The common piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) is a predatory ray-finned fish well known to most aquarists, belonging to a fairly large family of piranhas (Serrasalmidae). Aggressive exotic fish can be kept at home, but for successful cultivation you need to take into account biological features piranha, and also provide her with the most comfortable conditions for her stay.
Description and characteristics
For those involved in aquarium fish farming, the common piranha is better known as the red-bellied, red, or Natterer's piranha. The very first predatory exotics appeared among domestic aquarium hobbyists more than fifty years ago, and were brought to the territory of our country in the last century from the natural reservoirs of the Amazon and Orinoco.
The average length of the fish, as a rule, varies between 10-20 cm, but larger individuals are also found. All varieties differ in color, which in most cases is olive green or black with blue. The ventral part and sides most often have a dark or silver-gray color.
A characteristic species feature of piranha is big mouth and protruding, flat, wedge-shaped teeth with a sharp apical part, which allows the predator to bite even into the very hard skin of its prey. On both jaws, the teeth have absolutely the same structure, but the upper row is smaller, and when the mouth is closed, it is located in the spaces between the lower teeth. The jaws function under the influence of powerful muscles. Distinctive feature of the lower jaw is its shift forward and a fairly pronounced bend of the teeth back.
Natural distribution area
Piranha is a schooling fish. Under natural conditions, this exotic predator gathers in very large flocks, which inhabit natural reservoirs located on the territory of the South American continent. Natural habitat is the Amazon, Paraguay, Parana and Essequibo, but the largest populations are found in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Paraguay, Brazil and Central Argentina.
River predatory fish prefers to hunt prey in shallow or muddy waters, therefore it is somewhat less common in the sea, where this predatory exotic is deprived of the opportunity to spawn. The spawning period in its natural habitat is May–August. Gluttony forces the piranha to settle in reservoirs that abound with fish.
This is interesting! Piranha is a kind of river orderly, so, as a rule, only weakened or very sick aquatic inhabitants become its prey.
Features of keeping in captivity
Home breeding of piranha is extremely rarely accompanied by difficulties. In addition to the common piranha, domestic aquarists quite actively breed:
- piranha is slender;
- dwarf piranha;
- flag piranha;
- metinnis vulgaris and lunar;
- red or red-bellied pacu;
- mile redfin.
Aquarium piranhas are amazing, very timid and cautious creatures, so with sudden movements during transportation or catching, the fish quickly falls to the bottom. The exotic predator regenerates quite actively, and the skin and damaged fins are able to recover well.
Important! A school stocked in an aquarium must consist of fish of the same age and size. It is recommended to stock one species in one aquarium, which will prevent conflicts and stress.
Neighbors for predatory fish need to be selected correctly, giving preference to neons, minors, and swordtails, as well as armored catfish.
Arrangement of the aquarium
One school of piranhas, consisting of five to eight fish, should be kept in an aquarium, the volume of which can vary between 170-200 liters. Young individuals can be placed in a smaller aquarium, but for adult individuals, on the contrary, an aquarium with a water volume of 300-500 liters is desirable. When decorating, various design elements can be used, including stones different sizes, natural driftwood, as well as living vegetation or artificial plants.
To fill the aquarium, water that has a slightly acidic or neutral reaction is used. Optimal pH values should be 5.5-7. Comfortable temperature regime can vary between 24-26˚С. Well-oxygenated water must be kept constantly clean, for which a tenth of the liquid from the total volume of the aquarium is replaced daily. It is necessary to ensure high-quality aeration and filtration of water.
Behavioral features suggest the use of shelters and aquarium plants when arranging a significant part of the aquarium space, the total number of which should be about two-thirds of the total volume.
This is interesting! Teeth are used by aquarium piranhas, as a rule, for the purpose of self-defense, so aquatic vegetation is rarely damaged by them.
Piranha diet
In natural reservoirs, the diet of piranhas is very diverse, and in addition to other fish, the predatory exotic is able to feed on mollusks, various invertebrates, some amphibians, as well as fruits and seeds floating on the surface.
When kept in home aquariums, it is recommended to provide good nutrition, using small fish, shrimp, squid meat, and earthworms for this purpose. Among other things, you should definitely supplement your diet with chopped raw potatoes and zucchini, chopped white cabbage, chopped lettuce and spinach. A small open area is specially allocated for daily feeding.
To prevent the risk of obesity and disorders digestive system, you cannot feed piranha with chopped mammalian meat. Such food, if not eaten completely, quickly rots in the aquarium water and provokes environmental pollution that is harmful to the fish. Good result and saving time comes from the use of specially developed dry food that has a balanced composition, enriched with all the necessary vitamin and mineral complexes.
Feeding rules
Important! Feed the aquarium piranha once a day.
The process takes a couple of minutes, after which the remaining food must be removed from the water. Through proper feeding, it is possible to adjust the tolerant attitude of individuals towards each other, as a result of which a strict hierarchy in the form of matriarchy is built within the flock. , which makes it easy to remove all food debris not eaten by fish and helps reduce the risk of water pollution. Fish do not eat food that has fallen to the bottom, so it quickly becomes a source of proliferation of pathogenic microflora.
During the first couple of months of life, daphnia, tubifex and bloodworms are used as food. Starting from three months, you can transfer fish to an adult diet, including meat. It's important to remember that significant amount Meat in the diet increases the risk of infertility, so the volume of such protein foods should not exceed a quarter of the total diet. It is recommended that adult fish have a kind of fasting day four times a month, which reduces the likelihood of obesity in the internal organs.
Important! Pieces for feeding should not be large. In this case, it is possible to reduce feed losses.
The feeding process is a kind of indicator of the health of the piranha. If aquarium predators do not rush to food, then it can be assumed that the conditions are not correct enough.
Reproduction at home
The volume of which for a pair of fish should be approximately 300 liters of water. Stimulation of reproduction can be achieved by raising the temperature to 28°C, with a daily replacement of 25% of the water volume, increased nutrition and active aeration. You need to add a layer of small pebbles to the bottom of the spawning tank. The standard thickness of such a layer should not be less than 50 mm.
When creating the most favorable, comfortable conditions, a female piranha lays approximately 2-3 thousand eggs, placing them in a nest previously dug by the male. The male piranha also takes care of the emerging offspring. Larvae from the eggs appear in a couple of days, and already on the sixth day they transform into fry, for feeding which it is advisable to use cyclops, brine shrimp and chopped tubifex.
Precautionary measures
In aquariums with well-fed domestic piranhas, work can be done by hand, but it is very important that skin there were no wounds or bleeding injuries.
During the ongoing activities, it is strictly forbidden to drive a school of piranha into a corner or too narrow a place, since such a situation often provokes aggression in the fish. Most dangerous piranhas become during the spawning period, so work in an aquarium or spawning tank must be done extremely carefully, using special soft wire nets.
When choosing a variety, you need to take into account some species characteristics, as well as the ability to provide aquatic exotic quality care. Mileus redfin or Mileus-luna is one of the most beautiful representatives of the category “herbivorous piranhas”. This species is unpretentious in care and growing conditions, so it is excellent for inexperienced aquarists.
The fast-growing red pacu can also survive well on plant foods, but during spawning this piranha requires exclusively live food. The view is not very suitable for those who are just starting to master aquarium breeding fish Metinnis vulgaris or mirror fish is rightfully considered the friendliest and slightly timid aquarium piranha.
They can easily tolerate some errors in care, and when properly maintained, they almost never show aggression. If you have a lot of experience, you can consider purchasing a slender piranha.
When purchasing exotics, you need to pay attention to the conditions at the point of sale.. The fish must be in clean water, in compliance with the feeding regime, therefore it is recommended to purchase live goods only by pick-up. It is most often not possible to correctly assess the health of a pet during delivery by courier.
Important! Healthy fish have different behavior and appearance. Sick piranhas are passive or have poor coordination of movements. They have almost no appetite. On the body healthy fish there should be no lumps, ulcers or unusual bulges for the species, as well as a sticky or cloudy coating.
After acquisition, even fish that do not show signs of disease must be placed in a quarantine aquarium. After about a week, healthy individuals are placed in a permanent rearing aquarium.
You need to buy predatory exotics from trusted aquarists or specialists in breeding aquarium fish stores The cost of one individual depends on the type and age, but most often varies from one and a half to three thousand rubles. The cost of the rarest specimens sometimes reaches several thousand rubles for one young individual.
Piranha is a dangerous exotic fish that can decorate any aquarium. At the same time, with its appearance it will delight and even a little awe of your friends and guests. But before you start home aquarium this fish, you should carefully study its features.
Habitats in nature
Piranhas live in fresh water bodies South America. Found in the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo, Paraná and Uruguay. Known in almost all countries of the South American continent.
Did you know? If South American shepherds need to move their cattle across a river in which piranhas live, the only chance to do this is to give« tribute» . One cow is given to the owners of the rivers. While the predators tear apart the prey, the shepherds move the rest of the herd.
Description
The piranha family belongs to the ray-finned fish of the order Characinidae. Some species reach more than 1 m in length. Juveniles are silver in color, with black spots on the sides. The fins are red or yellow. Adult fish are colored silver-green with a reddish tint (maybe purple). The caudal fin is edged with black.
Thanks to special structure With its jaws, the fish can tear pieces of flesh from its prey. The triangular teeth reach 0.5 cm in length and are located in such a way that when the jaws are closed, the upper ones fall exactly into the grooves between the lower ones. The jaws are capable of working both in a vertical plane, cutting off pieces of meat, like a guillotine, and in a horizontal plane, tearing out denser and larger pieces of prey.
In their natural environment, piranhas are a kind of orderlies. They eat the flesh of drowned or dead animals to the bones (after the Amazon spills, there are great amount). If not river predators, this flesh would quickly rot if high temperature and air humidity, becoming a source of infections.
Kinds
The body is elongated, reaches 30 cm in length. Gray color with a silvery tint, the anal fin and tail feathers are edged black stripe, belly - red. Habitat: Amazon and its tributaries. 
It does not exceed 15 cm in length. Such dimensions should not be misleading; this is a rather aggressive predatory fish. It has a silver color with black spots and a red anal fin. The tail is edged with black, and there is a hump at the junction of the head and body. 
Important! There are 4 species of true piranhas, that is, those that pose a danger to warm-blooded animals and humans: black piranha, common piranha, common pygocentrus, and Palometa piranha.
Red pacu (red-bellied)- an omnivorous fish native to Brazil. In the natural environment it can grow more than 85 cm in length, in an aquarium - a little more than 40 cm. The color is gray with a pewter tint, the abdomen and fins have a reddish tint. The fin on the back is elongated, the tail is bordered by a black stripe. 
Body length is no more than 15 cm. Body color is gray-green with a red belly. There is a small red spot in the gill area. The dorsal and anal fins have elongated anterior rays. All fins, except the anal (which has a reddish tint) are gray. 
In the territory former USSR appeared in 1970. It has a round body, flat on the sides. The color is silver with a tint, the same color of the eyes with a vertical black stripe. A high fin on the back and a crescent-shaped tail complete the picture. The back can have a color from green to blue, as well as the shade of the sides. All fins are elongated and may have black spots or stripes on the sides. The fins appear transparent, the abdomen is whitish. 
It grows up to 25 cm in length. They have tall building body, red spot behind the gills. The anal fin is red in females and veiled in males. The fish has a silver color with a pewter tint. The sides are cast in the entire spectrum of the rainbow - from red-yellow to blue-green. The fish is predominantly herbivorous. 
Large variety of piranha (25 cm in length). The color is silver, the back is high, the bright red anal fin stands out against the background of the body. The tail is veiled. In females, the anal fin is not as rich in color and is smaller in size. It feeds on both plant and animal foods. 
Aquarium parameters and decorations
If you decide to have a home exotic predator, it is necessary to comply with some requirements for the arrangement of the aquarium. Piranhas in captivity love to be in niches and shelters, so you should take care of this when setting up an aquarium.
Did you know? The officially registered longest-liver among piranhas is the red pacu, which lived for 28 years.
The volume of the aquarium should be calculated according to this rule: per 3 cm of fish body length - 10 liters of water, but the aquarium must hold at least 150 liters. The fish is already quite large in size, and the insufficient volume of the home has a negative impact on its character. A fish can live on its own, but feels better in the company of its own kind.
These predators are voracious, leaving behind a large number of waste products. Accordingly, you should take care of a good powerful filter; you can use several.
Vegetation
Although piranhas are predators, but they also happily eat various aquatic vegetation. So all your efforts to plant a habitat for fish can go towards satisfying its gastronomic needs. Although you shouldn’t leave the aquarium without greenery either. The best solution would be to generously fill the aquarium with artificial plants. Fish eat greens especially willingly during the spawning period.
Priming
Sometimes they prefer to keep piranhas in aquariums without soil, as it is more convenient to care for them. If you prefer traditional decor, ordinary sand or gravel will do just fine.
Water
The water in the aquarium must be well aerated and meet the following requirements:
- temperature - 24...26 °C;
- acidity - 6.0-7.0;
- hardness - 12-16 dH.
Lighting
Lighting is not of fundamental importance, although there is an opinion that preference should be given to white light. The lighting rate is 0.5-0.7 W/l.
Feeding
IN wildlife Piranhas eat literally everything. Therefore, even in captivity, their diet is quite extensive. You can feed predators with other fish, shellfish, invertebrates, amphibians, worms and fruits. The most popular diet for aquarium species:
- fish;
- krill;
- cuttlefish;
- squid;
- worms;
- meat by-products;
- crawls;
- small rodents.
Important!Mammalian meat, although acceptable, is not good food for piranha - fish do not digest it well, and this can lead to obesity.
Meat or fish (it is not recommended to give river water) cut finely or twist into minced meat. The minced meat is mixed with vegetables, and the predators are fed this puree. You cannot use only beef for feeding, this can cause endocrine system disorder (color fades).
You can feed the fish in this way: tie food (fish, meat) to a thread and lower it into the aquarium for 2.5-3 minutes, after the specified time, remove the thread and what is left on it.
The food norm for a predator is the approximate weight of its body. From time to time it is worth having fast days to avoid obesity.
Compatibility with other inhabitants
Provided proper feeding and a sufficient aquarium volume, piranhas get along quite well with and.
Character and behavior
Even in a pack of brothers, there are often skirmishes and cases of cannibalism. By observing the flock, you can find a leader in it. He is often larger than other fish, eats first and shows with all his behavior that he is the leader.
Representatives of the same species get along best in groups of 8-10 individuals. Under certain external influences, the fish may begin to panic:
- a strong knock on the wall of the aquarium;
- a bright flash of light;
- strong splash of water;
- getting into water foreign object big size.
Did you know? Piranhas make similar sounds. If a fish is taken out of the water, it makes sounds similar to a dog barking; when the fish share food, their exclamations become like the beating of a drum. If one fish violates the personal space of another, the piranha begins to “croak.”
Reproduction and sexual differences
Piranhas become capable of reproduction at the age of 16-18 months. It is quite difficult to distinguish a male from a female. It is best to watch the fish - before spawning, the color of the males becomes brighter, and characteristic feature females have a rounded abdomen.
The next step is to choose a secluded quiet place to create a spawning ground. You need to keep together those fish that live nearby for a sufficient time and are well compatible. The spawning area should be spacious, have a large volume, and the water should be clean, with a hardness index of 6.0-7.5 and a temperature of 26...29 ° C.
First, the pair will find a place to spawn. The fact that the place has been chosen will indicate aggressive behavior fish. This is their normal reaction - this is how predators show that the territory is occupied. Then you can see a darkening of the color, and the formation of a small depression at the bottom. After spawning and fertilization, the male will fiercely defend the fertilized eggs.
The eggs are usually bright orange and begin to hatch after 2 days. Then, after another 2 days, the fry appears; it must be carefully removed using a cage.
Important! Be careful - during the birth of offspring, the male can attack anything that moves.
The fry should be immediately kept under normal conditions for the species. From a very young age they have an excellent appetite. It is best to use brine shrimp, daphnia and bloodworms to feed the fry. The fry need to be fed twice a day. After 4 weeks they will reach approximately 1 cm in length. At two months of age, the fins of the fry acquire an orange tint.
In crowded conditions, the fry become aggressive. To exclude cases of cannibalism, sorting should be carried out every week. It is necessary to leave fry of approximately the same size, weeding out the smaller ones.
- up to 1 month - 300-500 pcs.;
- up to 2 months - 200 pcs.;
- up to 3 months - 100 pcs.
Health
Piranhas live in captivity for 10 years or more; they are unpretentious in keeping. An indicator of the health of predators is their appetite. If the fish do not fight for food, do not show playfulness and some anger when feeding, then something is wrong with the conditions of detention. Piranhas are quite sensitive to temperature, water acidity and oxygen saturation. If the inhabitants of the aquarium have a poor appetite, pay attention to these indicators.
Individual characteristics
It is worth noting that rumors about the bloodthirstiness of piranhas are greatly exaggerated. Almost half of the species are herbivores (about 40 out of 80), and only 4 species, the so-called “true piranhas,” pose a threat to mammals and humans in general.
Predators are distinguished by rapid tissue regeneration. Injured skin and fins quickly restore their functions. Cases have been recorded when a fish felt tolerably well after being left without an eye after a skirmish with a rival.
In captivity, piranhas are less aggressive than in the wild. Sometimes they are even shy, hiding in cracks, holes and most spend time there. They are active only when feeding. In general, feeding deserves special attention.
If piranhas eat normally, they get along quite peacefully with representatives of other species, but if the food is poor, or there is not enough space in the aquarium, the fish can fight even with representatives of its own species. Moreover, the fights are brutal, predators often tear out pieces of each other’s flesh and inflict injuries.
Stress in fish can cause them to move to another aquarium; it happened that during this procedure, piranhas gnawed through the mesh of the net.
The smell of blood can make a predator go rabid. There have been recorded cases where piranhas went into a frenzy when water was added to the aquarium in which the meat was washed.
Important! Piranhas eat their wounded, weak or sick brothers.
Precautionary measures
You should not place the aquarium on a low surface, especially if you have Small child or a pet. Do not work in an aquarium bare hand, if there is the slightest wound on it. In other cases, working with your bare hand (for example, removing leftover food) is quite acceptable, just try not to drive the fish into a corner.
Piranhas are bright and noticeable inhabitants of aquariums; it is difficult not to pay attention to them. But contrary to the reputation earned through Hollywood films, the life of fish in an aquarium depends primarily on humans. Try to remember that, despite all the aggressiveness and strength, it is, first of all, aquarium fish, requiring appropriate treatment.
Piranhas: The family of freshwater ray-finned fish belongs to the order Characinidae, and lives in various bodies of water in South America. These fish are characterized by powerful jaws And sharp teeth. Today, the piranha family includes 16 modern genera and 95 species. (Wikipedia)
We can safely say that piranha is one of the most... famous fish in the world! There are many legends and myths about piranhas, but not all horror stories are true. Real danger These fish can be present during the dry period, when water bodies dry out greatly and they begin to lack food. Piranhas first eat all the fish belonging to other species in this reservoir, then they begin hunting each other.
Moreover, they are quite shy and therefore gather in flocks to protect themselves from predators. And in nature they have enough enemies: this and freshwater dolphins, Amazonian otters, various representatives of the cat family caimans, herons, arapaima - ancient fish Very unusual shape.
Famous teeth piranhas, relative to the size of the body, are quite large, have a conical shape, when closed, the upper rows fit tightly into the spaces between the lower ones, so that there is no room for a gap, in addition, The jaw muscles of piranhas are very strong.
Piranhas in an aquarium
The most common guest species found in aquariums include:
Piranha pacu
Paku- these are piranhas, which, despite their menacing appearance and impressive jaw apparatus, are not at all so scary, because they vegetarian piranhas. Under this name, scientists unite several species of South American freshwater piranhas, which prefer primarily plant foods in their menu.
They have unique teeth, slightly similar to human ones. Such teeth serve the pack for crushing nuts and seeds, eating other tough plant food, rich in fiber.
However, if you keep a pacu in the aquarium, you still need to be extremely careful so that the fish do not accidentally bite your hand when you, for example, clean the aquarium.
Mileus redfin or Mileus moon
Mileus- fairly large peace-loving fish, keeping in schools. Their distribution area is the Amazon Basin, various bodies of water in Guiana and Suriname. IN natural conditions mileus can grow up to 35 cm, in artificial conditions - up to 15 cm. Life expectancy - up to 10 years. Mileus are considered to be unpretentious fish species, so they are perfect for beginners and inexperienced aquarists. In artificial conditions it grows up to 15 cm.
Mileus get along quite easily in an aquarium with other types of fish. Since plants constitute their natural diet, it is not recommended to use live vegetation when decorating. Much better fit inanimate objects, although some types of plants are suitable, for example, Thai fern or Java moss, since most herbivorous fish do not eat them. Despite my plant-based food preferences, mileus Still, a protein component in the diet is also necessary, so they should also be supplemented with live food, for example, bloodworms.
Red pacu
Red pacu Colossomabidens(bidentate). Habitat - South America, mainly in the Amazon and its tributaries, people use it as commercial fish(and who, in this case, eats whom?).
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Despite its striking similarity to the piranha, the red pacu rarely includes meat in its diet (perhaps due to the small number of teeth?). In nature, their main diet is a variety of freshwater plants. Young fish grow quite quickly: in the first year, a red pacu can reach 30 cm in natural conditions. The maximum length of adult fish reaches 80 cm with a weight of 25 kg; it is extremely difficult to achieve such indicators in an aquarium. The maximum recorded lifespan in an aquarium is 28 years.
Red piranha
Red Piranha ( Rooseveltiellanattereri) has a red coloration of the abdominal area only at a young age. In the natural environment it grows up to 30 cm (in an aquarium - no more than 20 cm with a weight of up to 1.5 kg) - a fairly large fish, olive-silver with a reddish or purple tint, on the back there are bright highlights, a dissected tail with a blue-green bordered, belly with a pronounced orange tint (fry have noticeable black spots that disappear with age). The body is relatively high, laterally compressed, the head has a large jaw, “like a bulldog.” Has a large mouth with very sharp conical teeth, with jagged edges, the upper ones fit tightly into the gap with the lower ones. The chest, as well as the base of the pectoral and anal fins, are painted bright red, the sides with gilded dots. In general, the color of the red piranha is very attractive! The lifespan of red piranhas in an aquarium is from 6 to 15 years.
Piranhas They are schooling fish and require large, elongated aquariums for maintenance. So, for example, in an aquarium 500 liters. It is recommended to keep 7 fish. Piranhas love well-purified, aerated water.
Therefore, the filtration system must be selected taking into account the increased load on the biofilter; it is better to install an external filter with a double reserve of the volume indicated by the manufacturers. Water temperature 25 - 27°C, pH 5.8 - 7. Hardness: 2 - 12 dHG. Regular, at least once a week, water changes are required, at least 20%. Since piranhas are shy fish (who would have thought!), the aquarium should have enough natural shelters: stones, grottoes, tufts of vegetation.
You can feed piranhas with frozen, lean sea fish without bones, after defrosting it and draining the water, finely chopped shrimp, squid, beef heart and liver. Piranhas will happily chew on a mussel and eat it earthworm or maggot. It is when eating that their famous unbridled character manifests itself!
The small toothy predator piranha can become a beautiful and original exotic decoration for absolutely any aquarium. However, before acquiring such an aggressive, but at the same time extremely shy fish, it is worth providing it with normal living conditions. Without forgetting to take into account that aquarium piranhas These are predatory fish that can inadvertently bite their owner or very quickly deal with their neighbor in the aquarium. That is why experts recommend keeping this fish only for professionals and experienced aquarists.
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Distinctive features
Piranha fish belong to the Characionidae family, from the order Carp-toothed. The natural habitat is freshwater bodies of water on the South American continent, but the most common place is the famous Amazon River. IN natural nature There are a huge number of varieties of piranhas, but only a small subspecies is best kept at home. The most common are: red-bellied aquarium piranha, moon piranha, dwarf and slender piranha or red pacu.
These predatory individuals have a dense body, compressed on the sides with a length of 5 to 15 cm. but in natural conditions these fish reach 30cm. Characteristic, unique to this type of fish, is a massive lower jaw with sharp teeth, which can easily cause serious injuries and eat your prey in a matter of seconds.
The color of the young individual is light silver, and the entire body is covered with black spots. But over time, the color of the scales changes and more closely resembles antique silver, ranging from dark gray to shiny. However, with proper maintenance and constant balanced nutrition, the color acquires a beautiful, rich color. Some varieties may have a golden tint on the sides and dark stripes at the tip of the tail.
An interesting video about piranhas from the “All about Pets” channel.
Basic care requirements
Aquarium piranhas are schooling fish, which is why it is better to keep them in flocks, about 10 individuals, but if volumes allow, more can be done. In the case when they cannot create their own flock, they become timid, and as a result they develop poorly and their life span is significantly reduced. Adults can live quietly alone, and at the same time feel quite confident. In addition, even alone they can easily attack not only others large fish living in an aquarium, but also individuals of their own species.
In an aquarium, the water must always be clean, which is why filtration and aeration are the most important requirements for keeping this type of fish. A weekly water change of approximately 10-15% is also an important condition good development fish Also in the aquarium it is necessary to install optimal temperature, approximately 26.5° C. If the water in the aquarium is constantly cold or, on the contrary, warm, this can cause a weakening of the fish’s immunity and the occurrence of diseases.
Particular attention should also be paid to decorating the space in which these individuals live. Because fish feel comfortable and confident in aquariums with dense vegetation. That is why more than 50% of the water space should be equipped with special shelters in the form of caves, houses, snags and planted with artificial plants. Of course, natural greens will not interfere with piranhas, but they will quickly deal with such a delicacy, because this species eats everything that can be eaten.
Basic nutrition rules
Piranhas living in aquariums are unpretentious in food, but it is important not to overfeed your pets, if possible, change their diet every day and remove leftover food immediately after snacks. The main difference between piranhas and other aquarium fish is that, having had enough, they move away from food and do not pick up the remains of the meal. Therefore, in order to prevent rotting and rapid contamination of water, better food clean up immediately.
Serrasalmus nattereri - Common piranha.
Description
These fish come from South America, where they are natural environment habitats are fresh water bodies. In the early 80s, more and more piranhas began to be placed in aquariums.
Piranhas grow up to 30 centimeters. Their coloring is not particularly remarkable; the entire range and palette fits into a short definition: from light gray to dark gray. However, it is worth noting that piranhas have glittering silver inclusions that are clearly visible.
Common piranhas are also distinguished by a dark back and a scarlet spot on the chest and on the pectoral fins. Juveniles have a black stripe bordering the tail. But as they grow, piranhas completely lighten, acquiring a silver color, and then they can become an undoubted decoration of your aquarium.
The piranha's body is disc-shaped, laterally compressed and high. It should be noted that these fish gained worldwide fame thanks to their weapons, which are their razor-sharp teeth. For example, when the mouth of a piranha is closed, there is not a single gap left between the teeth, and biting a stick as thick as a human finger is not at all a problem for this “cute” fish.
IN at a young age it is impossible to find visual sex differences. Everything becomes clear only after a while, namely when the female’s abdomen becomes fuller, collecting eggs.
Fish must be kept in a flock of the same age from 5 to 8 individuals of equal size. This condition is not at all a whim of the adviser, since in a school of piranhas the strongest survive, and the fate of young and weak representatives of this species is very short and sad. But if your pets are equal in strength and you, of course, are not going to starve them, then everything will be fine. The fish will be quite tolerant of each other, observing a hierarchy.
The behavior of the pack is quite unusual and definitely interesting, since it exhibits an exaggerated clear matriarchy. Throw a piece of meat into the aquarium, and you will see that the primacy to taste the delicacy will be unconditionally given to the “main mother”, the smaller females will take part in the meal next, and finally the males.
As a rule, piranhas are kept in species aquariums. Many fans of these predatory fish they notice that if you place too small fish next to the piranhas, the piranhas will not touch them, even if they are hungry. (Perhaps they are waiting for them to grow up).
However, guppies, neons, swordtails, minors, etc. can be added to piranhas. However, as for goldfish, piranhas quite like them, especially veiled forms. Piranhas begin hunting for these fish immediately and the outcome is always obvious to enviable accuracy.
Piranhas and people
Although there are many frightening films and stories about piranhas in the world, and they themselves have a menacing and ominous appearance, these fish, as a rule, are cowardly and are afraid of every rustle. For example, if you hit the aquarium, your toothy pets may quite naturally collectively faint (no joke).
They sink to the bottom and side. With such actions, the fish show how shocked they are, but they come to their senses very quickly. Some people can't wait to stick their finger in the aquarium. However, you can stick your hand in.
These American visitors will regularly use their sharp teeth solely for defense. For example, they will instantly tear your net, or if you carry out a hormonal injection carelessly, they will bite off a piece of your precious flesh.
As for most other manipulations in the aquarium, timid piranhas will obediently sit in their hiding places. And, nevertheless, it is not recommended to tempt these fish with bloody fingers.
Ideally, a couple of fish will require a volume of 150 liters of water. It is necessary to change the water weekly, once or twice, sometimes more, depending on the overcrowding of the aquarium. Don't forget - the smaller the space, the more aggressive the piranhas become.
Filtration is required, temperature between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius. Make a home with shelter for the fish. The regular diet of piranhas should include lean meat, frozen sea fish, bloodworm, beef heart, shrimp.
Piranhas are difficult to tolerate oxygen starvation, so there should not be a lack of oxygen in the water; provide good aeration for your pets.
If you follow the above tips and take care of your fish in a timely manner, they will live from 10 to 12 years without causing you the slightest discomfort or hassle.
Breeding piranhas
Breeding these fish is not at all difficult. But there are some peculiarities. The female lays from one and a half to three thousand eggs at a time and, as a rule, 75-80 percent of the fry survive. To raise offspring from one pair of piranhas you will need an aquarium with a capacity of three to four thousand liters. This, in fact, is the main difficulty in breeding these toothy fish at home.
Piranhas become sexually mature one and a half years old, spawn two to three times a year. When the male chooses a mate, he begins to dig a round hole in the ground, into which the female subsequently spawns.
Growth stimulants have long been widely known: changing water and increasing temperature. Based on the characteristics of their natural habitat, piranhas will like soft and sour water.
Young animals are usually fed cyclops, cut tubifex, bloodworms, and artemia nauplii. A little later, meat and fish are gradually introduced into the diet. After three weeks, the fry need to be sorted to avoid cannibalism. After three months, the fish should be completely transferred to an “adult” diet.
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