Moving Fish- Silver Dollars

[LBDave]

I just moved my oscars and pbass into another tank. I will be posting stuff I learned, experienced and the tribulations etc. on some other upcoming posts.

Last week I did a water change (before move) and the silver dollars took it a little hard. Real skittish when I put water back in. Almost didn't think I used enough Prime.
A bit unusual. Not a big deal but I thought I'd mention it.
I have 3 old fairly large silver dollars that thrived with the oscars, pbass and 2 geos. Usually the oscars commanded the top level of the tank but sometimes the SD's would go to the surface during feeding.
Saturday I drained the tank down a bit and removed the plants and driftwood. I removed all the fish from this 110gal tank except the 3 SD's, one geo and the pleco.

Everything is fine but I am sort of amazed how this affect the SD's. They tend to stay towards bottom or mid level. Will not go to the top when feeding. I am sure they will acclimate more as time goes on. But sort of amazed. The fish that were moved are actually acclimating better than the SDs.

It's almost like the oscars and bass were dithers to the SD's. Now with a very less active tank the SD's are a little shocked by this.

My wife says they are scared of me now. "The man with the big red net".

 

[tlindsey]

I just moved my oscars and pbass into another tank. I will be posting stuff I learned, experienced and the tribulations etc. on some other upcoming posts.

Last week I did a water change (before move) and the silver dollars took it a little hard. Real skittish when I put water back in. Almost didn't think I used enough Prime.
A bit unusual. Not a big deal but I thought I'd mention it.
I have 3 old fairly large silver dollars that thrived with the oscars, pbass and 2 geos. Usually the oscars commanded the top level of the tank but sometimes the SD's would go to the surface during feeding.
Saturday I drained the tank down a bit and removed the plants and driftwood. I removed all the fish from this 110gal tank except the 3 SD's, one geo and the pleco.

Everything is fine but I am sort of amazed how this affect the SD's. They tend to stay towards bottom or mid level. Will not go to the top when feeding. I am sure they will acclimate more as time goes on. But sort of amazed. The fish that were moved are actually acclimating better than the SDs.

It's almost like the oscars and bass were dithers to the SD's. Now with a very less active tank the SD's are a little shocked by this.

My wife says they are scared of me now. "The man with the big red net".

Your wife is correct lol but the SD'S will be fine most species are hardy.

 

[LBDave]

Your wife is correct lol but the SD'S will be fine most species are hardy.

I'm not worried. Just thought I would do this as the first post. Almost makes me want to add a fish to this tank but I promised myself I wouldn't. In case the oscars end up not getting along. Spare tank.
I'm sure the SD's will figure things out.
As a side note I have 2 juruparis. "Mr. Big Stuff" would bully the smaller one. The smaller one would eat when fed. But otherwise would always need to hide from MBS. This made him stay small. Well the time has come. MBS is now in with the big pbass and oscars. What comes around goes around!
The little one, Joseph, now has a 110 gal tank all to himself and he's loving it. Duanes would say I now have a properly populated tank!

 

[FJB]

Give them time, they will come around and establish a new routine. With a 110 (probably 4x24' ?) you could have several more dollars, and they will always do better in larger groups. What kind of SD's? Post a picture?
Good luck.

 

[LBDave]

You can see them in the Luther threads I have posted. Just search Luther. They are in the pics here and there.
These 3 SD's have been together for a long long time. So I am not going to add any. Like I say, the 110 gallon is a standby tank for any oscars that end up not getting along. At least for now.

 

[LBDave]

Silver dollars now fervently breeding.
Barely ate anything.
Wife said they started this morning. Like mad hatters. Frantic breeding. Non stop.
Swimming all over frantically.
Laying eggs at back left corner as usual.

 

[moe214]

They will probably remain more skittish than they could be calm due to the low number of them. I wouldn't advise to keep just 3. I've tried it, they do better with more.

 

[Rocksor]

I would up the numbers to more than 8. World of difference in behavior from even a number of 5.

 

[LBDave]

I appreciate the input. I really do. I will keep an eye on them. Like I say I can't start stocking this tank with fish. I will keep an eye on them.
I have had up to about 10 silver dollars at a time and these 3 are the survivors. Right now I just hope they don't "breed to death". Like I say I will monitor. But it is interesting. The change of behavior now that they are only in with a geo and pleco.

 

[Ulu]

I had SDs for ~14 years, in a group of 5, with a sailfin Pleco. They never bred, so I assumed they were all males. (all large)

I tried to move them to a bigger tank and they perished one by one. I never knew why, except that they were very old, and the stress weakened them. I did an instant cycle transfer of everything to the new tank over a course of days, and I had no major water quality issues.

But at that age a minor one might be enough.