Piranha in a 10 gallon tank??

[sarahbella]

Hey everyone, i got a tank for my boy for xmas.  its just a small 10 gal.  I bought it thinking that the boy would stick to guppies and bettas.  well, i found out last night he has no interest in bettas or guppies anymore lol the poor thing has some big ideas of his own and im not sure this 10g will accomodate.  

He REALLY wants a pair of redbellied pirahnas (that he can breed) & a blind cave fish and thats it. Keep in mind he's just 7 years old so i dont think he will be breeding anyhting for a long time lol.

Is there a fish that looks similar to the pirahna but can be kept in a smaller tank??  

If not is there something carnivorous and just as exciting as the pirahna that will fit in the tank??

thanks for any input

[Julie]

Hi Sara, I think once a piranha is full grown it will be too small for the redbellies.  There may be other smaller species.

My nephew keeps a rainbow shark in his 10g with ugf filter.
He thinks it's pretty cool because it's a shark.  It's surprising how big it has gotten and is tough as nails.

Julie

[mseguin]

You could go with a small silver dollar but it will grow out of a 10 gal pretty quickly, plus they like to school.

[Julie]

You might consider a 20g.
http://www.petcetera.ca/
I have this 20, no problems, just don't fill it with more water than you are supposed to, I did this and I noticed a little leaking from somewhere in the top.

Julie

[Mettle]

All species of piranhas will get too big for a 10 gallon tank. In my opinion, the minimum tank size for a piranha of any type would be 36"x18"x15" (40 gallon breeder). Keep in mind the majority of piranha species grow to be 10" or larger. A 10 gallon tank is obviously inadequate for this.

Having said that, if you get a single red belly, for example, it would be able to live in the 10 gallon for quite some time. This would give you plenty of opportunity to upgrade down the line or simply sell the fish off if your son gets bored of it.

If you're looking for good alternatives - just remember that piranhas and tetras are related. I've seen buenos aires tetras at my store tear crickets to shreds. It's quite impressive. I think red eyes would probably do the same. You can always tell your son that they may not be piranhas but they have their heart!

[redbelly]

if you get a piranha put a lid on the tank. I lost one because i left the lid open while away for the weekend. and i have head a friend that lost one as they didnt have a lid at all. well, they didnt before they lost the fish anyway...

as for a 10g, not big enough sorry. he will outgrow it very quickly.

[sarahbella]

Julie  i am considering a 20gal, but for me lol  actually im hoping santa brings me a 33 or bigger....  

I love the shark idea.  he's into sharks too. It'll will go well with the prehistoric themed decorations i picked up for his tank too.   When the shark outgrows his tank he can move it into mine *evil grin*

[Julie]

Santa has lots of things in his workshop no doubt.  Santa could probably bring a 33 for not a whole lot more.  Go big the first time, it's the best way.
I was hoping for a nice sw set up, but...

Julie

[sarahbella]

Thank you for the suggestions guys.  i kinda knew that the piranha was going to be big,  but tetras sound very cool... they like to school dont they??

[Julie]

Tetras are most comfortable in schools, in fact you could probably combine them with a shark and a nice hiding place for the shark.

Julie

[Mettle]

Tetras are most comfortable in schools, in fact you could probably combine them with a shark and a nice hiding place for the shark.

Julie

Depending on the tetra/shark.

Most sharks will probably pick off and kill most tetras. You have to search for the right combo in this respect. Especially since most sharks are bottom dwellers and tetras tend to hover near the bottom when 'sleeping'. Thus neons and a red tail black shark would be a horrible combo, in my opinion. Just have to do some research in that respect.

[mseguin]

Does he prefer activity or colour?

[Julie]

I had numerous sharks in my community and they were busy picking on each other.

Julie

[sarahbella]

Matt, activity for sure...  and the odder the creatures the better.. he likes puffer fish, anemones, urchins..  if i thought for a second he could maintain a 10g SW tank that would be the way i would go...

Stephan i will definitely do some reading as i think tetras and a shark would be ideal for my little guy.

Julie, the only REAL problem i have getting my son a bigger tank is i am mama, my tank MUST be the biggest *evil grin* my daughter also has a 10g and if i give my boy a bigger one someones gonna be jealous  If i start him off small it may motivate him to actually clean his room to get allowance to save for a bigger one  *worlds meanest mom, i know*

you guys have all been such a great help, now i have somewhere to start  

[mseguin]

If you go for sharks (red tailed or rainbow) I would recommend getting two so that as Julie said, they will bug each other and hopefully leave the others alone. If he likes activity, how abotu danios, those guys never sit still. Or you could try dwarf puffers, a couple in a 10 gal should work.

[sarahbella]

Matt, i just googled the dwarf puffer and i had no idea it was a freshwater fish!! I keep telling the poor boy its a saltwater fish and we'll never have a saltwater tank  ...  its perfect, of course now i'll have to tell him i was wrong *blush*, but that will have to  wait  

[Mettle]

Definitely go with dwarf puffers if he's interested in them. You could easily keep three in the 10 gallon. I personally kept 5. But my tank was nothing but plants, brush and cover (mix of real and fake) wall to wall. Literally no open swimming areas.

Do some reading/research at www.dwarfpuffers.com because they have fantastic info there.

Try and go with one male and two females. Sometimes it's hard to tell when they're tiny. But at the Barrhaven location of Super Pet we have ones where they're old enough to be sexed and if you caught me (I generally work Tues, Fri, Sat but sometimes take one of those days off as well) I'd be able to pick them out for you.

And if he's interested in watching a little carnage I can pass along some baby guppies to you (from my own personal tank) and they'll likely chase down and gobble up those.

[Nerine]

puffers are really cool fish! I'm debating if I should set up another tank and put some in it haha possibley in the master bathroom! anyone know where to get some decent puffers? they have them at petsmart on merivale...but I kid you not...they are this big: >-<> ...I'd be afraid they would get sucked up the filter!