silver dollar and piranhas

[Argenteus]

I noticed that silver dollars have teeth in their lower jaws. It's barely there, but I can see that they're almost like piranhas. Of course silver dollar teeth and jaws aren't near as powerful as piranhas, but I think they're still pretty strong nonetheless. They have no problem eating those hard algae discs. Sometimes I see them swallowing little pieces whole. Do they have teeth in their throats?
Also, I've heard that since they look and behave much like piranhas, they must hang out together in the wild. It's for protection, I guess.
I don't intend on purchasing piranhas, because of their feeding habits. But I wonder if they would co-exist well with silver dollars in an aquarium.

 

[Lateral Line]

Interesting question, I don't know for sure, but would be dubious mixing Piranha with anything. That said, a well fed Piranha is a pretty harmless thing.

All Characins have teeth, some extremely so! Ususally, the nip from a tetra does more damage then a nip from a Cyprinid, (which lack jaw teeth), for that reason. Not all characins have pharyngeal teeth, although I am aware that members of the genus Arnoldichthys at least do.

If you want to watch effective use of characins teeth, watch a Silver Dollar eat a plant!

 

[silver]

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Interesting I must say.......I actually have no idea. I do think that piranhas get a tad bit larger though This might pose a problem.....

 

[drobbins27]

Not to hijack the post or ne thing, but what LL said about piranhas was right on the button. He said if they are well fed, they pose little danger. An unfed tetra or other characin poses a lot more risk to me than awell fed 6 inch piranha.

 

[ryan]

Not to hijack the post or ne thing, but what LL said about piranhas was right on the button. He said if they are well fed, they pose little danger. An unfed tetra or other characin poses a lot more risk to me than awell fed 6 inch piranha.

I wouldn't say an unfeed Tetra poses more threat to you than a Piranha, a small Tetra could inflict minor damage but would often be too scared to attack. On the other hand a scared and frightened Piranha won't hesitate to use the weapons it knows it has. To a fish like a Silver Dollar a well feed Piranha may well cause no damage but to a human a Tetra and Piranha is no comparison. Unless considering a few certain species of Tetra.

 

[drobbins27]

How about the Tyson tetra. I hear it goes for the ears.

 

[ryan]

How about the Tyson tetra. I hear it goes for the ears.

I am not familiar with such a fish, scientific name will help? How exactly would it manage to go for ears anyway? It would have to have a very good aim and jump!

As I said you could have a few exceptions, I could think of one or two, Exodon paradoxus for example! A mean little sod.

 

[JobySp]

How about the Tyson tetra. I hear it goes for the ears.

 

[Lateral Line]

I think my doubt is in the definition of a well fed Piranha. I used to sell them when I worked at the lfs 35 years ago, and frequently had my hands in the tanks, (hey - impressed the girls!), they never touched me, (neither the Piranhas nor the girls...).

What I wonder is what the Piranha wonders. Is it bored with lance fish for example and is thinking that SD looks tasty?

For that reason, although I expect it may be OK some of the time, I suspect it will end in tears one day.

 

[ryan]

How about the Tyson tetra. I hear it goes for the ears.

I think my doubt is in the definition of a well fed Piranha. I used to sell them when I worked at the lfs 35 years ago, and frequently had my hands in the tanks, (hey - impressed the girls!), they never touched me, (neither the Piranhas nor the girls...).

What I wonder is what the Piranha wonders. Is it bored with lance fish for example and is thinking that SD looks tasty?

For that reason, although I expect it may be OK some of the time, I suspect it will end in tears one day.

I know they are unlikely to attack, I just would feel that a Piranha could do a considerable amount more damage than the majority of Tetras.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> could do a considerable amount more damage

No doubting that.

 

[drobbins27]

How about the Tyson tetra. I hear it goes for the ears.

I am not familiar with such a fish, scientific name will help? How exactly would it manage to go for ears anyway? It would have to have a very good aim and jump!

As I said you could have a few exceptions, I could think of one or two, Exodon paradoxus for example! A mean little sod.

I hope ur joking....does ne one get that joke?

 

[JobySp]

Hell yeah - check out my post above

 

[ryan]

How about the Tyson tetra. I hear it goes for the ears.

I am not familiar with such a fish, scientific name will help? How exactly would it manage to go for ears anyway? It would have to have a very good aim and jump!

As I said you could have a few exceptions, I could think of one or two, Exodon paradoxus for example! A mean little sod.

I hope ur joking....does ne one get that joke?

Yes we got it.

 

[DiXoN]

the silver dollars are relatives to the piranha and some piranha even mimic the silver dollar in the wild to eat there scales and nip there fins.
i would however like to elaborate on the info given above about piranha having kept many specie for many years.
a well fed piranha may not attack a silver dollar but you cant keep it well fed all the time. it would more likely bite or attack the SD in a territorial dispute than for food but the SD would not have the weapons to fight back giving the piranha the upper hand and a detection of its weakness. keeping a SD with a piranha would not be a good idea though so i would not do it.
dixon