranhas feeders twice a week every so often. i get 3in feeders in hope of making them more agressive.


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## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

feed the at anytime..just make sure not to overfeed..cause sometime they just kill to kill


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## pcrose (Mar 9, 2003)

If the p's are a little bit bigger or the same size as the feeder I would go for it and it would be wise to feed the p's live feeder once a week, they like shrimp and beefheart a lot.


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