What kind of Phiranhas did you guys have?

I heard the red bellys were the meanest then someone told me the blacks were the means followed by the gold then the red bellys.

I want to get a "school' of them and people said the red belly would be the best choice for me. I dont want a 55 gallon tank with 1 fish in it , lol.

We had red bellies

Thanks for the opinons on the fishes, tanks, etc. Right now i am going to look for an awan, if i cant find one within reasonable time, i will get phiranas (red bellies), thanks for all the opinons and good discussion.

Well, this is what I did:

I bought 5 red belly 1" phiranhas and a 30 gallon tank that sits on my desk.

You are all right, they are shy fish and like to hide behind rocks and plants and dont like light.

I dont blame them because its only in their nature as predators. Hiding behind rocks and foilage waiting for a fish to pass by and attack. I figure when they get bigger, my friends and I can see them better even if they are hiding.

As far as eating, i been feeding them bloodworms, freeze baby shrimp and goldfish. They like to tear the fins off the fish, so i have 5 goldfishes with no tails swimming around.

I have heard the black phiranhas are more aggressive and dont hide and swim up to the glass, etc. so i might get one of those in the future, but for now, its arowana shopping time.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Over the last 2 or 3 months i learned a great deal on piranhas and arowanas.

I purchased 2 baby silver arowanas and 5 baby red bellies.

If you want to see some piranhas feeding, go to:

www.piranha-fury.com

DISCLAIMER: there are videos of piranhas eating large goldfish and a mouse. so not for the weak stomach.

If you want a beautiful fish, you should definitely get a red Arowana...these are beautiful, magestic, and simply breathtaking fishes...the Chinese have dubbed these the "dragon" fish, since their long bodies move in the water like a Chinese dragon...they are a symbol of luck and prosperity...simply lovely...if you have a large enough tank, I highly recommend them...

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1995 black pearl/black Mercedes-Benz E420 :

With 2 silver arows, you may require an individual tank for each as they can grow quite big. And did I mention they are quite territorial too? Make sure that the tank is at least 4" x 2". You might find it extremely useful to have this dimension in 2 years' time.

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... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.

Duck and Ymsin,

You are both correct. Red arowanas are a symbol of good luck and fortune plus they are most beatuiful among all the arowana species (IMO). I dont know if you can say they are a good investment, but you can buy a baby red for $1000-2000.00 and when they reach full maturity they can bring in 5 figures (IF YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE TO SPEND THAT MUCH, lol)

But the only problem is they are illegal in the U.S. I tried very very hard to get a red. But they are the endangered species list and you have to go through CITES, etc. I found out you CAN legally obtain a red in the U.S. but you have to be a zoo or research instituation.

Do you know of another "source" where I can purchase one in the U.S. or know differntly? Cause i really really want a red.

Ymsin,

I am in process of getting a 300-1000 gallon aquarium. I heard arowanas can be tankmates with oscars so i will try that when they get older.

I found the baby silvers at a LFS, and bought them on impluse. So i have to get all new setup, etc. I guess i will have to put cars aside till i get this new hobbie straighted out :-(

Oh does anyone have a black piranha (S. Rhombus/S. Niger)? I want to get one of these bad boys too, they are much meaner and aggressive compared to the Red bellies

Sorry, I do not know of any sources for red Arowana in the US...the silver Arowanas are beautiful too though...I was admiring one in a local tea shop the other day...it was around 15cm long...a beautiful fish...it was a shame they had the fish in a sort of "tall" tank, whereas I believe these fish are more at home in long tanks, where they can swim back and forth skimming the top of the water...

Those piranha videos...what can I say? YUCK...how is it possible to clean the tank with those things snapping around like that? It doesn't seem to be something pleasant that I would put in my office though...are you sure you want these things? I can't imagine entertaining clients by dropping a mouse in the tank By the way, did you guys see how the piranhas went after that catfish? a few gulps, and that thing was ripped apart...

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1995 black pearl/black Mercedes-Benz E420 :

Johnson,
The beautiful red and gold arowanas are available from Malaysia and Thailand and they are very costly. However, as babies, they can be bought a lot cheaper. They have been caught in some of the Northern Australian rivers too, but don't know anyone exporting them. I would prefer to keep the discus as they are really nice fish to watch. They are slow and peaceful if adults in pairs. The young or adolescent can be playful in lots of 10 or so. Choose the reds or brilliant blues and greens for colour and they will pull a lot of attention especially from the ladies at the office. Not a dirty or smelly fish as they eat small amounts of worms or hearts. Leave the piranhas to the debt collectors!!! One day, someone will be eaten alive in the office and you will be sued by ever hungry solicitors!!!

There is a company in Malaysia that exports legal Red Arowanas (with chip). Try this site: http://www.asianarowana.com.my/

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... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.

ymsin: thanks for the site! i am going to email them with my contact info for more info for obtaining them in U.S.

Hocky: is it true that discus needs very frequent water changes and very sensitve to enviroment, etc.? I never owned any before.

Duckmuck: LOL, no i do NOT entertain clients by droping in a mouse. I doubt they will find that as exciting, LMAO. Right now mine are still babies but in 2 months i will be able to do this. I feed them goldfish, flakes, anchovies, meat, etc. now.

As far as cleaning the tanks, i dont know how the guy with 41 piranhas does it, i would be scared to put my arms in that tank, with my 5 small ones, they are very shy so they hide when my hands are in there.

They make special gloves, but i dont know much about them. My friends, friend got bit one time by an adult piranha. It bit his finger right where the joints connect, so he has a little stub where his finger used to be! So when they get bigger, i dont know about sticking my hands in there

I kept them for a few years, but couldn't breed them successfully. They need very clean and clear water and prefer dark surroundings with tanktop lights which will bring out their true natural colours. Some people use the blue or red light to make the colours more striking. They are very sensitive and you should go and see an expert before you start keeping any discus. The local hobby shop can help, but look under "discus" in the Net and you will get lots of expert help. My former neighbour had about 40 tanks of breeding discus, juveniles, babies and adults. He made some money selling them and even exporting them.