bigbadroid

I want to decorate my piranha tank. I would like ideas. right now it is very boring.

Amanda

Welcome!
How many are in the tank?

bigbadroid

currently there are 5 juvies in there.

Jonah

Piranhas are from South American rivers so rocks plants and driftwood would be natural.

5 Juvies when they grow to 12inch each will be a bit crowded in a 55 mind you

Amanda

Wow, that's got to be one active tank.
I heard that they tend to have the same attitude towards decor as Oscars - it's more there for their personal enjoyment in wrecking it, rather than for the owners enjoyment.
They'd probably do well in a mostly bare tank, with maybe some larger rock pieces, driftwood pieces, and some tall plants on the sides & corners.
Just an idea though.

sirdarksol

Piranha tend to be omnivores, and will take a bite out of anything their teeth can cut or crush. Thus, plants may not survive long (though you can try. It might work out).

As has been said, creative driftwood and rock setups could be used to create a beautiful, natural-looking tank.

If you're looking for theme-based things, a South-American native theme (SA pyramids, columns, etc...) would be cool.

Edit: And, Welcome to Fishlore!

Amanda

I would love to see pics of the tank & fish.

bigbadroid

Maybe if I can get some pics, I will post them on here. Thanks for the advice. I have some plastic plants in there now and the biggest piranha loves to stay by those, until feeding time, or night time.

Amanda

Are you planning on upgrading to a larger tank as they grow? They are a pretty good sized fish, all of them in a 55 gal. will lead to even more aggression than usual. I also fear for your pleco.

bigbadroid

Yes I am planning on but them in a nice 125 gallon tank when they get bigger. they pleco rules the tank right now. it appears they fear him. when he gets close the go running.

aquarist48

Question: Can you safely put your hand and arms in the tank? I've never kept these type of fish.

bigbadroid

I sure can. Piranhas are very skittish fish. They are more afraid of me then I am them. If they knock the plastic plants around I reach back in there and put them back without any fears of being attacked. I normally do it with all the lights on and after they eat.

aquarist48

LOL ok. I like your last sentence....all the lights on and after the eat.

sirdarksol

The swarming thing is pretty odd for piranha. It's the fact that they're capable of it that makes them so frightening. In general, as bigbadroid said, they're pretty skittish fish. They'd prefer to eat things smaller than them.
In fact, recent research suggests that the piranha school is actually a defense mechanism, not a hunting mechanism (thank you Wikipedia). I wonder if it might also be a "dry times" thing. When the food is scarce, they come together to take on larger prey when it's available.
Still, with something that can shear the flesh from your bones with little effort, it's best to take precaution. It's like a moray eel. If it's well fed, it's not likely to bite you, but it's better to be careful, anyway.