# Where Can I Buy A Piranha??



## Critter1990

Im looking for a safe reliable web site to purchase a piranha. I have a 40g tank and in the process of getting it ready to be a piranha tank. I dont know much about these fish so any tips or suggestions are welcomed.


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## navigator black

Start with research. Any piranha dealer will go with Latin names, as there are quite a few species. I would never try keeping any of them in a 40, but you at least need to know eventual size, etc, for each species. If you go in uninformed, disaster awaits.

Piranhas are an expensive hobby with some challenges - carnivores need huge regular water changes and not a lot of people want to put a hand in there to start the siphon. They jump, too.
I've seen piranhas bite things, and photos of their bites on people. Plan, my friend, for fingers and thumbs are good things to have.


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## Goby

navigator black said:


> Start with research. Any piranha dealer will go with Latin names, as there are quite a few species. I would never try keeping any of them in a 40, but you at least need to know eventual size, etc, for each species. If you go in uninformed, disaster awaits.
> 
> Piranhas are an expensive hobby with some challenges - carnivores need huge regular water changes and not a lot of people want to put a hand in there to start the siphon. They jump, too.
> I've seen piranhas bite things, and photos of their bites on people. Plan, my friend, for fingers and thumbs are good things to have.


*pc


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## jbrown5217

I suggest you read up on piranhas, from my knowledge most of the ones you can get school and get rather big. I did some quick googling and saw that a commonly used rule is 20 gallons per fish. So even using this (what the author said was flawed) rule you could only have 2 fish in a fish that likes to school so you would need to get 5 or so.

Here is an article I found that covers basic care and appropriate tank size. I would only look at full adult grown size because most people buy fish in a juvenile state. Make sure you are looking at full grown size.

Piranha-Info.com© :: Piranha's as pets


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## Critter1990

I was nervous about my tank size. I have done little reshearch and found alot of different information. One site says its okay for a 5 to 6 inch pirahna to be in a 40g tank. You think just going with an Oscar tank will be better??


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## jbrown5217

Critter1990 said:


> I was nervous about my tank size. I have done little reshearch and found alot of different information. One site says its okay for a 5 to 6 inch pirahna to be in a 40g tank. You think just going with an Oscar tank will be better??


Oscars should be minimally in a 55 gallon.

I am not saying you couldn't do a piranha, but you would need to find a solitary species of one.


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## susankat

You should also check your state laws on them. Many states they are illegal and for a reason.


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## Summer

Also check for legality.


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## MJAVY7

Hummmm......interesting read.


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## I_would_be_a-blue_fish75

I have friends who have kept piranha's before. They seem like they would be a neat fish to have, but they are actually very shy. If you want to see them regularly you will have to keep the tank almost completely bare. Here is a link from Dustins Fish tanks that talks about Piranha keeping. An oscar tank may be a better option for you.

533. Dustin's Piranha Story... - YouTube


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## mk4gti

When i was not living in NYC(where they are illegal) i kept 5(1.5-2") juvies in a 75 bare bottom tank. Feeding them was a mess and required a water change and sucking out pieces of uneaten food afterwards (hence why i went bare bottom). IF, and thats a big IF, you do get your hands on some i suggest going bare bottom on the tank. When i moved i had to give them away, the guy that took them had a 210 gallon tank. They were gold bellies which i hear are very difficult to find. You can keep plecos with them, i had a 6" common pleco in the tank and they never bothered him.


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## Critter1990

Thanks guys for all your input. I decided not to get a piranha. I want to learn more about the oscars!!


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## Crazy

If you want to go with Oscars you need to realize they grow very quickly and get very large. The largest I have heard of was just shy of 16". This means you will need a 55g or larger tank with really good filtration. They are also very aggressive and finding tank mates can be a challenge. Other than that I have 3 and they are all very beautiful, intelligent fish that enjoy. Oscars are far from shy and in the right conditions can thrive very well. You will also need to make sure you feed them quality food as they are prone to health problems with lower quality food. Do your research and should you decide you still want an Oscar just make sure that you have the appropriate conditions set up for it.


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## navigator black

If you like aggressive fish with a ton of personality, but you've realized that an oscar won't be happy in a 40 (a very small tank in the big cichlid hobby), why not troll around for info and availability of more appropriately sized character fish? 
Firemouths, salvini's cichlid, Herotilapia multispinosa, sajicas, elliotti, and the like will all make a 40 lively and interesting. An oscar in there is like a horse in the living room. You need a fish that doesn't get bigger than 5-6 inches. 
I have a 120 here, and I would never put an oscar in it, alone. The tank is too small, and I have confidence I would be able to raise an oscar to its potential size. If you care for a fish, it grows. 

Measure the longest part of your tank. For any cichlids other than Malawis, the tank should be at least six times the maximum possible length of the fish you will put in it. Its depth (front to back) should never be less than twice the length of the fish - ideally, three times. It should also be at least three or four times deeper than the height of the fish. One inch per gallon is a cruel calculation with cichlids.


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## Stinky

If you want notorious fish a snakehead would be more impressive than any piranha. Not that you could fit an adult in 40 gal. If you want wacky fish with personality (like the oscars) you might try dojo loaches.


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## Critter1990

Thanks navigator black! Im going to reshearch the fish you recomended.


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## Critter1990

I wish i could get a snakehead but they are illegal in PA


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## hanky

How about Pacus'? they are an impressive fish as well,


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## Manafel

Snakeheads are illegal in every state(I believe) because they are very dangerous for an eco-system. Pacus get HUGE, which is why I wouldn't suggest either of those. I agree with Navigator Black's Idea.


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## susankat

Yeah a girl I work with had 2 that got to big for her 150


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## navigator black

A full grown pacu reaches 60 lbs in the wild. 

It's always good to look these things up - they shouldn't even be selling pacus, as who has a tank that big?


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## Stinky

Manafel said:


> Snakeheads are illegal in every state(I believe) because they are very dangerous for an eco-system. Pacus get HUGE, which is why I wouldn't suggest either of those. I agree with Navigator Black's Idea.


True, but for that very reason they don't mind (or in some cases even encourage) if you fish them out. Some places are infested with them. It's plausible to capture a juvenile and keep it. I very much doubt anyone would care. Not that snakeheads are all that interesting to keep, imo. From reading around it seems like most people can't handle them in the long run, anyway. They get too big and demanding. The adults are literally dangerous. I'd sooner go with a black piranha. At least there you have a lot of experience from others to read from.


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## Stinky

navigator black said:


> A full grown pacu reaches 60 lbs in the wild.
> 
> It's always good to look these things up - they shouldn't even be selling pacus, as who has a tank that big?


This guy does!


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