Red Hook Silver Dollar
Myloplus rubripinnis
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 260 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
Species profile
Red Bellied Piranha
Pygocentrus nattereri
Common names: Red Bellied Piranha, Piranha, Red Pirai, Red Piranha
Recognized speciesOddballs
Adult size
Up to 35 cm
Up to 35 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A keeper with room for a large aquarium
- A dedicated tank built around this one fish
Think carefully if
- You only want to keep one or two, because this fish needs a group of 5 or more
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- You cannot provide about 1944 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
The famous piranha, a chunky, red-bellied fish that is actually rather nervous, and it is safest in a group of its own kind. Keep a group of at least 5 in 1944 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
The famous piranha, a chunky, red-bellied fish that is actually rather nervous, and it is safest in a group of its own kind. Its bite is real, so take care during maintenance. Piranhas are illegal to keep in some places, so check your local law.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Sexes are usually hard to tell apart.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 7,780–9,720 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 1950–2925 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 1944 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 240 cm
- Minimum group size
- 5
- Recommended group size
- 8
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Allow plenty of room, use a very secure lid and fit strong filtration. Predators produce a lot of waste, and many are strong jumpers.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A predator that spends much of its time watching and waiting for prey.
Usually best alone, or in a very large tank with others of its size.
Many are intolerant of their own kind.
It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it with fish too big to swallow, or alone. It is likely to eat shrimp. Choose its tankmates with care.
Water Parameters
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable. Keep the temperature steady.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality carnivore pelletsWorth training it onto these, as they are balanced and clean.
- Frozen prawn, mussel and fishUse a variety. Avoid a diet of feeder fish, which can bring in disease.
- EarthwormsA good food, and most predators take them readily.
A shoaling predator that eats fish and crustaceans. Feed frozen fish, prawns and mussel, with carnivore pellets.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Substrate Spawner
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Parental care
- Variable
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpThe fry can usually take this from the start.
- Crushed flakeA simple addition as they grow.
Lays its eggs on a cleaned surface, such as a stone, leaf or the bottom of the tank, and the parents may guard them. Move eggs or adults if you want to raise many fry.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, South America, Uruguay, Venezuela
- Natural habitat
- Floodplain, Lake, River
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Pygocentrus
- Family
- Serrasalmidae
- Species group
- Fish, Oddballs
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Reedfish
Erpetoichthys calabaricus
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 90 cm
- Minimum tank
- 540 litres
- Temperature
- 23–30 °C
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- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 18–26 °C
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- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 50 cm
- Minimum tank
- 1350 litres
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C