Total Newbie with an empty tank

[BullDog]

As stated in the title, I'm a total newbie to pretty much any fish in general, so you may assume I know nothing

Anyhow, I find my self with an empty tank, and I'm sure a lot of you know how that feels like an itch you just need to scratch.
After thoughts of filling it with some "pretty" fish, my twisted mind took me down the road of something more interesting. The term 'piranha' popped into my head. I've done a wee bit of research, and found they're not really for a beginner fish-keeper, and can become expensive to feed.
I'm curious though, if anyone knows about piranhas, what sort of tank do you have them in, and what is your average feeding cost (per month, or whatever)?

I've got a 30 gallon tank with all the accessories (filter, heater, etc.) and would love to hear ideas on what to fill it with!
Just to note, I'm looking for something that isn't to expensive, is easilly available, not too expensive on the food side, and is a good fish for a beginner. I was thinking either several smaller fish or one or two large fish.
Suggestions?

[Tarolisol]

Ive had piranhas before, and they grow BIG fast. a thirty gallon is way to small for them. I had some in a 55g when they were large and one smashed into the side of the tank and cracked it. I feed mine pellets so it didnt cost me much, but i here its hard to get them to eat pellets. I eventully had to give them away since they were to big.

[Matt]

I've kept piranha - some red-bellies - in an in-store 180g show tank, back in the late '70s. They got biggish, ~8", before we lost them due to some bad additives (blackwater was contaminated). We had wholesale feeders, so we never counted the cost, and they were a constant fascination to the shoppers. Incidentally, they were probably illegal at the time...


They are not a beginner's fish, IMO, and grow much, much too large for your current tank (although they're cute when small). I didn't find them too aggressive, and deduced that we may have had too small a school at 8 individuals to promote "frenzy" when we fed. They never bothered a hand in the tank, and sometimes were quite lazy about getting around to their goldfish. Maybe we overfed them?

Matt

[Canadbis]

You could come on over to my house and take some of these Julidochromis transcriptus off of my hands, I will give you the breeding parents for $15.
They dont grow very big and are a great little shell dweller

[BullDog]

Thanks for the information all!

Piranhas definatly sound like something I'd like to have one day! Unfortunatly, it sounds like I don't have a proper habitat for them right now. I'll definatly look into them more if I ever upgrade my tank!

Canadbis - I'd love to have some of those, they're neat looking fish! Unfortunatly, I'm in BC, but if I'm ever in Calgary, I'll look you up

I was also suggested FW/brackish puffers, or cichlids. Puffers I would imagine are a bit more demanding on the care side, but how are cichlids? (How do you pronounce cichlids, anyhow? )

[Johnny Reefer]

sick-lids.