Piranha. Common piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)

Many hobbyists want to decorate their aquarium with such exotic fish as piranhas. Piranhas (Serrasalminae) are predatory freshwater river fish from the order Cyprinidae that live in the Amazon River basin and freshwater bodies of South America. Only in the early 80s did they begin to appear in aquariums.

Most common aquarium species: common piranha (Rooseveltiella nattereri), red pacu (Colossoma bidens), lunar metynnis (Metynnis luna), common metynnis (Metynnis hypsauchen).

Distinctive features

The body shape of all varieties of this fish is approximately the same: a high disc-shaped body, flattened on both sides, low-set eyes and an inflated forehead. The teeth are sharp, lamellar, triangular in shape, arranged in such an order that when compressed there is no gap left between the teeth. Adult fish can reach sizes of up to 30 cm. Aquarium piranhas live, depending on the species, from 4 to 15 years.

Behavior

This kind aquarium fish differs in calmer behavior than in natural habitats, but do not forget that these are school predators. Therefore, it is advisable that a school of piranhas consisting of at least 8-10 individuals live in your aquarium. Lonely individuals feel uncomfortable, fearful, withdrawn and develop poorly. Aquarium piranhas also react to loud noises, new large objects in the aquarium, bright harsh light, sometimes these factors cause the fish to panic and even bite.

Keeping fish has its own subtleties and nuances. To make the fish comfortable, you should follow temperature regime. The temperature should be approximately 25 degrees, but temperature fluctuations within the range of 24.5 - 28.5 degrees are allowed. To maintain the temperature in the aquarium, there must be a water heater and a thermometer. Fish can tolerate short-term sharp drops in temperature in necessary cases, for example, during transportation. But keeping the fish in too cold or too cold conditions for a long time warm water This can lead to illness, decreased immunity, and nerve or heart damage.
Water for your pets must be clean and oxygenated - this is one of the most important conditions for keeping them. In order to filter water in an aquarium, you need to install a filter, maybe even several for better cleaning, and a compressor to saturate the water with oxygen. It is also necessary to periodically replace some of the water, preferably 1-2 times a week.
To create optimally comfortable conditions, fish need: 8 liters of water per 2.5 cm of the body of an adult fish. Therefore, the minimum volume of water in the aquarium should be 95-100 liters. Lack of space can affect the behavior of the fish, they can injure each other. The wounded pet should be moved to another container until all wounds are healed, because a weak fish will not be able to fend for itself when attacked by healthy individuals. Piranhas love to hide, so it is advisable that there is a lot of vegetation in the aquarium, possibly artificial, driftwood, houses, caves or other shelters.

When I first heard the story about the South American predatory fish, in a few minutes capable of gnawing at the carcass of an animal, some people are horrified, others want to admire these great and terrible creatures, and some even want to get them as pets.

Piranhas (lat. Serrasalmidae) - an extensive family freshwater fish native to the waters of South America. They belong to the order Characiformes (lat. Characiformes) and are quite close relatives of peaceful tetras.

In nature, piranhas - formidable predators, capable of easily biting even the finger of an adult. Their sharp teeth cut through flesh like a blade, and their jaws are powerful enough to bite off thick fishhooks.

Fortunately, this description is typical only for some predatory species. Many piranhas are herbivores or simply cowardly fish that pose no danger to humans.

In an aquarium, the behavior of fish is strikingly different from their wild counterparts. If wild predators gathered in large flocks are dangerous, then the inhabitants of domestic reservoirs are more timid and fearful, and in stressful situations They may even lose consciousness and fall to the bottom.

However, the danger wild fish exaggerated by popular Hollywood films. In fact, the piranha is a very cautious creature, attacking only aquatic inhabitants and very afraid of people.

One day, ichthyologist biologist Herbert Axeldorf decided to prove how dangerous piranhas are for humans. He put a large school of fish in the pool and decided to dive into it wearing only his swimming trunks. Having received no harm, he decided to swim with a piece of bloody meat in his hand. And even then, none of the piranhas dared to approach him, although after that the predators still feasted on the meat, but only when the person was not in the water.

So where did the belief come from that piranhas are malicious killers, just waiting for the right moment to feast on human flesh? Sadly, people drown in rivers quite often, and the bodies found have the characteristic markings of piranha teeth. These fish play the role of scavengers in the ecosystem of the reservoir.

Types of piranhas

The family includes 95 species of fish, but only the most spectacular ones are common in the aquarium hobby. They all reach different sizes and differ in the nature of nutrition, and consequently, content.

Common piranha (lat. Pygocentrus nattereri, eng. Red Bellied Piranha)

Most known species piranhas, whose food in nature is mainly birds and other fish. This animal has a tall, laterally compressed body with silvery scales. The belly is red, the snout is round, and the mouth has sharp teeth: large on the lower jaw and small on the upper.

With age, the color of fish may change. The juvenile piranha outfit is more contrasting; there are small uneven spots all over the body. dark spots, which disappear in adult fish.

The common piranha grows quite large, and in captivity reaches 35 cm. These fish are mainly kept in public aquariums, since they require quite large containers, because they are kept in numerous schools.

Oddly enough, it is difficult to call piranhas exceptional predators. Their diet includes not only fish and invertebrates, but also plants, seeds and fruits.

Common piranha.

Red-bellied Pacu (lat. Piaractus brachypomus, English. Red-bellied Pacu)

Despite the external similarity with the common piranha, the basis of the diet of this fish is plant foods. Pacu teeth are molar-shaped.

The red pacu is a very large fish that grows quite rapidly. In the first year of life it can reach 30 cm and continues to grow further, up to 60 cm. The aquarium needs to be large enough; for a group of fish you will need a capacity of over 2 tons. Pet stores usually sell very young, small-sized specimens.

Unfortunately, very often the sellers themselves are not aware of the potential size of these fish, but they will enthusiastically tell buyers that this is a real piranha. When buying a red pack, you need to remember that you will soon need a spacious container.

Red pacu.

(lat. Metynnis hypsauchen, English. Silver Dollar)

A relatively small herbivorous representative of the piranha, feeding mainly on plant foods and growing up to 15 cm. Aquarists love it for its bright, shiny silver scales and round body shape, which makes the fish resemble a coin.

Metinnis.

Flag piranha (lat. Catoprion mento, eng. Wimpel Piranha)

A beautiful silvery fish with a diamond-shaped body, elongated dorsal and anal fins, bright red markings on the gill cover and anal fin. Grows up to 15 cm.

These piranhas are quite shy and prefer to hide in the shade of plants and various shelters. But this character trait does not prevent them from being quite voracious predators. Unlike most other aquarium piranhas, it is advisable to keep the flag piranha in a densely planted aquarium, as it is loyal to any vegetation.

Despite its unusual appearance, pennant piranha is a rare guest in hobbyist aquariums. The reason for this is whimsicality and high demands on water quality. In captivity, pennant piranhas do not reproduce.

Most piranhas are quite hardy animals with good immunity and regeneration abilities. But in order for animals to feel good and grow, it is recommended to create conditions as similar as possible to natural environment a habitat:

• Piranhas are schooling creatures, so they must be kept in a group of at least 6 individuals, otherwise they quickly turn into nervous, uncertain fish.
• Vegetation is completely incompatible with most species. Pacus and metinnises will happily eat all the aquarium greens, and predatory piranhas they are simply pulling it out for fun. The exception is floating vegetation that shades the aquarium and is not fixed to the ground.
• The light needs to be dim and diffused. It is advisable to create both shaded areas and well-lit areas. You can also use various floating greenery as decoration.
• There are no special requirements for the soil, since piranhas do not dig through it, and generally do not have any interest in it. You can use river sand or fine gravel.
• You can decorate the aquarium with driftwood, but you must leave room for swimming.
• Active and mobile fish can jump out of the aquarium during a showdown or hunting, so the container should be equipped with a lid or cover glass.
• Take care of a high-quality filtration and aeration system, as well as weekly changes of up to half the water. It is advisable to use an external filter with a temperature maintenance function, since piranhas can touch the wires of aquarium equipment, thereby disabling it.

• temperature: 24-28 °C;
• acidity: 5.5-7.5 pH;
• hardness: 2-12 °dH.

Feeding

Predatory species of piranha are not picky eaters and willingly eat both dry and live or frozen food. They will enjoy eating small live fish, tadpoles, insects, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and meat. sea ​​fish, shrimp, squid or mussels. You can use apple, pear, melon and other fruits or vegetables as a vitamin supplement.

It is better not to overdo it with the meat of land animals, as it is poorly absorbed by the fish body. Although piranhas happily eat frozen food, during the spawning period it is better to give preference to live food.

You can feed herbivorous piranhas various vegetables and fruits - cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, apples. Sometimes you can organize protein supplements by giving piranhas fillets of sea fish, bloodworms and pieces of squid.

Breeding

Piranhas become sexually mature a year at a length of 10-15 cm. Females are much larger and have a rounded abdomen.

In nature, piranhas spawn twice a year: at the beginning of the rainy season and at the end dry season when water floods ground vegetation. In captivity, piranhas are bred quite easily and often even without the intervention of their owners.

Spawning behavior is facilitated by abundant feeding of live food and massive replacements using cold water. Fish ready for spawning are darker in color.

During spawning, males become territorial, digging a hole in the ground and carefully guarding it. The female carefully examines the nest. If its quality satisfies her, she spawns eggs into it in batches, which are immediately fertilized by the male. In large aquariums, group spawning is possible.

Incubation of eggs lasts 2-3 days. The fry begins to swim on the fifth day. At this time, it is best to take the babies from their parents using a siphon and start growing Artemia nauplii using them. Also in a nursery aquarium it is necessary to carry out daily 10% water changes.

The fry grow very quickly and are prone to cannibalism, so the fry must be sorted and placed frequently.

Before you start breeding piranhas, you need to remember that they are highly fertile, and the fry are cheap and in little demand.

Compatibility

Piranhas have a rather specific character, so it is recommended to keep them in an exclusively species-specific aquarium, even without catfish.

Young fish can be called relatively peaceful, but with age they become bolder and more aggressive. Small fish will be eaten, and large fish will have their scales and fins gnawed off. Piranhas are not known for their loyalty to each other, so it is better to have a deposit box ready in which you can place beaten members of the pack.

Herbivorous piranhas are peaceful and compatible with most medium-sized aquarium fish that do not require plants.

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 normal conditions a habitat. Without forgetting to take into account that aquarium piranhas This predatory fish, which 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.

Distinctive features

Quickly navigate to the article 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 famous river Amazon. 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 , inherent only to this type of fish, is a massive lower jaw with, which are quite easy to inflict serious injuries and eat their 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 the right content and constant balanced diet, 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 for the good development of fish. It is also necessary to set the optimal temperature in the aquarium, 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 type eats everything you can eat.

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 leftovers of the meal. Therefore, in order to prevent rotting and rapid contamination of the water, it is better to remove the feed immediately.

An aquarium with colorful fish makes the home feel cozy, and watching these bright, small creatures move in clear water smoothly, as if in weightlessness, relieves tension and brings emotions into balance. With such a wide variety of shapes and colors, everyone can find what they like best. Along with harmless fish that can get along with their neighbors, you can also get predatory representatives. Probably the most exotic of them are piranhas. Keeping piranhas in an aquarium is quite possible. We'll tell you how to deal with this.

When people mention piranhas, they naturally associate them with the bloodthirstiness of these fish. In fact, aquarium piranhas bear little resemblance to the monsters that live in wildlife. You can quite calmly put your hand into the aquarium, and they would rather run away in fear than attack it. Although, if they are starving and there is a bleeding wound on your hand, better fate don't test.

A little general information about keeping piranhas in an aquarium.

The color of piranhas is not distinguished by cheerful colors - these are gray fish, whose sides acquire a pinkish tint and are covered with silver sparkles as they grow older. When the temperature and mood change, the color may darken, but when everything gets better, they return to normal colors again. Adult fish, with proper care behind it, can reach 20 cm in length.

Growing piranhas in an aquarium is not difficult. As for any aquarium fish, they need space, appropriate temperature and proper nutrition to grow and feel good.

Piranhas are collective creatures that live in schools. To prevent them from becoming lethargic and depressed, there should be at least seven of them. Unlike other aquarium fish, they have a pronounced hierarchy and natural selection. If they are not fed on time, they will shamelessly feast on their weaker and smaller relatives. Moreover, keeping piranha with other fish in an aquarium is simply unacceptable.
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Although piranhas are tough, they also have their weaknesses. If you are used to calling fish by tapping your finger on the wall of the aquarium, then this trick will not work with piranhas. They are not distinguished by great courage and intelligence, so they are frightened by loud sounds and sudden movements so much that they can lose consciousness in the literal sense of the word. At the same time, they turn pale and, falling on their sides, fall to the bottom. After some time, the piranhas will come to their senses again and swim, but it is better to try not to injure them and set up the aquarium in a quiet and calm place. And for the fish to feel safe, they need places to hide - plants, aquarium decorations, stones and driftwood.

Conditions for keeping piranhas in an aquarium

The best solution would be to equip an aquarium with 500 liters of water with a comfortable temperature for piranhas in the range of 24-260C. These fish are very sensitive to low temperatures and if the water is not up to standard, they will become lethargic and begin to roll over on their side. Constant temperature changes can lead to decreased immunity and death of fish.

Piranhas have the ability to quickly pollute the water in an aquarium. This is due to their feeding method - small pieces of food sink to the bottom, mix with the soil and rot there. To prevent this from happening, it is better to immediately remove excess food and update 20% of the water in the aquarium every week, clean the soil, and also do not forget about filtering and aerating the water.

How and what to feed a piranha

Piranhas will not refuse to hunt live game if you add small fish or tadpoles to the aquarium. Well, piranha fry will happily eat bloodworms, coretra, tubifex, artemia nauplii and cyclops.

Breeding piranha in an aquarium

If you want to grow piranha in an aquarium, you need to know just a few simple rules:

Water volume not less than 300 liters
. The number of males must exceed the number of females
. Water temperature from 260C to 280C
. Water hardness pH 6.5 and dH up to 6.00

You can adjust dH and pH using special reagents that are sold in pet stores. For example - Tetra Aqua pH/KH Minus (to reduce acidity), Tetra Aqua pH/KH Plus (to increase acidity). You can also purchase indicators for measuring indicators there.

Piranhas reproduce by laying eggs, but since their parental feelings are atrophied, it is better to transplant them into an incubator. As the kids grow up, they also need to be sorted, separating the larger ones from the smaller ones. And all for the same reason - cannibalism.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in caring for piranhas, and by placing them in an aquarium at home, you can surprise your friends and acquaintances with the originality of your choice.

Piranhas are known as vicious, bloodthirsty monsters that attack everyone. In fact, out of 80 species of piranha, about 35 are vegetarians, and only 4 species pose a danger to warm-blooded animals. Despite their notoriety, piranhas hunt mainly for sick or weak fish, small aquatic and semi-aquatic animals and very rarely attack people.

In an aquarium, piranhas are timid, so it is advisable to plant dense vegetation near the back wall to provide shelter for the fish. They usually spend their time gathered in a flock in thickets of greenery. Piranhas are frightened by sudden movements behind the glass, impacts on it, and loud sounds. IN South America The natives scare away the piranhas by simply patting the water with their palms. However, you should not underestimate piranhas: a fish a little more than 20 cm long is capable of snatching off the phalanx of a finger; there is a known case when a piranha left a mark of teeth on a metal scalpel.

Feeding and conditions for keeping piranhas

IN Marine aquarium The piranha diet consists of ordinary live food: meat, squid fillet, earthworms. From time to time, their menu can be diversified with cheap live fish: guppies, swordtails, defective goldfish. Beef, heart, poultry are backup food. Piranhas should not be overfed as they are prone to obesity. Once a week it is necessary to give them a fasting day, ensuring a constant strong current in the aquarium. Piranhas also cannot be underfed: hungry large individuals can eat or seriously injure small ones.

Piranhas are quite picky about their content. One fish requires at least 50 liters of water, it is advisable to keep them in a flock in an aquarium with a volume of at least 200 liters, ideally - from 500. Golden Rule Keeping piranhas: one aquarium - one species. Individuals different types will conflict and experience stress.

In the aquarium it is necessary to provide a lot of shelters: driftwood, stones, large bushes of plants. The water should be soft, slightly acidic, very clean, with a high oxygen content. The optimal temperature is 24-26°C. Piranhas cannot tolerate sudden fluctuations in water parameters.

Piranha breeding

The spawning tank is made slightly smaller than the main aquarium, but it is advisable to populate it with only one pair of fish per 300 liters of water. Reproduction is stimulated elevated temperature- up to 28°C, daily replacement of 25% of the volume, increased aeration and abundant feeding of live fish. The plants are not planted - the males will gnaw them down anyway. The bottom is covered with a layer of small pebbles about 5 cm thick; at home, pebbles can be poured onto half the bottom of the main aquarium.

The female lays up to 3000 eggs in a nest previously dug by the male. The father also takes care of the offspring. After 2-3 days, the larvae hatch, and on the sixth day the fry appear. They need to be fed cyclops, brine shrimp, and a little later - chopped tubifex. At the age of two months, piranhas can eat meat and fish; they grab food only on the fly; they are not interested in pieces that have fallen to the bottom.

Characteristics of piranhas

In an aquarium, piranhas behave calmly, even passively, and seem boring, although beautiful. But during feeding, they go into a complete frenzy and snap their teeth left and right, biting their neighbors. Piranhas can smell a single drop of blood even in a large 500-liter aquarium.

Provided there is stable feeding, piranhas can be kept with small fish: neons, minore, thorns. Contrary to popular belief, piranhas do not pay attention to their neighbors unless they are too hungry. It is optimal, of course, to allocate a separate aquarium for them.