[p.u.guy]

alright guys, youve done it, being joined up here for 3 days and today i bought a tank. a 30x12x16 25 gal. small i know, but im just starting and on limited funds. NOW, down to buisness, seeing as piranha are coming from amazonian rivers they must like low ph, oui?? and also, im Hoping they like heavy current cause ive got a powerhead 402 quickfilter i HOPE to use in the 25 and it pushes 270 us gal/hr. is that too much do ya figure? ive got a couple fish ready to go in with the guys, theyre gonna be really small r/b's, im talking like pinky fingernail small, so im safe for a bit. i figure ill go with two, maybe three, trade em back when they get big. ive got a couple spotted raphaels ready to go, and maybe a 3-4" clown loach i have, im thinking of chucking in mt pictud cause hes kill all my lil fish too, the bastish.
im gonna use reptile, or playground sand for the substrate, give a soft look and feel. anyways, you guys are the gods of this, so ill sit back and await your comment and critisism tahnks in advance. later all ---->

 

[sccavee]

Well congrats on the tank! Ps do like a lower PH but stable PH is the key. They can adjust to PH but not big changes in PH. Try the powerhead, but for small Ps that maybe a little too much for them. Also make sure they can't get sucked up into the powerhead intake!

Also if you just got a tank, you need to cycle the tank. Do a search and you will find out what you need to do.

You can try the other fish you listed but as your Ps get bigger the other fish may be beat on. With reds 2 is a bad number so get 3.

 

[p.u.guy]

oh belive me dude, i know all about cycling, i work at a pet store, i just dont wanna kill the p's right off....so im making sure im doing things semi right, never really set up a p tank before. im not worried about them getting sucked up, but blown around the tank like helpless cows in a twister, i AM worried about. i know in my 20 that thing made waves, but the 25 is 6 inches longer. im hoping that makes a difference. we'll see........--->

 

[RhomZilla]

Congrats to your new tank!!

Dont worry about it being small, the most dedicated of any aquarium hobbyists even started off with a small tank.. thats how its all starts out!!

About your tank..
In my opinion, I'd put everything you mentioned the opposite way. Piranhas are hardy fishes and can withstand most PH, but not in too soft waters. Anything around 7.0.
In the Amazon, we cannot imitate the difference in water flow. Somedays the Amazon River would flow, but at times it would be still drying out in the drout. So using a 402 in a 25 gal would be too much current for your Ps, especially at an early age. Try using AC 400, since most Ps dislike too much current for the time being and upgrade later on when you get a new tank.
I cant garantee the lives of your the other residents your going to mix your Ps with. Even within an inch they can be trouble.

 

[Sir Nathan XXI]

stay away from all pH chemicals, only use dechlorinator on your water

to lower pH, use peat moss, you can find it in garden centers, make sure its pure peat moss, no additives though, I use 1 cup per 10g of water, it softens your water as well which Piranha will like as well, its much cheaper then using the powders as well, its all around better (safer, cheaper)

 

[p.u.guy]

ah well, its no problem to get my hands on another filter, i just need to get a tank big enuff to use this typhoon inducer. sigh. all too soon my friends, or not soon enuff....im out for the night, have a good one everyone, later all ->

 

[NIKE]

welcome

time to join in on the fun