Silver Dollars and Barbs?

[gm72]

I don't think this will work, but figured I'd ask anyway. Our new 55 (stocking in my sig below, the one with the dannios and barbs) is nicely cycled. My wife would like to add a pair of silver dollars, but I think their peaceful nature would be eaten (possibly literally) by the dannios and barbs. Opinions?

[Drumachine09]

All barbs are notorious fin nippers, but i dont think that they will kill him.

[gm72]

I'm just worried that they will nip to death or just plain old freak out the dollars and stress them to death!

[roulfi004]

I have 5 Green Tiger Barbs and 3 Tiger Barbs living along with 2 silver dollars marvelously for 1.5 months.

The 3 tiger are adult, the 5 geens are still abit smaller , and the silver dollars are around 3 inches long... and high hehe

-The Silver dollars arent lazy fish like Angelfish as far as i know. They move around quite often and fast, and when its feeding time, they will face the barbs easy and fight for food. Sometimes they steal bigger snacks away from other fish and run around holding them in their mounths. :hmm3grin2orange:
-Their fins havent been nipped yet
-They are very hardy fish
-They are not long finned.
-They are very beautiful

So, thus far they are living fine together.
-Just dont get tiny baby Silver Dollars, try to find them at least 2 inches long.

...and of course, keeping at least 5 tigers will reduce their fin nipping behavior... i mean my Serpae Tetra charges on more fish than the Barbs!

I hope my small experience helps

[Lady Hobbs]

No problem from the danio's but iffy on the barbs. Silver dollars are nervous fish and like to be with several of their own. They can get around 5-6 inches (some up to 8) and due to their speed can often be in a tank with cichlids. (The more peaceful ones) However, running for their lives constantly will only give you stressed fish.

You may luck out and have no problem at all with fin nipping but I would add a couple more SD if at all possible.

[gm72]

Stress is what I am most afraid of. I wonder if going with a small school of 4 would help. Not sure though, maybe I'll try something different. Any other suggestions for filling out this tank? I'd like to add some color/flash with a few specimen fish vs. adding another school of something, although we are also toying with the idea of adding 4 each albino and cherry barbs. SO many choices!

[crackatinny]

With dollars being so skittish, I don't think I would go with the barbs.

[gm72]

Yeah, that's what I'm starting to think. Maybe the dollars for a future tank. So, what about adding a few specimen fish to the 55? Just adding some colorful barbs? Surely that would be the safest route, I should think.

[freshwaterfishlover]

I do not know about Barbs, but I have 4 Giant dannios and they do not bother any Fish in the my tank.

[crackatinny]

I am not a big fan of barbs simply because I had 6, and overnight they nipped the fins right of a balloon molly, all it could do was sit on the bottom of tank and die.

[Severus]

I think it should work out fine. As skittish as they are they are VERY fast and i think the barbs will soon learn that and leave them alone. My recommendation would be keeping at least 5 together so they feel comfortable among themselves.