posted 12-11-2002 10:27 AM           

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Any suggestions on raising wild baby red bellies @ ½"=1" size? What is the best way to feed them and keeping them together without eating each other-even at this age. I am getting 14 babies. Is that a good number?? I was told feeding live fish to them at this stage will only make the aggression worst. Is this true. I was also told that wild ones are not as strong as captives. Pros and cons about captive breed verse wild captured. Thanks Everyone

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posted 12-11-2002 01:46 PM         

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" I was also told that wild ones are not as strong as captives." not sure where your getting your information from, but that is not necessarily true. In nature, when it comes to piranhas, the strongest survive. What the means to you, those piranhas will reduce the weaker ones until only a few remain. That could mean a loss of over half of what you have there. There is no hard set rule. You might get lucky and only lose 1 or 2. Piranhas are always hungry, so aggression is just a fancy word to hype up the fishes image. Guppy's can be aggressive too, especially if they are hungry. So is my dog LOL Just feed them regular aquarium flake food until they are large enough to take something else like guppy's or goldfish. They will mostly nibble on the fins for awhile, eventually eating half the fish or in time the entire body. Don't be surprized to one day find floating heads in your tank.

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posted 12-13-2002 08:38 AM           

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I just bought some red bellies that are an 1" or so, i have 5 of them.

I been feeding them bloodworms, shrimp, and goldfish. They are getting along ok with the goldfish. overnight or even in a couple hours after putting the goldfish in, they nibbled on the fins of the goldfish. I was expecting nothing but peices the next day, but i was wrong.

If you are getting 14 of them, how much space do you have? they will grow 10-12" so if you plan on an aquarium i hope its LARGE.

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posted 12-16-2002 01:29 PM           

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Thanks for the reply FISHMAN2 & EZLIFE. I did received my RB babies and I am in heaven!
I have them in a 30 gal for now and are looking for a much bigger tank (200 +)in the near future. I am feeding them live California black worms and grindal worms.
Thanks again for the input

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posted 03-27-2003 07:22 PM         

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you should already have a 70g!

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posted 03-27-2003 08:31 PM         

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how many of them do you think i can put in a 55 gallon tank?

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posted 03-28-2003 06:11 PM         

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i would put 2 or 3 but 4 is pushing it well later

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