Freshwater

Figure 8-6:
You can
forget about
owning a
piranha until
you are very
experienced.
Chapter 8: Finding Your Species
The silver hatchetfish can leap from your aquarium to your driveway in a
single bound using their winglike pectoral fins, so keep a tight lid on your
aquarium to avoid this problem.
Pacu (Colossoma bidens)
Pacus grow quickly in any home aquarium and are related to piranhas. The
big difference here is that pacus are mainly vegetarians, whereas piranhas
are carnivores. This fish should never be kept in an aquarium that is less
than 55 gallons, period. They enjoy a water temperature between 78–82
degrees F.
A pacu looks like a piranha, grows to the size of your mid-sized car, and can
eat you out of house and home. This species can grow rapidly and reach
adult lengths of 12–30 inches in a home aquarium! These fish have been
known to slam against the aquarium glass when panicked, so always provide
them with plants or rocks to hide behind.
This fish is suppose to be herbivorous, but don’t bet the bank (or your
smaller fish) on it. Many hobbyists have seen them attack and swallow
smaller fish, so they should be kept with larger species such as oscars, tinfoil
barbs, plecos, and knife fish. This species should be fed pellet food that is
supplemented with fresh vegetables in small amounts. The pacu swims at
mid level.
Red-bellied piranha (Serrasalmus nattereri)
Forget it. Don’t even think about it unless you are an experienced hobbyist.
Too many of these fish have ended up dumped in local rivers by hobbyists
who end up disliking their new aggressive pets. These piranhas (Figure 8-6)
are a danger to natural species in rivers and should never be put there.
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