that strange companion fish relationship...

[Magnum Man]

been quite a while since I originally posted about the angel fish / silver dollar relationships... just letting everyone know that this is still working out... in 2 tanks I have an angel, and a silver dollar that have bonded, and in both cases, they are nearly inseparable... a kind of strange relationship, the only things they really have in common, are they are the same basic shape... my experience with angels, is they always end up fighting... I'm trying pairing up a yellow acara, with a silver dollar, but right now the acara wants nothing to do with the dollar in that tank... maybe eventually he'll come around... he's not nipping fins, but does chase the dollar around... will be giving that one a few more weeks, before I move the dollar... he may be starting to come around, they are both in the same half of the tank right now, but normally the acara wants nothing to do with any neighbor, that I've tried it with... there just seems to be some magic relationship between angels and dollars

 

[Magnum Man]

I was just looking at some old threads, looked like I moved the Tiger silver dollar into that tank in October of 2024, so it's not been "years", but they have become best buddies now, and are rarely more than 6 inches apart... the spotted dollar, and the zebra lace angel, aren't as "tight", but are always in the same half of the tank as each other

 

[GaryE]

Similar size, shape, patterning and habits... each probably thinks its buddy is bone ugly but doesn't feel that should be a factor. The chemistry is all wrong, so they can hang out and not claim a territory together.

I've seen similar things with shoaling fish, and these are shoalers after a fashion.