Black Piranha hasnt eaten yet

[booginish]

hi i recently inherited a 10 inch black piranha, iv got him in a 100g tank, all water perameters are normal, and i transported him from a place that is 3 hours away, i had to transport him via cooler, he wasnt very thrashy at all. When i got him home i made sure there was alrdy some fish in the tank for him to chew on, i left 6 zebra danios in there, its bin 4 days now and all the danios are still there, piranhas can go 3 months without starving to death, but im still worried, he isnt as scared when i get near the tank anymore. just 20 mins ago i tried to feed him a prawn and he freaked out. so im not sure what to do, except be pacient. hes 8 years old....very very strong, was eating feeders and hot dog with the previous owner. is there anything i can do for him? or just wait it out, he ll come around kind a thing.

 

[booginish]

sorry for being so brief in previour message.......

 

[booginish]

previous*

 

[gzeiger]

Hot dogs can't be any better for fish than they are for people

I'd just wait it out for now. Many fish will take time to adjust to new surroundings, especially when transported in a stressful manner. There isn't necessarily any reason for one fish to act differently than another except individual personality differences, but 3 hours in a car is a long haul by any stretch, and the process of removing a 10" fish from a tank is not without stress either.

I really wouldn't worry about it yet. The prawn was a good idea. I'd just keep offering a variety of different foods each day and see if he goes for any of it.

 

[booginish]

i plan on feeding him a very healthy diet, prawns, clean earthworms, and feeder goldfish that i breed my self, and frozen catfish fillet, sol fillet, and try to ween him on some veggie pellets once in a while, but ya he hasnt eaten yet but he is very active today, he came to the front of the tank to stare at me, i think hes starting to get used to me, hope to see him eat soon........

 

[gzeiger]

You should look into the thiaminase issue with goldfish. Nobody but Petco really recommends those as feeders due to the nutritional issues (even if not a staple part of the diet). There any any number of other easy to breed feeder species available. Mollies, guppies, endlers and swordtails have all been suggested. I'm about to start a convict cichlid hatchery for that purpose.

 

[booginish]

cool, what kind of piranhas do you have?

 

[gzeiger]

Actually I have a redfin pike (native and wild caught), but the eating habits are pretty similar. I had a pair, but it turns out they can be cannibalistic even when well fed

 

[booginish]

yes black piranhas as well are cannabilistic in captivity, but there very fun on there own any way.

 

[booginish]

i added some aquarium salt to the tank, thought it would relieve some stress, help him relax in his new home, even when i was poring the tank water and aquarium salt mix in the tank he was freaking out a bit, hopefully he will calm down soon.

 

[tntfish]

i think he will calm down give em time i gave my two crzys away to my cosin he loves those things and the goldfish arent to good for them guppies are better they are so easy to breeedd

 

[booginish]

ya im thinking i will get some guppies, but he has food swimming all around him(zebra danios) and he wont even touch em, he seems agravated with them, but he doesnt do anything, i know soon i will wake up one day to no more zebra danios. Another question, is there a specific size of feeder fish i should be feeding him? i think the reason he doesnt touch the danios is because they are to small for him to care about, will that be the same with any other feeder fish thats to small, he will ignore them, or is it just because he is still getting used to his new surroundings?

 

[booginish]

i know i ve posted alot but im just so eager to see my "jaws" start eating, i love him so much, i only want the best for him. You guys always make me feal so comfortable with your knowledgable answers.

 

[booginish]

keep em coming..............

 

[gzeiger]

I don't know much about piranha specifically, but my pike is pretty happy with feeders 1/4 to 1/3 of his body size. In an aquarium the big piranha may be fairly unmaneuverable compared to little danios, especially if there are decorations they can dodge behind. It may be worth a try to offer bigger feeders, but those can be expensive. Goldfish are the only large-size feeder fish I ever really see offered for sale.

 

[asudavew]

I know your water parameters are normal. But what are the readings?

If my nitrates get high, my Oscars go into hiding.
And won't each much.

Also, my Oscars took awhile to get used to their new home.
And they were babies. So I would imagine your larger piranha will take awhile to adjust.

 

[Retaks]

OK so you just got a 10" Rhom??? First off dont feed live foods often. Once a month or so is ok but they are not good for the fish. Stick with raw white meat fish (catfish, flounder, trout, etc.) or Shrimp/prawns. IF you can get him on pellets they are ok also. You should leave the lights off int eh tank for 3 days to a week to let him adjust to the new tank and all and i wouldnt have even tryed to feed him for atleast a week. He prob wont eat for closer to a month or two but i would try 2 times a week either an hour after turning the lights off or just before turning them on. Its gonna take a whyle before he eats and a long time before he eats in front of you and/or with the tank lights on. Any other questions feel free to pm me. I keep Piranhas specifically so i know a little about caring for them properly.

 

[booginish]

cool, iv kept rbp before but they were pretty outgoing, and iv kept and 15 in arowana, and all of them were easy to tend to and they werent very nervous, easy to feed. but ya im gonna try to leave the lights off, i heard its good to get ur face a bit close to the tank a few minutes a day to let him get used to your face. thank for the advice.

 

[booginish]

what a beautiful animal................

 

[asudavew]

what a beautiful animal................

Pics?