The aquarium tank is perhaps the most important aspect of piranha fish care. A properly set up aquarium tank will keep your piranhas healthy and active for many years!
After you have decided that piranha fish are the right choice for you, then the first step before you purchase your piranhas is setting up your aquarium tank.
BEFORE BUYING YOUR PIRANHAS
Make sure that your fish tank is large enough to accommodate your piranhas! One adult red belly piranha will need about 20 gallons of space, so if you have three red belly piranhas, you will need an aquarium tank of at least 60 gallons. (55 gallons might be enough as well.) If you purchased young piranhas, it is possible for you to house them in a smaller, temporary aquarium tank. But remember, piranhas can grow very quickly!
Choosing an area to place your aquarium tank is important. Your fish tank should be placed in a quiet spot away from direct sunlight (piranhas do not like lights much.) Your aquarium should be kept away from excessive foot traffic, as piranhas tend to frighten and stress easily.
AQUASCAPING YOUR AQUARIUM TANK
After you have decided on a suitable sized aquarium tank, the next step is choosing a substrate for your aquarium tank floor. Naturally colored, medium sized aquarium gravel is a fine choice for your piranhas. Other options include aquarium sand, crushed seashells, rocks, and pebbles. Be careful though, some substrates are harder to clean then others. Food and particles can get trapped more easily in larger sized substrates. If choosing aquarium sand as your substrate, take caution. Aquarium sand can be kicked up easily (when you clean your aquarium tank, or by your piranhas) possibly clogging up your filtering equipment or even worse, damaging it altogether.
When choosing decorations to place inside your aquarium tank, remember that piranhas are shy and skittish fish, so they will need plenty of places to hide. aquarium tanks that provides shelter will see a more natural and stress free fish.
Driftwood, rocks, caves, and plants are all great choices for your aquarium tank, as they provide excellent hiding places. Piranhas are especially fond of large floating plants which block out the lights, such as lily pads are other large leafy plants. Having enough places to hide for your piranhas will ensure a stress free environment.
Be careful though. Some pieces of decor (such as driftwood) will need to be cleaned or even boiled before placing them in your aquarium tank. This is especially true if you pick them up yourself. Make sure to follow any instructions that your decor came with in order to minimize the risk of contaminating your fish tank.
TIPS
- TRY TO AVOID ANY SHARP OR OBTRUSIVE OBJECTS, AS YOUR PIRANHA FISH MAY HURT ITSELF.
- MAKE SURE TO MAXIMIZE YOUR AQUARIUM TANK’S SPACE BY PLACING YOUR DECORATIONS WISELY.
- BE CREATIVE. THIS IS YOUR TANK, SO HAVE SOME FUN MOLDING IT TO YOUR TASTES!
Before filling up your aquarium tank with water, place your substrate inside your tank. there should be 1-2 inches of substrate in your tank floor.
FILLING YOUR AQUARIUM TANK
After you have gathered all of your items together, you can begin to fill your aquarium tank with water. Remember to use only fresh water. Tap water can be used, but it must be treated to remove all of the harmful chemicals before any fish can be kept. To do this, you must buy a chlorine remover. These are usually small, inexpensive bottles, and can be found in any pet store. Make sure to follow all of the instructions located on the back of the bottle to ensure a proper de-chlorination process.
After you have filled up your tank with water, it is now time to setup your aquarium equipment. Begin by setting up your aquarium filter. Every filter is different, so refer to the instructions which came with your aquarium filter.
Next, insert your aquarium heater into the aquarium tank and let it rest for about an hour. Then you can set the proper water temperature (76-83 degrees.) You can make sure that the water temperature is correct by examining your aquarium tank’s thermometer.
Now that you have placed your aquarium heater and made sure that the water temperature is correct, you can begin inserting your aquarium decorations inside of the aquarium tank. Remember to arrange your aquarium decorations in a way where your piranhas can easily hide. Piranhas need ample hiding spaces or you risk causing them stress. Also, make sure to follow any instructions that came with your aquarium decorations, such as rinsing or boiling, before placing them inside your aquarium tank.
After you have completed all of the steps above, it is now time to test your aquarium water’s PH levels. This can be done by purchasing a PH Test Kit, which is an inexpensive necessity. Refer to the kit’s instructions on how to conduct and analyze your water’s PH levels.
CYCLING YOUR AQUARIUM TANK
After you have finished setting up your tank, the next important process you must complete is the nitrogen tank cycling process.
Basically, the tank cycling process involves the establishment of beneficial bacteria on your filter to remove the harmful toxins created by your piranhas. Your filter will grow bacteria that turn ammonia into relatively harmless nitrate. Although high levels of nitrates are not good for healthy piranhas, weekly water changes should remedy this problem.
you can begin the tank cycling process by purchasing a bunch of small, hearty fish. Goldfish, zebra danios, or white clouds are some good choices. All you have to do is take care of them long enoughfor the benificial bacteria to grow on your aquarium filter. Make sure to do weekly 10% water changes. After a few weeks, check your ammonia and nitrite levels. This can be done at your local pet store for a small fee or even free. If your aquarium water is found to be at acceptable levels, then congratulations, you are now ready to place your piranhas in their new home.
