Super nippy Black bar Silver dollar?? :(

NeonFlux

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2010
270
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Los Angeles
I have a single black bar SD fish I just got several months ago, and he is growing really nicely in my cycled 250 gallon and eating pretty well.. I also do a lot of water changes for my fish. It's about 4-5 inches right now and happy, spoiled. Unfortunately, I'm starting to see a little bit of fin damage he/she has done to my other SD's, blood red parrots, and other fish with it. He/she just seems to have a knack habit at nippying the anal fin areas.. Is there anything I could do to stop it from being so crazy nippy? I might have to take him/her out because I don't want to see my beautiful tinfoils, bala shark's fins get messed up in the future and is unrecoverable especially it takes a big chunk off the boney areas... Any ideas? Should i just try and put up with it? My other SD's Tinfoils are pretty swift and fast, but iunno.. once my bala, tinfoil gets really big, I fear my black bar has an advantage to take good bites because they're bigger.. or just get him/her out for sell?

Any advice, input would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks guys.

-William
 

Paulbearer

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 1, 2008
1,340
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Marion, NC
How many is there? SD's usually do better in numbers of 6+ and usually keep to themselves in larger groups. Keep word here is "usually" and if you are attached to him/her it would be worth it.

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sunnysjourney

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2014
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How many is there? SD's usually do better in numbers of 6+ and usually keep to themselves in larger groups. Keep word here is "usually" and if you are attached to him/her it would be worth it.

Sent from my XT1031 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
+1, they seem to act complete different when they are kept in 6+ groups. They feel more secure in larger numbers.
 

NeonFlux

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2010
270
17
48
Los Angeles
These are the other SD's I have at the moment.

5 Regular SD's
3 Spotted SD's

They do school around with my black bar SD and are active.. But the black bar SD, man.. he/she just loooves attempting to nip when he/she gets somewhat close to other fish's fins.. It's like: "Oooh.. fins, FINS, FINS..awesome I'm gonna bite them" Of course my other fish usually gets away.. But I'm worried about my slower moving fish or when my bala and tinfoil gets big.. My black bar's already got a good chunk of one of my big blood red parrot's boney anal fin area and it's just not perfect anymore, I mean the anal fin has healed back nicely, but it's doesn't look as robust no longer. I think this black bar SD's got more aggressive piranha genes than other black bar silver dollars lol.
 

noside

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 6, 2014
164
1
16
NJ
Do you have any live plants? I'm only thinking this might help because my SD's like to nip at little long grass like plants and my pothos roots. I also have 10 of them mixed spotted and bar in a 150 around 4-5" had them since 1".
 

Silent Bob

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2011
1,406
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53
Plainfield, IL
Get yourself some other black bars for it to swim around with. Right now that fish is solo. Even with other species of SD's in the tank it it has nothing to school with. It will more then likely be less nippy once it feels secure in a group of its own.
 

NeonFlux

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2010
270
17
48
Los Angeles
What do you think of two more red hook SD's to make a odd number of them? What do you think of adding a 'luna' red hook silver hook and a regular red hook silver dollar? I just like a lot of variety lol so I can distinguish between them.
 

Silent Bob

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2011
1,406
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53
Plainfield, IL
What do you think of two more red hook SD's to make a odd number of them? What do you think of adding a 'luna' red hook silver hook and a regular red hook silver dollar? I just like a lot of variety lol so I can distinguish between them.
If the issue is the black bar you either need to remove it or add to the black bars group. Adding more of a different SD is not going to help it out. Variety is fine but fix the main problem first before adding to it.
 

NeonFlux

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2010
270
17
48
Los Angeles
Thanks.. I'll see if I can get more black bar SD's to see if it helps with the nipping.
 

noelsfishland

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jun 2, 2013
422
1
33
In My Aquarium
do you have the wide bar or the narrow bar SD the wide bar get much bigger than the narrow and are more aggressive they can get about 10 inches and are very stocky compared to other silver SD.I had six in my 400 gallon tank,but my gator gar shredded three and four narrow bar ones. I moved them into my mellow 400 and the swim threw like a freight train.I would get at least 3 to 4 more.I have 3 wide bar and one narrow bar left.
 
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