Red Belly Piranha Tank Ideas

Red belly piranhas (Pygocentrus nattereri) are freshwater fish from the Amazon. In the home aquarium, they grow up to 1 foot in length, and thus need a rather large aquarium of more than 100 gallons to grow to full size. When planning the aquarium, consider tank length and depth over height, and give the fish plenty of places to hide and feel secure.

  1. Biotope

    • A popular trend in the aquarium hobby is to construct a biotope. An Amazonian biotope is simply an aquarium constructed with fish and plants native to the Amazon. For red belly piranhas, choose live plants like the Amazon sword with bright lighting above the aquarium. The fish are able to hide from the light in the plants and the aquarium looks more like a natural part of the river.

    Bogwood

    • The Amazon river is not typically clear; instead, it is full of mud and sediment and looks rather murky. Mimic this in your aquarium by using bogwood. If you also use dark rocks on the bottom or mud, the aquarium water has a brown to yellowish look much like the Amazon river. The piranhas appear to be in their natural environment. For added effect, float some freshwater driftwood on the top of the water. Be sure to boil the driftwood if you collect it from the wild to kill any diseases, parasites and snails.

    Red Gravel

    • Another idea used in combination with plants and bogwood is to use red gravel on the bottom of the aquarium. This helps bring out the redness of the piranhas themselves. Combining this with live plants adds some green contrast to the red, although you need decent lighting to keep plants alive.

    A Simple Look

    • You do not have to decorate the tank at all. Some gravel, a dark background, some dim to moderate lighting, and the fish look nice as well. It is helpful, however, to have a few items in the tank to add some contrast and feel to the aquarium. An inexpensive idea is to add sticks and small branches. If you have a large enough piece, it looks as if a tree has fallen over the aquarium.

    Something to Consider

    • Please note that piranhas are illegal in some states, including California, so be sure to check with your state's laws about purchasing and keeping red belly piranhas. Remember, never release any live aquarium fish into the wild.