Piranha Crunch

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.

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 may injure itself
- Maximize the space in your piranha tank by placing decorations wisely

- Be creative, and have fun. This is your piranha, so let your imagination run wild!

Remember: 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. Now you are ready to cycle the tank.