How to keep red-bellied piranhas? A detailed guide to breeding methods

The red-bellied piranha, scientific name Pygocentrus nattereri, is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae and genus Pygocentrus. It has a red belly, while the rest of its body is usually gray, with silver-spotted scales and creamy-brown flanks. It is distributed across the South American continent and parts of North America, and usually appears in whitewater rivers and lakes. Let's take a look below at how to keep red-bellied piranhas!

How much do red-bellied piranhas cost?

The market price of red-bellied piranhas mainly depends on size. Small ones of 2-3 cm cost 15-20 yuan, and adults are estimated at 80-120 yuan.

What do red-bellied piranhas eat?

The main prey of red-bellied piranhas are fish, insects and aquatic invertebrates, such as mollusks, crustaceans, algae and some aquatic plants. They also eat other tiny things, such as terrestrial organisms they encounter, fruits, seeds, and so on. The mouth of the red-bellied piranha, with its sharp triangular teeth, is closed, which is very conducive to this species tearing and biting food. Its flat, blunt-instrument-like outer mouth effectively enhances this piranha's attacking ability.

How to keep red-bellied piranhas?

1. Water quality for keeping: prefers weakly acidic soft water.

2. Water temperature for keeping: 22-28°C.

3. Stocking method: keep alone, and do not keep together with other fish.

4. Breeding difficulty: strong constitution, easy to keep, but be careful of injury to people.

5. Breeding water temperature: a breeding water temperature of around 26°C is suitable.

6. Breeding method: before red-bellied piranhas breed, a layer of golden thread grass or palm fiber can be laid on the bottom of the tank, and the parent fish can be placed in at a male-to-female ratio of 1:1. After one day of chasing, they can spawn, and the eggs are attached to plants. After spawning is finished, the parent fish should be removed in time to avoid eating the eggs. Each pair of parent fish spawns 300-600 eggs each time, and the fertilized eggs can hatch after 48 hours, and the fry can swim and feed after 48 hours. Young fish reach sexual maturity in about 18 months, and can reproduce multiple times a year. Male fish have the habit of guarding eggs, so the male fish can be left to guard the eggs. The fertilized eggs hatch into fry after about four days, and the male fish can be removed when the fry swim.

Note: Red-bellied piranhas are very harmful to China's domestic ecological environment and other fish. At the same time, they have strong reproductive ability and are prone to injuring people. They are not recommended for keeping and are not suitable for release. If you no longer want to keep piranhas, you can give them to others rather than release them.