Silver dollars rubbing together?

[crackatinny]

We noticed tonight 2 of our silver dollars rubbing against each other, they would swim along then sort of shimmy together, then with a sort of flick at there bases seperate, then they would repeat this behavior, anyone seen dollars behave in this way before?

[Algenco]

sounds like spawning behavior

[Dave66]

It is spawning behavior. When they actually spawn, that 'flick' is when the eggs are scattered.
Very, very rare for SDs to breed in aquariums. Congratulations.

Dave

[crackatinny]

That is great news, though I can't see them coming to anything, I think the tankmates will eat them before that.

What would I be looking for with the eggs, I did not see anything fall when they done there little tango.

[Dave66]

That is great news, though I can't see them coming to anything, I think the tankmates will eat them before that.

What would I be looking for with the eggs, I did not see anything fall when they done there little tango.

They are scatterers just like the vast majority of tetras. Common wisdom is heavy plantings of fine-leaved stem plants as they'll spawn over them, or a spawning mop. Either way, the water level has to be low enough that the parents don't spear the eggs as the fall. The eggs would be clear and tiny. They'll turn yellow to amber when they settle.
Be quite a coup if you could successfully breed them and raise the young. As I said above, its very uncommon. I've bred a lot of tetras, but not them. I'd genuflect in your general direction if you did.

Dave

[crackatinny]

The wife just informed me that they are doing it still this morning, I only have plastic plants in the tank, as I have not been able to keep any live ones with the dollars, another thing that points toward them spawning is, I read last night about black spots appearing on there sides and the edge of the fins getting a black tinge, these are both present, the wife is trying to get a video of this behavior.