Did some reading. Seems like they are like other silvers: will prefer plants but may eat small fish or inverts.
NEW SILVER DOLLAR PLANTED TANK – Consolidating 2 established Planted SD tanks
- Thread starter FJB
- Start date
"Aren't black bar silver dollars carnivorous? Those might be some of the ones suitable for planted tanks."
I don't think any of the silver dollars are entirely carnivorous, nor entirely vegetarian. There is remarkable variability both in the proportions of each the various species tend to eat, but in nature, around the seasonality of what is available to them over the year. In the aquarium we have control - For Metynnis, everything goes and is suitable food: from seeds and fruit, to insects and worms, to leafy things, to flakes and pellets to garbanzos. I use a varied daily rotation of things.
Black bars and others are Myleus and Myloplus. They are mosly rheophilus, as many silver dollars do, at least in part - They eat plants and algae, moss that grow between rocks in shallow rapids, a particularly type of plant (variis species of Pododesmacea), usually in shallow areas. Some species may be more vegetarian than others. Depending on the time of the year and location, some Metynnis may do some of that, other times (high water) they are in larger bodies of water and eat semiterrestrial resources. For all those reasons, they are neither one nor the other; they are opportunistic omnivorous, with a high level of vegetarian but swinging it all.
I don't think any of the silver dollars are entirely carnivorous, nor entirely vegetarian. There is remarkable variability both in the proportions of each the various species tend to eat, but in nature, around the seasonality of what is available to them over the year. In the aquarium we have control - For Metynnis, everything goes and is suitable food: from seeds and fruit, to insects and worms, to leafy things, to flakes and pellets to garbanzos. I use a varied daily rotation of things.
Black bars and others are Myleus and Myloplus. They are mosly rheophilus, as many silver dollars do, at least in part - They eat plants and algae, moss that grow between rocks in shallow rapids, a particularly type of plant (variis species of Pododesmacea), usually in shallow areas. Some species may be more vegetarian than others. Depending on the time of the year and location, some Metynnis may do some of that, other times (high water) they are in larger bodies of water and eat semiterrestrial resources. For all those reasons, they are neither one nor the other; they are opportunistic omnivorous, with a high level of vegetarian but swinging it all.
Thanks for input FJB and Deadeye. I also did some reading and there are reportedly a couple morphs of black bars all traded as 1 species sometimes, with one having less black and being larger than the rest.
Could be that because of omnivorous tendencies FJB pointed out, one of those morphs may be closer to carnivorous than herbivorous (especially compared to other morphs) on the omnivore spectrum.
Could be that because of omnivorous tendencies FJB pointed out, one of those morphs may be closer to carnivorous than herbivorous (especially compared to other morphs) on the omnivore spectrum.
I have a small group of m setiger and I noticed one is off, perhaps a different sp. altogether, for whatever reason this particular male grew almost double the rest of the group and also tends to lean into eating tilapia and smelts when I feed to my rays. Whereas the “confirmed” setiger seem to not care about them as much. So I would say my observations would tentatively conclude that some sp are more prone to favour one or the other. But this is a recent discovery so I will keep an eye out when I come across new and different sp. sds.
We need a/some picture(s) to see if indeed you have been sold a non-setiger. My mixed school in the 220g, redhook school in the 260g and the hypsauchen school in the 120g don't turn their noses up at any food I toss in. I don't feed tilapia or smelt but I do feed mysis.
Small update.
Just a couple of views. Nothing much new to report, the big dollars settled in. The small ones squirting about on the sides. All doing well. Plants seem fine too. Large water change yesterday uneventful. Three more adult fish to add next week. I have decided that I will take out the 4 small dollars and put them upstairs in the 75g tank for a while. Then the eight adults together by themselves will be much better.
Just a couple of views. Nothing much new to report, the big dollars settled in. The small ones squirting about on the sides. All doing well. Plants seem fine too. Large water change yesterday uneventful. Three more adult fish to add next week. I have decided that I will take out the 4 small dollars and put them upstairs in the 75g tank for a while. Then the eight adults together by themselves will be much better.
I'm not kidding when I say this thread is tempting me to get silver dollars instead of tiger barbs for my 2nd 473 liter. They are great fish.
Updates.
1- So I had decided that the 4 small tiger SDs was too much for the tank, as three more adults were coming in. So I relocated them to the former SD 75 tank, together with some Colombian tetras and cories. They will grow out fine there, and then will need more space.
2- I finally removed the FX6 filter from their former tank above, and installed it in their new tank, with a spray bar (Go Flow Tamer!). Total filtration is now FX6, AC 110 & Penguin 350. Works beautifully.
3- I added the 3 adult fish, for a total of 8 adults (3 maculatus, 4 lippincotianus, 1 altidorsalis). That will be the population for the tank. There are 2 Brochis, 1 small Bushynose pleco and 5 otos.
I will still not make specific comments about plants and fish yet, all good.
1- So I had decided that the 4 small tiger SDs was too much for the tank, as three more adults were coming in. So I relocated them to the former SD 75 tank, together with some Colombian tetras and cories. They will grow out fine there, and then will need more space.
2- I finally removed the FX6 filter from their former tank above, and installed it in their new tank, with a spray bar (Go Flow Tamer!). Total filtration is now FX6, AC 110 & Penguin 350. Works beautifully.
3- I added the 3 adult fish, for a total of 8 adults (3 maculatus, 4 lippincotianus, 1 altidorsalis). That will be the population for the tank. There are 2 Brochis, 1 small Bushynose pleco and 5 otos.
I will still not make specific comments about plants and fish yet, all good.
