Joined
·
507 Posts
I need to know how you guys inspect the teeth on you RB's. Do you just pick em on up and ask it to say ahh?
![]()
Hard to Handle
1 - 20 of 34 Posts
Depending on how big your Ps and how/if they're still skittish, turn on the lights, lay low and check 'em out when they swim by. My Ps went past the stage of being skittish before, so I had no prob having a staring contest with 'em.
Joined
·
507 Posts
Nobody picks em up or anything
Joined
·
1,143 Posts
I never have held my piranhas with my hand and probably never will. Not worth the risk IMO...not to mention the stress you're causing the piranha.
Joined
·
2,672 Posts
I would make sure not to do it very high off the ground, that way if you drop them it shouldnt kill them
hold them with a soft cloth and use tweezers to gently pull the gums back, I hope you arent going to cut the lips though are you?
hold them with a soft cloth and use tweezers to gently pull the gums back, I hope you arent going to cut the lips though are you?
Don't ever attempt to handle your piranhas. Not only will you probably get a nasty bite, but they'd rather be in the water without your hands on them.
Just take a look through the glass at their teeth. If you want to see how sharp they are, get a mounted Piranha off of Ebay. Do a search and it will pop up. They cut the lips off of the mounted piranhas so that you can see how sharp their teeth are.
That is all the inspecting I'd do if I were you.
![]()
Just take a look through the glass at their teeth. If you want to see how sharp they are, get a mounted Piranha off of Ebay. Do a search and it will pop up. They cut the lips off of the mounted piranhas so that you can see how sharp their teeth are.
That is all the inspecting I'd do if I were you.
Trust me the teeth are their. Unless your an oral surgeon or dentist and even then don't risk a bite and don't bring on unecessary stress on your fish. Chances are the fish would wind up on the floor possibly getting hurt or worse. They flap so vigorously that it would be very difficult to keep it from jumping off your hands.
Joined
·
2,672 Posts
I disected a 3" Cariba a few years back that died in shipping, its teeth were much much bigger than you would imagine, and yes sharp enough to cut you just be holding them to tight,
my fish scratch my glass with their teeth, so must be nearly as sharp as a diamond
my fish scratch my glass with their teeth, so must be nearly as sharp as a diamond
Here is some information for you on a technique I have used for over 30 years: Handling piranas
Always keep the fish moist as they dry out quickly. And if you wrap them in something make sure it is a wet towel and nothing dry.
Joined
·
19,249 Posts
The hardness of glass is 7. I wouldnt say they are as sharp as a diamond (which is 10) as many minerals are harder than 7 but that is still pretty darn hard and wouldnt wanna put my hand near it.Sir Nathan XXI said:
I find it interesting too, since I just tried to scratch some glass with a couple of dead specimens I have here and nothing happened. Even the large lower jaw of the Serrasalmus species I have did nothing. I must not have enough bite power. But I did manage to break one of my specimens tooth off when pressed to hard. Not a mark on the glass.
Joined
·
2,672 Posts
I dont have anything else in my tank that could be scratching the glass, it was a new tank and they are right at the height the cariba swim at. They are at the two ends where the little hideouts are where they chase eachother out of, believe me the scratches are visible
its an all glass aquarium to so I doubt its cheap glass
its an all glass aquarium to so I doubt its cheap glass
Could be from moving rocks or gravel Nate. I have never had piranhas scratch my glass either, but have scrathed it accidently myself while moving tanks or doing tank maintanance.
Even my acrylic tank doesn't have a mark on it on the inside, and there is a shoal of 11 piraya in there.
Even my acrylic tank doesn't have a mark on it on the inside, and there is a shoal of 11 piraya in there.
I don't see the connection with assuming something and seeing something actually done. The hard material of the teeth is composed of calcium, phosphorus, and other mineral salts. Hardly strong enough to scratch anything like the consistency of glass. It can however scratch your skin or in this case slice a nice gash-----but glass? Better think of something else than just assuming.
Joined
·
2,672 Posts
I dont have rocks near the front though, and the gravel would get flung up that high, what else could it be?
Joined
·
19,249 Posts
Its not teeth.Sir Nathan XXI said:
Joined
·
2,672 Posts
Ill try to get pics of the scratches, they way they are shaped made me think teeth, guess not though
I see clouds formed in many shapes that appear like animals, or mountains carved by nature appearing as other things. Get my point?
1 - 20 of 34 Posts
