Not known to have been bred in the hobby. A 1970s spawning at Duisburg Zoo, Germany, in a 1200-gallon planted tank laid eggs on moss, which the parents guarded.
Raise a group together and let a pair form; bonded pairs spawn in a big tank.
Very large tank (600 L+) with a sand or gravel nest area, plants and wood, warm soft water.
Stable warm water, rainy-season style water changes and heavy feeding.
n/a
Fry are guarded by the male; feed newly hatched brine shrimp then chopped shrimp and fish; separate by size to prevent cannibalism.
One breeding tank for the black piranha, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 24–28 °C · pH 5.5–7.5 · soft water · sand bottom
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 45 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A row of tanks on their own stands for breeding the black piranha in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 3,000 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.
Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.
No external differences are recorded, though spawning females are plumper.
Typical for open substrate spawners
Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.
The pair cleans the stone and lays rows of eggs. Both guard them.
Wrigglers hatch in 2–4 days and are moved to pits by the parents.
Feed baby brine shrimp several times a day. Parents often herd the fry.
Move fry to a grow-out tank before the parents spawn again.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.