Piranha Tank

Question
I want to get a small gropu of red bellied piranhas but I want to ask questions and research them before I get them so I know what I am doing from the start.

My questions is

How big of a tank should I get for three to four of them?

How often do I do water changes for them twice a week and how do I do water changes with Piranhas just use the siphon hose like with any other tank and put your hand in the water can I put my hand in the water with them or should I try something different?

I know protein skimmers are mostly for saltwater tanks but can I use it on a Piranha tank to get all the organic wastes out I nkow they are very messy?

Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi Thomas,
  Red bellied piranhas grow quite large so I would get at least a 50 gallon tank, and likely something twice that size for the adults.

  You should change 25% of the water, once a week, every week.  

  How you do the water changes is up to you.  You can get a long siphon tube, but in any case, you are going to need to be extremely careful -- piranha teeth are extraordinarily sharp and can easily cut through flesh and bone.

  I do not believe that protein skimmers work effectively on freshwater systems.  There are lots of other effective filter systems (e.g., cannister, internal or external;  biowheel; etc).

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>