[Eden]

Hey dudes (and dudettes)....my 4 reds are rangin' at about 2.5 inches now..im thinkin of grabbin up a few feeders to quarentine for a few weeks..but im unsure of what kind are best for the needs of my fish......the dude that i asked at "big al's" told me Never to get them(but he sounded like he was either drunk or stoned and he had a cold ..so he was quite likely pissed off and just wanted to ruin my day)....i've also heard that piranhas need certain nutrients from the bones, and digested vegetable matter that feeders have.
I've been feeding them frozen bloodworms for almost a month..its getting boring

.....but yeah..i want to treat them with feeders once a month or so..and want the best for them..any help is greatly appreciated.

Ps. ... i have a small hexagon tank ready for the feeders it has an air pump but no filter...would it be ok to keep them in if i do frequent water changes??(i think its about a foot tall by 3/4foot wide hex)??....im only planning to have 2 or three feeders in there at a time.
thanks.
Eden.

 

[WorldBelow07]

say no to feeders

feed krill. and shrimp

 

[l2ob]

feeders is like assisted suicide to ur fish....

 

[Judazzz]

As far as the nutritional contents of live food goes: whole fish (like smelt) provide the same nutrients (and it's much cheaper than live fish), so it's not necessary to feed live fish to fill nutritional gaps.
A diverse diet is most important, and that can go without live fish altogether - I haven't fed my Reds live fish for more than a year, and they are still growing nicely and look more colorful than ever.

If you do decide to feed live, which is understandable (people get predatory fish for a reason...), avoid members from the Cyprinid group (ie. goldfish, koi, carps, barbs, danio's, etc.) - they contain certain hormones that over time can affect your piranha's growth and development.
Instead, go with tetra's, small cichlids or live bearers (guppies, swordtails, mollies).

In a way, that LFS guy was right, btw. - every time you put feeders in your piranha tank, they may introduce diseases or parasites. Quarantaining them is really important to avoid that.
Feeding live is a bit like playing Russian Roulette, and since they don't offer any nutritional advantages over prepared foods, there's no need to feed it other than providing some excersize for your piranha's (a powerhead does the same) and a nice spectacle to watch.

If you plan to set up a feeder tank, you could give no filter a try - wheter t works or not I don't know, though. But a small sponge or internal filter shouldn't be more than just a few bucks, so if you have a bit of cash to spend, I'd advice you to get one anyways.
Healthy fish are less prone to diseases and parasites, and a tank without a filter - even just a small one - could result in an environment that does result in weak, stressed or unhealthy fish.
Also, a heater is necessary: if fish are moved from cooler water to a tank with tropical temperatures, the temperature shock might cause an outbreak of ich.

*Moved to Feeding and Nutrition*

 

[tigger]

dont use feeders.

you can feed rosies even if you can get at a good price try noen tetras. i got my baby rbps to eat frozen smelt, thawed ofcourse

 

[Brendan]

feeders as a treat once in a blue moon, more to show your friends when they comke over, feed them shrimp,smelt,catfish beef heart

 

[NegativeCamber]

As far as the nutritional contents of live food goes: whole fish (like smelt) provide the same nutrients (and it's much cheaper than live fish), so it's not necessary to feed live fish to fill nutritional gaps.
A diverse diet is most important, and that can go without live fish altogether - I haven't fed my Reds live fish for more than a year, and they are still growing nicely and look more colorful than ever.

If you do decide to feed live, which is understandable (people get predatory fish for a reason...), avoid members from the Cyprinid group (ie. goldfish, koi, carps, barbs, danio's, etc.) - they contain certain hormones that over time can affect your piranha's growth and development.
Instead, go with tetra's, small cichlids or live bearers (guppies, swordtails, mollies).

In a way, that LFS guy was right, btw. - every time you put feeders in your piranha tank, they may introduce diseases or parasites. Quarantaining them is really important to avoid that.
Feeding live is a bit like playing Russian Roulette, and since they don't offer any nutritional advantages over prepared foods, there's no need to feed it other than providing some excersize for your piranha's (a powerhead does the same) and a nice spectacle to watch.
If you plan to set up a feeder tank, you could give no filter a try - wheter t works or not I don't know, though. But a small sponge or internal filter shouldn't be more than just a few bucks, so if you have a bit of cash to spend, I'd advice you to get one anyways.
Healthy fish are less prone to diseases and parasites, and a tank without a filter - even just a small one - could result in an environment that does result in weak, stressed or unhealthy fish.
Also, a heater is necessary: if fish are moved from cooler water to a tank with tropical temperatures, the temperature shock might cause an outbreak of ich.
*Moved to Feeding and Nutrition*

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WELL STATED!!!

Great advice

 

[Death in #'s]

dam well put judazz

 

[Fido]

if you go fishing, a little bluegill or croppie would make a good meal for Ps.

 

[cmsCheerFish]

use feeders sparingly.. their diseases can cause trouble.