[marscounty]

I got my first piranha yesterday. Well I think I did at least. I got the fish at Big Al's aquarium services. They told me that it is a Red breasted piranha. Well I cannot find any info about that kind of fish anywhere on the web. I did find a picture of a pacu that loooked alot like my fish. So I am little confused. I included a pic of some piranha that are pretty much identical to mine. I know its not the best but its all I could find.Tell me what you think.

??? ???

 

[Judazzz]

Red breasted piranha = Red bellied piranha = Pygocentrus Nattereri.

Good luck with your new pick-up!

Btw: did you buy one of those fish?
If so, I'd suggest you get at least two more: reds are shoaling fish, so a loner will probably be very shy and boring... Don't get two in total though: one will probably kill the other, because all they can do is vent their agression on each other. So get at least two extra, so the agression is more evenly spread...

 

[DiXoN]

welcome to the board ,it does sound like you have red belly p's and as judazzz advised it is better to have more than 1 but not 2.
too tell the difference between piranha and pacu you look at the jaw the bottom jaw on a piranha is more pronounced.
as far as getting info just read all the posts as it is good to have at least a basic understanding of the fish and how to care for them any questions you want answering just ask and they will be answered

 

[Innes]

Welcome to the site.

 

[Judazzz]

too tell the difference between piranha and pacu you look at the jaw the bottom jaw on a piranha is more pronounced.

Also, I've noticed that baby pacu's (1-2") already have a much more red belly at an younger age, and their tail fin is much larger...

 

[hydroshutter]

Red breasted piranha are also known as Medinae. I doubt you picked up a red belly because it would have been marked that. Even the sh*t lfs still mark those "Red Bellies"

 

[Natural.Playboy]

Big Al's aquarium services only carry spilos and red bellies, so im pretty sure you got a red belly, because i get all my stuff from big als

 

[piranha13]

Throw in some feeders. If he eats them then he is a Red Belly. If he eats plants then he is a Pacu. Look at the lower jaw. A piranhas lower jaw sticks out over the upper jaw like a bulldog. The pacu's doesn't.

 

[Innes]

Throw in some feeders. If he eats them then he is a Red Belly. If he eats plants then he is a Pacu. Look at the lower jaw. A piranhas lower jaw sticks out over the upper jaw like a bulldog. The pacu's doesn't.

if it eats the feeders, it COULD be a red belly piranha, or a pacu, or another kind of piranha.
this is not a good test for identification.
somewhere on this site - I don't know where, I did look for you - their is a post which I posted about a month ago which is called "pics of piranhas usefull for identification" you might find it helpful, if you can find it.