Silver Dollars Help Please

[superdave]

Not that new to fish keeping but fairly green.

Help. I have a fresh trop tank and have a variety of fish e.g. Black Moor, Fan tails, Mountain Minnows, Plecks etc. All very peaceful, if a little dull.

These guys have been getting on great for months now and on a trip to the shop for some food I bought 2 Silver Dollars on a bit of a whim.

The problem is that these guys have been attacking the tails of the other fish and are really aggressive.

The shop keeper and the research on the internet say Silver Dollars are peaceful fish.

What is wrong with mine then. Have had to separate them for the mo.

Thanks for reading - Hope you can help.. -

Cheers, Dave...

 

[jflowers]

Knowing some lfs's I would not be suprised if they had miss labled pirahnas (same group after all, they have spots on thier belly?) . seriously though, silver dollars usually are peaceful and never seen them nip anything but food. Had three for about five years and they are still going in my dads tank, they are about six inches across now.

Jon

 

[superdave]

Definitely not pihranna.
Just ordinary Silver Dollars.
Cant understand it. They are just swimming after the other fish, taking chunks out of their tails.

Do you think there is something wrong with them?

There is plenty of plants in there, although they dont half strip the plants quick.
Giving plenty of food and all levels are ok.

I think I am going crazy as everyone tells me that they dont do that but I have sat and watched them.

Wife wont have them in the tank anymore so they are in jail in the kitchen tank.

Anyone living in the Lancaster area who wants two free Silver Dollars?
Lovely quiet fish, great with other fish, children and pets - free to good home...

Come and collect them and they're yours

Regards, Dave

 

[kev_kb]

Don't Silver Dollars need to be kept in groups of at least 5?

 

[a1wonder]

Firstly I have to ask how large is your tank? Silver dollars WILL grow to 8 inchs or even somtimes 9 inchs (that I have personally seen) and need to be in a school of a min. of 4. I personally would not keep them unless you have a 120 gal tank. They require alot of room and will dash from one end of the tank to the next in a split second. They also can be picky about there water conditions. I would not recomend them to a beginner fish keeper or anyone who has anything smaller than an 80 gal tank (when they are babies and they will need to get up graded to a larger tank in Less then a year).

 

[clutterydrawer]

And *I* would have to ask...why are you keeping them with coldwater fish like fantails and black moors?

Not that it's a cause of aggression as far as I know, but tropical fish shouldnt really be mixed with coldwater...

maybe as theya re shoaling fish they need more of their own kind to occupy themselves? I know that with some fish eg danios and tiger barbs, they are more aggressiive kept ina small group than a large one. just a hypothesis though.

 

[swampcat]

I have had silver dollars for years. They need to be in a group 3 or more, preferibly more. Have gotten away with a 55 gallon but have mine in a 100 gallon. They usaully chase each other (only) when in a school , and leave other fish alone. They dart across tank so fast they break heaters, thermometers ect. These fish are easily startled and get stressed out ,and even more so when alone or in few numbers. Regular fish tank maint. can upset them terribly too.

I do not find them to be picky about water condition much at all , but have noticed many people feel they are hard to keep for some reason. I have found them to be quite easy to keep and rather a tuff fish. I have seen silver dollars survive some bad times that even wiped out cichlids. I presently have two that are 9 years old . I have had less trouble raising silver dollars than any other species. They happen to be my favorite and have always been my center piece fish.