# South American Cichlid and Piranha?



## Remedy944 (Apr 27, 2020)

Hey guys,
I just purchased a new 75 gallon tank. I currently also have a 55 gallon tank with a Green Severum. I have probably had her about 4 years and she is doing well. I mention this as I am not completely new to the hobby. My question is regarding stocking my new tank. If I purchase a juvenile Green Terror and a juvenile Piranha, could they grow and co-exist in my 75 gallon tank? If not a green terror, would an Oscar and Piranha be more likely to grow and co-exist? If it's too risky I don't want to stress the fish out. Thank you for your time!


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

I used to keep a school of Red-Belly Piranhas in a 125gal, Black Piranhas in a 55gal, and Oscars & other SA & CA cichlids in various other tanks. What type of Piranha were you thinking of getting?

RE: Green Terror with Piranha: IMO it really depends on the individual personalities of the fish you wind up with. But if they grow up together from small, you keep the fish well fed, and it's just a single Piranha, then I'd say they stand an ok chance of growing together without the Green Terror bullying the Piranha to death or the Piranha eating the Green Terror.

RE: Oscar with Piranhas: I don't think this mix is as good.

Having said that, Piranhas are not compatible with any other fish besides other Piranhas. I personally wouldn't mix Piranhas with any other fish besides feeder goldfish :wink:


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## Remedy944 (Apr 27, 2020)

Thank you for your reply and advice. And I would go with a red bellied Piranha.


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

I think the red belly is the best choice as a single piranha in your tank.

IMO a Green Terror and a Piranha won't make for a very satisfying tank due to the fish having very different behavior & demeanor. There probably won't be any meaningful interaction between the two beside maybe the Green Terror bullying the Piranha or the Piranha nipping the fins of the Green Terror. But most likely it'll be the Green Terror showing aggression toward the Piranha.


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## Ichthys (Apr 21, 2016)

Red Piranha is a shoaling species that needs to be in a group. Are you going to ignore the fish's needs?


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Ichthys said:


> Red Piranha is a shoaling species that needs to be in a group. Are you going to ignore the fish's needs?


That is simply not true. In the wild, Red Belly Piranha comes together in a group when they are starving. Otherwise they are solitary most of the time. It's not even a true shoaling species. There is nothing about NEED to be in groups. 
A lot of fish will school/ live in a shoal at some point. Even many cichlids will do that. Doesn't mean they NEED to be in large groups. Its a natural behavior to form a school in captivity because large numbers are being stuck together in a small glass cage; essentially the fish are being forced into it. Cichlids generally won't form a school in captivity, because being stuck in one place is conducive to staking out a territory and reproducing.
There are a lot of fish where the claim that they NEED to be in schools/shoals, especially as large adults is straight BS. A group of Bala Sarks I seen in a 1200 gal. tank do not school at all. Not one bit. A large group shoved into a 55 gal. tank will have no choice but to school. I kept a single Bala shark in my 180 gal. and it did very well. Lived well over 10 years and grew to 16", the largest Bala shark I've ever seen. You wouldn't want to house any more then one of these large, very active swimmers in a 180 gal tank. Many, many fish will school/form shoals occasionally, but it doesn't mean they live this way 24/7, 365 days a year. Large groups stuck in a small glass cage will force the shoaling/schooling behavior out, but it really has nothing to do with need.
That said, a lot of fish will certainly do well in groups in captivity, even cichlids. Not arguing against keeping fish in groups, other then the idea that they NEED to be in groups.
Now, getting back to the question at hand, I think a 75 gal. is much too small to attempt this kind of mix.I also think more then just 2 fish is needed to try and make it work. Altogether, I have kept RBP with cichlids for over 15 years. I do not recommend it. :lol: I kept RBP as a single, and in a group of 2,3 and 4 with aggressive cichlids. In a span of over 15 years they did very well....and very poorly at times and everything in between. By the way, RBP are not always so timid, especially when they have grown up in a cichlid tank. One person on the internet described them as bipolar; I look at them as Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Absolute nasty on fins and lips. What ever they get there little mouth around will come right off including bone, though dead smack onto the body of a big fish rarely does much damage as they have to get their mouth around it. Aggressive Cichlids will push and push them....basically forcing them into fights. Pecking order is not so rigid with RBP. Amongst RBP, often a subordinate that starts something, will prevail at that moment, as they are all sort of even in the weapon they carry. This can cause real problems with cichlids as the RBP are subordinate at one moment and then just hours later it's as if a previous encounter never took place! Never kept them with GT or Oscar but I would speculate that an Oscar would have a better temperament to get along with an RBP. Bold enough but not too aggressive like a CA cichlid that will push it's aggression all the time. Of coarse what works for a little while, might not end well over the span of many years. Having done this kind of mix twice over a span of 15+ years altogether, I wouldn't do it again. I tried it, but I've never recommended it.


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## Oscar6 (Aug 4, 2017)

I have kept Oscar and RBP together, it was a single Oscar and 3 RBP. It was ok, with the Oscar being the tank boss. The key there I believe was a 6ft 220 g tank. 75g is just no way to keep an Oscar long term, never mind tankmates. Cant say what else may or may not work, but 75g isnt much space to house territorial/aggressive fish together.


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## BonFishKing (6 mo ago)

Remedy944 said:


> Hey guys,
> I just purchased a new 75 gallon tank. I currently also have a 55 gallon tank with a Green Severum. I have probably had her about 4 years and she is doing well. I mention this as I am not completely new to the hobby. My question is regarding stocking my new tank. If I purchase a juvenile Green Terror and a juvenile Piranha, could they grow and co-exist in my 75 gallon tank? If not a green terror, would an Oscar and Piranha be more likely to grow and co-exist? If it's too risky I don't want to stress the fish out. Thank you for your time!


I have baby piranhas and baby will be red jewel cichlids and a 20 gallon tank thinking about trying them in my 75 gallon tank however I have stripe convicts and Ruby Reds in that tank all aggressive species however for the most part my piranhas and Ruby Reds they hunt together and get along with as long as I keep plenty of food in the tank


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## BonFishKing (6 mo ago)

BonFishKing said:


> I have baby piranhas and baby will be red jewel cichlids and a 20 gallon tank thinking about trying them in my 75 gallon tank however I have stripe convicts and Ruby Reds in that tank all aggressive species however for the most part my piranhas and Ruby Reds they hunt together and get along with as long as I keep plenty of food in the tank


Ruby reds


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## The Fish Lady (7 mo ago)

Remedy944 said:


> Hey guys,
> I just purchased a new 75 gallon tank. I currently also have a 55 gallon tank with a Green Severum. I have probably had her about 4 years and she is doing well. I mention this as I am not completely new to the hobby. My question is regarding stocking my new tank. If I purchase a juvenile Green Terror and a juvenile Piranha, could they grow and co-exist in my 75 gallon tank? If not a green terror, would an Oscar and Piranha be more likely to grow and co-exist? If it's too risky I don't want to stress the fish out. Thank you for your time!


Hi!😃
A piranha and a what??? Noooooo! Piranhas are a 1 species tank! Omg!!😳😳



The Fish Lady said:


> Hi!😃
> A piranha and a what??? Noooooo! Piranhas are a 1 species tank! Omg!!😳😳


Hi! Piranhas will grow-up to 6-8 inches and they are eating machines!! I've never heard of such a thing!😳😳 this is totally a new one on me...ughhh


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

*NO. *Despite low-budget movies, myths and legends to the contrary....
_Pygocentrus nattereri_, Red Belly Piranha are NOT REQUIRED to be kept as a single species fish only in the aquarium. However, the size you state of 6 - 8 inches adult length is correct. And, these fish will require a six foot long tank to be kept in the numbers they will need, to feel comfortable.
When kept in the aquarium, these are shy fish and are easily spooked. As they tend to hide and stay motionless most of the time, a lot of people report that Piranha are actually pretty boring fish. I would NOT place Piranhas in with a big, aggressive and predatory Cichlid such as a Red Terror or any Central American Guapote'. I've pulled Piranhas from a six foot long tank with a spawning pair of Convicts in it for their safety. With torn fins and missing scales, the completely terrorized Red Belly Piranhas were absolutely no match for the territorial, fry protective aggression shown by the single pair of Convicts in that tank.


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## EricTheRed (Jun 16, 2012)

In college, I lived in a state in the USA where keeping Piranhas was legal and they were readily available for sale. I purchase 10 babies that were under an inch long each and placed them in a 55 gallon tank by themselves. I started them on guppies and then goldfish as they grew. They grew very quickly, reaching about eight inches in eight months. They would swim together but were easily spooked, often freaking out and crashing around the tank whenever I or any of my roommates entered the living room where we kept the tank. One day, for no apparent reason, the pack substantially consumed two of their brethren, taking enormous hunks out of both of them. Around this time, I visited the Baltimore aquarium which had a huge red belly aquarium which contained about 25 red bellies, with some individuals being more than 14 inches long. Shortly thereafter, a girl visiting the Baltimore aquarium ignored the sign on the tank which cautioned not placing any body parts in the tank as these were dangerous fish, and had a finger immediately torn off by the red bellies.

I didn’t witness the attack but read about it in the newspaper. I decided right then, I enjoyed keeping my appendages more than my red bellies, I was also worried about a roommate or visitor carelessly sticking their hand in the tank. I sold my eight remaining red bellies back to the store from whence I had purchased them (at a large profit due to their large size and beautiful coloration). I went back to cichlids and would caution against raising such a potentially dangerous fish without careful research and a safety mediation plan in place.


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## The Fish Lady (7 mo ago)

EricTheRed said:


> In college, I lived in a state in the USA where keeping Piranhas was legal and they were readily available for sale. I purchase 10 babies that were under an inch long each and placed them in a 55 gallon tank by themselves. I started them on guppies and then goldfish as they grew. They grew very quickly, reaching about eight inches in eight months. They would swim together but were easily spooked, often freaking out and crashing around the tank whenever I or any of my roommates entered the living room where we kept the tank. One day, for no apparent reason, the pack substantially consumed two of their brethren, taking enormous hunks out of both of them. Around this time, I visited the Baltimore aquarium which had a huge red belly aquarium which contained about 25 red bellies, with some individuals being more than 14 inches long. Shortly thereafter, a girl visiting the Baltimore aquarium ignored the sign on the tank which cautioned not placing any body parts in the tank as these were dangerous fish, and had a finger immediately torn off by the red bellies.
> 
> I didn’t witness the attack but read about it in the newspaper. I decided right then, I enjoyed keeping my appendages more than my red bellies, I was also worried about a roommate or visitor carelessly sticking their hand in the tank. I sold my eight remaining red bellies back to the store from whence I had purchased them (at a large profit due to their large size and beautiful coloration). I went back to cichlids and would caution against raising such a potentially dangerous fish without careful research and a safety mediation plan in place.


Hi!😃
EXACTLY!!! I rest my case. I was going to create a habitat of about 4 of them but, unfortunately, I found that they are illegal in Florida. I was disappointed... I shrug... I wouldn't have to worry about anyone "putting" their fingers inside of their cage because we never have visitors but I did have a little apprehension in cleaning their aquarium out though...may I ask you please, was it hard to clean their habitat out though?


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

I had six large red belly piranha in a 6 foot tank I raised from about an inch long. Yes they were easily excited but I'm sorry to say that I never once did a water change/cleaned their tank during the approx 3 years I had them when I was in college in the northern mid west US. They were big with beautiful red bellies though. Go figure.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

My goodness....
You would think these fish did nothing all day except plan for their next act of villainy or something. 
-
They just don't do anything except get upset with you and bang around inside the tank when you go to do things in there. And, unless a fish (they are used to) acts erratic, injured or in distress - they just ignore it. Or, in the case of big or bullying Cichlids, they will get pushed around or even attacked.
But, when cleaning a tank with any aggressive/unsafe fish kept in it, the best method is to use a tank divider. My own 'tank divider' was a partial type made out of egg crate with suction cups on the sides to hold it in place. Using that, typically 2/3'rds to 3/4 of the tank would get cleaned on one side, while 'Budfy' the big mean bitey clown, was kept skulking (sulking) on the other side. Worked great with Piranha, a Snake Head (I baby sat at the Virginia Aquarium), and an absolutely vicious Red Devil (female) that just hated all visitors to 'her' aquarium (including my hand). 
-
So no.... it's kind of a dumb idea to keep Piranha with other fish, because either they get picked on - or they could wind up retaliating on a bully. And with those teeth and that kind of biting capability? Whew... But honestly, outside of the occasional feeding adventure, I found Piranhas to be listless, shy and boring. They have almost none to just about zero character. Predatory Cichlids are a lot more interesting, and make MUCH better candidates for keeping in an aquarium.


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## EricTheRed (Jun 16, 2012)

The Fish Lady said:


> Hi!😃
> EXACTLY!!! I rest my case. I was going to create a habitat of about 4 of them but, unfortunately, I found that they are illegal in Florida. I was disappointed... I shrug... I wouldn't have to worry about anyone "putting" their fingers inside of their cage because we never have visitors but I did have a little apprehension in cleaning their aquarium out though...may I ask you please, was it hard to clean their habitat out though?


I regularly vacuumed the gravel weekly, but I became nervous doing it once they became more than 5 inches long. I would chase them in a corner with the vacuum and keep an eye on them while I cleaned the tank. I never got bit by them, but I never felt comfortable while cleaning their tank. They are not like Oscar’s, Red Devils, or Flowerhorns that acknowledge you whenever you enter their room, they completely ignore you, except when they freak out and frantically swim crazily throughout the tank because something spooked them. A better fish for a scientist who wants to study their behavior than a hobbyist IME.


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