Silver dollar question
- davenh58
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Douglas DuHamel
- jetopaz
- sioux2
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Douglas DuHamel
- wiper
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Douglas DuHamel
- ombuddah
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» davenh58 - Black dots
I have 3 silver dollars. Occasionally, one of them will show a black spot slightly above and behind the gill area. This spot is about the size of a pea. Can anyone tell me what this spot is? They seem to chase each other, or be more active when this spot is present. I've enjoyed the articles here very much!Thanks,
Dave
-- posted by davenh58
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Douglas DuHamel
- Re: Black dots
Hi Dave
I'm not really sure on what this black dot could be ! My guess is it might be a type of parasite, but I have had many silver dollars over the years and really have never seen this? I'm sorry I don't have a answer for you at this time, but I will most certainly look into this and try to get back to you with a answer.
Thanks
-- posted by Douglas DuHamel
» jetopaz - silver dollar fish
i have four silver dollar fish in my tank, and they seem to be chasing eachother and biting on eachothers fins. now they are all finless. i have two questions...one..why are they doing this if they are classified as friendly fish
two..will their fins ever grow back
if anyone could help i would be grateful
-- posted by jetopaz
» sioux2 - Re: Black dots
In response to Black dots posted by davenh58:I've had 5 dollars for almost a year and just recently one started showing a dark spot, also.It comes and goes and I think it is related to breeding.The top fin becomes very dark, the tail fin has a dark band along the outer edge.The gill area turns reddish, also.I know mine isn't caused by illness. The one with all the color changes is also very active chasing away one fish and not the others. I think that this fish is a female. No red on the anal fin at all. If it isn't in the breeding mode than I haven't a clue why this change happens. Does your dark spot come and go?
I am baffled by mine....I have 2 smaller dollars that each have a small red spot behind their eyes. I don't really know that much about them as this is the first time I've had Silver Dollars. Previously I had Kribensis and a variety of others.Good luck with your fish.
-- posted by sioux2
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Douglas DuHamel
- Re: Re: Black dots
HI
Silver Dollars are weird fish when it comes to color.I've had males as big as dinner plates all silver.I do tend to go with what you are saying about the females having color changes, when in the mood.The only thing you will have to watch is that she doen't hound the male to death by always chasing him.
Give them lots of places to hide and feed them high protein food like shrimp and blood worms, and see if that's what it is the female wanting sex. Silver dollars I believe are egg scatterers,so if they breed for you you will have eggs all over the tank.
In 72 hours they will hatch and you will have little wigglers all over the tank to small to see with out looking hard!
Good luck!!!
Thanks Doug
-- posted by Douglas DuHamel
» wiper - Re: Re: Re: Black dots
In response to Re: Re: Black dots posted by doug101:Hi doug101, I just wonder how you can keep your silvers so big. I have 14 silvers which I bought 2 years ago and they are 5 to 6.5 inches long now. However, they just look liked 4 inches to me. I am using 48-inch tank which I think it is just enough space for the time being. Now my questions are: 1,How can I boost them up to 8 inches or more in terms of food. 2,How old are your dinner plate size silvers. 3,They chase after each others with black spots on sides, but I spent day after days watching and I didn't see any signs of egg laying. Are they not matured enough?
I was fascinated by this fish because I had seen them as big as 9 inches when I was a boy. They looked so cool when big. And that's why I really wanted them large. This is the fourth time I have kept this fish and I certainly love them forever!
-- posted by wiper
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Douglas DuHamel
- Re: Re: Re: Re: Black dots
There are a few things to take into account when you want to have large fish. Filtration, space, diet, and water changes. If these thought's are not met you will never get large fish. Filtration, because if your fish are to grow big, they need clear derbis free water. Water changes just might be the most important,25% a week is a must. Fish give off a hormone that says to the other fish don't grow only I can grow well if you have 5 fish in a tank, needless to say I really don't think any one will grow the water is over loaded with this hormone.
By changing 25% of the water weekly you are lowering the level of hormones giving them a few days to grow before the hormone kicks back in. In a lot of the cases the fish can handle 25% water change every 3 days, which in turn will help you grow your fish plus a added benifit help keep the water cleaner to take a load of of your filter.
You know the saying bigger is better well in the case of fish it just might be true, if i'm growing out fish I try to keep just one batch of fry in a 135 gallon tank with good filtration, lots of water changes and good high protien food.
For food I would say life is one of the best, but watch how you feed it. This can make a clean tank dirty fast. You could try live brine shrimp,or blood worms ,tubaflex worms. even baby fish. Then would come the frozen foods, plus fish love there veggies too, basically any water based veggie, peas and lettuce.
But a 48 gallon tank would be more than enough to grow just five fish, if you follow some of the ideas that I have mentioned. Most important is the water changes!
Thanks and Good Luck Doug
-- posted by Douglas DuHamel
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