# are fruits okay for red bellied piranhas???



## jamie_seto

I know piranhas eat meat but I recently found out that 4 out of 7 of my red bellied piranhas love to eat grapes, apples, dragon fruits, carrots, and especially durians. I been feeding them fruits for three days now and they all seem to be happy except for my other 2









Well, my question is what if I keep feeding them fruits instead of fishes (feeders, bettas, etc) would they become super skiny and died or would they be okay with it??? 
I just want them to stop growing, lol... or at least grow slower


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## BASSFISHERMAN

firstly, welcome to the site!

The fruit is fine but it shouldn't be the main part of their diet.
are you sure you have piranhas and not pacus?
why do you want them to stop growing?
how big are they and in what size tank?


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## bisk25

why would you want them to stop growing?


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## harrykaa

Maybe you do not have Red Bellies there at all.

Pygocentrus species do not eat vegetables nor fruits. Only meat.

Regards,


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## Dawgz

harrykaa said:


> Maybe you do not have Red Bellies there at all.
> 
> Pygocentrus species do not eat vegetables nor fruits. Only meat.
> 
> Regards,


this is *NOT* true.


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## Timmy44221

A part of a Piranha's diet in the wwild is fruit and seeds. They are opportunistic feeders, and will eath fruit. It has many nutriants, but make sure it wont mess with the water chemistry.

I make my own food, and include fruit and veggies in it.


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## werdna

keep feeding them both meat and fruit


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## bjmarche

Dawgz is right.
Mine would eat green peas every once in a while.
Nothing else though.
As for feeding it to your fish, they need meat to maintain their body weight.
So keep feeding them meat, but a fruit every once in a while is healthy.


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## Dawgz

a good way to get them to eat peas withought them knowing, stuff a silverside with small peas....or pack it in some smelt...haha be creative...ive tried carrots before...cut up tho...small small small pieces..


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## harrykaa

Dawgz said:


> a good way to get them to eat peas withought them knowing, stuff a silverside with small peas....or pack it in some smelt...haha be creative...ive tried carrots before...cut up tho...small small small pieces..


Now that one expalins how much Pygo's do eat vegetables or fruits. You have to hide it in meat and use very small pieces.
But then again, no need to do it, because these fishes are carnivores!

Regards,


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## Dawgz

harrykaa said:


> a good way to get them to eat peas withought them knowing, stuff a silverside with small peas....or pack it in some smelt...haha be creative...ive tried carrots before...cut up tho...small small small pieces..


Now that one expalins how much Pygo's do eat vegetables or fruits. You have to hide it in meat and use very small pieces.
But then again, no need to do it, because these fishes are carnivores!

Regards,
[/quote]

Explain the bittn leaves in my Brandti tank....


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## harrykaa

Dawgz said:


> Explain the bittn leaves in my Brandti tank....


Yes I know that Serras bite plants, also Pygo's do that occasionally. Mine do that because of aggression. If I put my hand too close to them (when cleaning) they try to bite my hand. As I of course withdraw my hand rapidly, Pygo's get frustrated and take a bite from my plants near them.

I haven't had brandtii, so I do not now how much they rip plants.
But I have had Pygo's more than 10 years (a number of different occasions) and they have ripped sometimes plants, but never have I seen them eat the bite. They just spit it out.

Regards,


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## PiranhaStein

You just need to keep up a variety, most of us would be lucky if our reds would accept veges and fruits.

Keep it up let us know how long it lasts.


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## sprfunk

Mine only ate them one time. So I stoped trying. I think it is healthy for them but few of us are getting ours to eat that. I would like to see a picture if him though just to see if he is a pacu....somtimes fish stores do that.


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## the_w8

my rbp's will eat peas.....i usually stuff them in catfish fillets or smelt whenever i feed it to them....I tried letting them float on top and they only ate a few and left a few floating around.....


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## Timmy44221

Ps are opportunistic, so they will eat whats there. That it mind, veggies anf fruits are very good for them. I make my own food, blended gelitonized anf then frozen. The get a mix of peas, carrots, cucumber, algee disks, ciclid pelets, tropical flake food, deer, chicken, catfish, taipe, shrimp, and whaterver else is layin around. They seem to have great colour and it make it easy to feed. (Allthough a bit messy).


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