Serrasalmus brandtii
The Serrasalmus brandtii or Brandt's piranha is naturally found in the Rio San Francisco Basin in eastern Brazil. The fish is found in tributaries of the river, floodplain lakes and reservoirs. The fish takes its name from Johann Friedrich von Brandt, the German naturalist who first discovered and described the species. Due to certain difficulties in maintaining the aquarium, keeping this fish is recommended only for experienced aquarists.
Serrasalmus brandtii is a large fish with a lozenge-shaped body compressed from the sides. The fins are not large, located closer to the root of the tail plumage, translucent, dark at the base. Young fish are silvery in colour with dark mottling. As the fish mature, their coloration becomes golden-bronze. Sexual differences are not pronounced. In nature, the size of fish reaches 25 cm, although in aquarium conditions, their size is slightly smaller.
The Serrasalmus brandtii is a very aggressive fish. It is intolerant of almost any neighbour, so only 1 specimen should be kept in the aquarium. Requires an aquarium volume of 400 liters and above. The internal arrangement of the aquarium does not play any role for the fish - most importantly, that it was as much as possible free space for navigation. The fish can hide in the corners of the aquarium with several large hiding places.
The Serrasalmus brandtii is very particular about water quality. As the fish produce large amounts of waste products, it is therefore necessary to use high capacity external water filters. If possible, purchase a water filter with an integrated heater, or install a protective cover for the temperature controller, as the fish may damage the submerged equipment.
Water parameters: temperature 20-26°C, hardness dH 3-23°, acidity pH 5.0-8.0. Replace up to ½ of the aquarium water with fresh water each week. Be extremely careful when doing so, as the fish may cause severe hand injuries.
In nature, the menu of the white piranha consists mainly of fish, although it eats almost anything that moves in the water. In an aquarium, it is fed with bloodworms, small earthworms, ground molluscs and fish, live freshwater shrimps and others.
This fish should not be fed with mammalian or bird meat as it is difficult for the fish to digest and, moreover, leads to degeneration of internal organs and obesity.
Reproduction
The Serrasalmus brandtii does not breed under aquarium conditions. All fish, occasionally appearing in domestic zooseti shops, are supplied from their natural habitat.
Life expectancy of the white piranha in aquarium conditions is about 10 years.
