Silver Dollar Questions....

[Kiwilover]

Hello! I'm a new person here, I've had simple aquarium fish for awhile, and I was wondering if I could ask questions about some fish.


Okay, so I've been really fascinated by the silver dollar, every since I went to my friend's house. He has two large ones sharing a 45 gallon tank with a 6 inch pleco, 4 Black Skirt Tetra, and 5 Neon Tetra.

I have a 50 gallon tank with 5 Bleeding Hearts, 4 Buenos Aires Tetra, 2 Red Platy, and a 4 inch common pleco.

I have been reading about Silver Dollars online and I'm fascinated by them, but I have many questions....

1. Will they bully my smaller fish (Bleeding hearts) Online it says you shouldn't have them with small tetras, like Neons, but my friend has several neons sharing his tank with two silver dollars, and he hasn't had problems.

2. How big will they get, and how many should I buy? My tank is getting fuller, and online it says schools of at least 4. I don't know if I can fit four, even when they're not mature size. Is two okay, or will they bully others in small groups?

3. Online I've read they're aggresive eaters. Will they go to the extent of bullying my fish to eat?

Thank you for any answers. It's just that I would like to get these fish somehow and I want to make it as comfortable as possible and I want to avoid upsetting the other fish with these, considering my current fish aren't very large.

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!
They are better off in schools.
They are a very skittish fish.Not sure if they will eat any small fish but fish usually do eat fish if its an easy target.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile23.html

Your pleco will get too large for your tank.They can do damage when in a place too small!

[annageckos]

IMO your tank is too small. They get about 8 inches and need to be kept in schools of six or more.

[Kiwilover]

Okay, thanks! I know people who have them in small tanks but they do fine. Any other similar fish that I could get?

[Lady Hobbs]

Silver Dollars are awesome, wonderful fish and they will not bother any others in the tank. They do get large and are very skittish and fast moving. They need room to swim. They are also jumpers so need a top on the tank. They eat plants too so forget plants unless you have crypts, java fern or java moss. Those they will not eat.

They will average probably around 5 inches. I would think they would be fine with your tetra's but I would be concerned with your pleco. Pleco's are noted to suck on the sides of flat sides fish like angels, Discus and Silver Dollars. That tank is probably not a suitable size for a common pleco. Those get very large, sometimes up to 18 inches.

I don't think the neons would work, either. They are just a nice snack size for many fish. I didn't keep neons with mine and wouldn't have even tried it.

[annageckos]

Just because they look ok doesn't mean they are doing 'fine'. Small tanks stunt growth and can shorten lifespans. You wouldn't keep a dog locked in a crate all the time, would you? As long as it was fed it would look 'fine', right? Saying that, I am not jumping on you. I am glad you are doing the right thing for the fish. I don't know of any fish that are smaller that look like a silver dollar.:22:

[Kiwilover]

Thanks for all of your help. And as for my pleco, my uncle has a 200 some gallon tank I plan to put the pleco in if he gets too large.

A few years ago I used to get a pair of severum and when they got too large I would hand them off to one of my other friends or relatives. I will most likely do the same with my silver dollars or pleco once they get too large.

Also, completely off topic, are there any easy freshwater invertebrates I could get?

[Lady Hobbs]

Ya know, I think you might do well to ask that part of your question in the invertebrates section incase it's missed in this thread.

I do want to welcome you to AC, tho, and comend you on researching your fish before buying them. Not everyone does that and that gets them in some problems. Good luck with whatever you decide on. I think you will make a very good fishkeeper.

[rangur1]

Okay, thanks! I know people who have them in small tanks but they do fine. Any other similar fish that I could get?
how about some hatchetfish? they have a very interesting appearence and go very well with the fish you mentioned. they are small too.

[Kiwilover]

Oh, thanks! I didn't think of those. In the meantime I will most likely get two silver dollars, and if there are too many problems I'll give them to my other friend, he has two living in a huge 180 gallon tank.

[Northernguy]

What kind of inverts are you after?
A crayfish will just kill many of your fish and have a snack.They are great hunters.
Apple snails will work.They clean some algae and some of the substrate.Gold apple snails do not eat plant.The dark mystery snails do!
Silver dollars may tear apart any real plants that have.
You could put some shrimp in there too.
Have you any pics of your tank?