Sexing silver dollars

kat and james

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hi
we've got some silver dollars and were just wondering how you can tell their sex, as one of ours has a very circular body, while the other two have a slightly elongated body.. just wondering whether that had anything to do with it!
thanks
kat and james
 
Their are several similar species which get called "Silver Dollars". Most grow large, and the males tend to develop a longer anal fin which in some species will become quite red.

BTW, SD's are known as lawn mowers in tanks, you probably won't have your plant problems much longer! You won't have your plants!
 
yea, we knew they'd chomp the plants when we bought them, but they only seem to have taken a fancy to these reeds, they leave the java fern alone. we have also tracked down some discus.. hence silver dollar proof plants!
i also read somewhere that you should keep silver dollars in a planted tank, as it's good for them to have the plants to nibble on.
i'm not too worried about them eating the plants anyways!
thanks
kat and james
 
>>> we have also tracked down some discus

Errr, this is a vaguely worrying comment. You realise, of course, that discus require somewhat more specialised conditions...
 
sorry.. i didn't explain that well.. just meant these plants are hardy, and the silver dollars tend to leave them alone. they don't need any special requirements, same as the other plants in the tank
 
SD's usually clear everything eventually. You can reduce their plant destroying habits by copious feeding with other vegetable matter, courgette, cucumber, lettuce etc.

I am confused actually...

>>> we have also tracked down some discus

... when you say discus, I straight away think of discus as in the South American cichlid fish. Yet you don't appear to mean that?
 
right i get what you mean now.. what i meant was that we found some "discus-proof" plants, which also results in them being fairly silver dollar proof also!! and it seems to work.. sorta!
wanted to ask, we give cooked peas and cucumber to the fish, but how do you give them lettuce.. i read somewhere it needs to be cooked.
 
Not cooked as such, dropped for a few seconds into some boiling water "scalded". Most green vegetables will be suitable.
 
You dont even need to blanch lettuce for silver dollars, those lawnmower teeth go straight through even the stalk on lettuce that has simply been rinsed under a tap.

Ive yet to find a SD proof plant, mine have managed to eat java fern, anubias and giant vallis without any problems. If you really want plants in a SD tank buy silk ones, they will last longer and cost you less in the long run.
 
Blanched, yes, that was the word I was looking for. You're right of course, a big SD will destroy it unblanched.
 
ok thats cool.. will get on that.. they seem to demolish cucumber! how do you weigh down the lettuce? we have this thingy called a screwcumber for the cucumber works like a dream!
:p
 
Ask in the lfs for a lettuce grip, its like a plastic bulldog clip with a suction cup to attach it to the glass.
 
bought one yesterday! have yet to use it.. but i'm looking forward to using it.. i much prefer giving them live food or fresh food than the regular fish flakes! feel like a mum trying to get kids to eat their greens.. lucky me my fish prefer thier greens anyways!!!!!!! ;)
 
i dont know really about the the two different types all i know is the male has got a little red on its bottom fin
 

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