butters Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 So I have two black belt cichlids with my three Red Bellies right now. I originally got the cichlids as food when they were really small (i know, i know). But the P's wouldn't have them as food obviously because they are still there. So now these cichlids have grown dramatically in the past few months, they were no where near the size of the P's but now they are getting close. One of the cichlids is very agressive, he chases around everyone in the tank. The P's have nipped their tails a couple times but that's about it, they don't normally chase them around or anything. So, basically my question is will I have trouble in the near future with the cichlids if they become the same size or bigger than my Piranhas? I'm only worried about the Piranhas really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 How big is you tank? If you have some good hardscape braking up the tank it might be able get away with this, but if the cichlids try to breed it will most likly be bad for your piranhas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butters Posted March 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 How big is you tank? If you have some good hardscape braking up the tank it might be able get away with this, but if the cichlids try to breed it will most likly be bad for your piranhas. It is 55 gallons for right now. I'm not even sure if they are male and female, is there an easy way to tell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 HAHA I wouldnt worry about the pygos. I can say for sure they will be the last ones living in that tank at the end of the day. When it all boils down, they will always be the tougher fish if its just a matter of fighting that your worried about. If one gets a little hungry, thats all it takes. Once he takes a bite the other 2 will too. Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairdeal Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 I had 6 red bellies a long long time ago and the concern would be if one of them does take a bite out of one of those black belts and blood gets in the water you will have a feeding frenzy the likes of which you have never seen. I had 1 of mine bitten in one of those frenzies - survived but still had the loony sized wound in the back for the rest of its life. I fed them raw liver just that once and from then on it was back to fish fillets only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) Its not so much the blood in the water, although Im sure that is an attractive smell to them. The one sole Pygo that gets a bite and in turn, returns to the shoal without injury and a fuller belly gives the others the incentive needed to take their share without worrying about injury. They react as a group in a manner that is typically 1 for all. When one decides to do something the others watch carefully and then take appropriate actions once they observe no danger and some benifit to their stomachs Kyle Edited March 11, 2010 by Neesmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLake Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 (edited) seems like a awful way to end your life, on the business side of a shoal of red bellies. I had a 33 gallon tank full of about 15 or so toonie sized red bellies when i first moved out of mom and dads. the tank (stupidly)was beside our big screen. While watching tv one night i noticed a bunch of silver flashes in the water. As I appraoched the tank I noticed a half of a red belly trying to swim. He was basically cut in half and still trying to swim. They ate each other down to nice round number of 6 within the next few days. These fish were well fed prior and during this period. They are also known to smell blood from hundreds of feet away and close in to inspect the chance of a meal. Edited March 12, 2010 by JLake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Ive been bit by one smaller than any of the ones I own and it was a bleeder! Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLake Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Ive been bit by one smaller than any of the ones I own and it was a bleeder! Kyle haha really the red belly bit you? haha how did that work out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 pretty good for him, not so well for me Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLake Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 haha thats awesome. if that happened to me i would brag about it all the time. not alot of ppl have been bit by these fish. (well not alot that i know) did it scar? i would of tattoed that scar anyways if it went away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 their teeth are so sharp you dont even feel it really. Just a quick pinch. Its a very clean cut, so no scar. They were in pails and I dripped a bit of blood in each pail to see their reaction. None of them seemed to care or even move really Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butters Posted March 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2010 seems like a awful way to end your life, on the business side of a shoal of red bellies. I had a 33 gallon tank full of about 15 or so toonie sized red bellies when i first moved out of mom and dads. the tank (stupidly)was beside our big screen. While watching tv one night i noticed a bunch of silver flashes in the water. As I appraoched the tank I noticed a half of a red belly trying to swim. He was basically cut in half and still trying to swim. They ate each other down to nice round number of 6 within the next few days. These fish were well fed prior and during this period. They are also known to smell blood from hundreds of feet away and close in to inspect the chance of a meal. 15 red bellies in a 33 gallon tank! Even if they were babies, no wonder they ate each other haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butters Posted March 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2010 (edited) I guess I spoke too soon as well. The last week or so one of the Black Belts was constantly chasing the P's around. Today I was watching TV and noticed all 3 P's chasing the Black Belt around now very aggressively, when I checked up on it a little bit later now the Black Belt has a mangled face and sitting by himself in the corner. -roll- And as for getting bitten, I normally stick my hands in the tank with no problems, I am obviously very cautious and I make sure to push them to the opposite side of the tank that I'm working on. But they are starting to get pretty big so I don't think I'll be taking the risk much longer. Edited March 13, 2010 by butters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted March 14, 2010 Report Share Posted March 14, 2010 I ALWAYS feed mine about an hour before putting my hands in there. I have 10-11" reds so I dont feel like testing the size of their bite Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.