When do Red Hook SD's get their hook?

[08trdoffroad]

I recently purchased a group of six Silver Dollars. The store owner assured me they came in from his supplier as WC juvie Red Hook's. Right now they are only about 1" and their anal fins are all bright red, but none of them have the signature hook that they are know for. I am wondering if this is due to their size and age and whether it is something that they will develop later on down the road as they mature.

So my question is, When do Red Hook SD's get their hooks?

Any advice/input would be great!

TIA!

 

[uncwnells]

mine had his at 2", I dont know if he had t before then or not

 

[Dragon Hunter]

i think they have the hook from day 1

 

[DMD123]

i think they have the hook from day 1

I thought the same.

My red hooks were purchased when they were about 2" and all had large red and black sickle hooks on them. The only info I have read on them is when young the hooks may not have the red in them but might be white in color. But I had not seen anything that said the hook had to grow in.

Found this on the hook color; sounds like even when small the hook was developed: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125098

 

[08trdoffroad]

I guess I can assume mine are infact not really red hooks then...I guess I can't be too upset...I only paid $7.00 ea for them, which is the going rate for regular SD around here anyway.

Looks like I will just end up with another school of Hooks in the same tank.

 

[DMD123]

I only paid $7.00 ea for them, which is the going rate for regular SD around here anyway

That's not bad. Red Hooks are very hard to find in my area. For the size fish I got, one store would special order them for me at $30 a piece. I found my Red Hooks at another LFS and they were still $20 each, so for my 5 it was $100. OUCH!

This did not bother me too much until I put them in the tank with my Midas who at once started charging into and biting them. I always thought I had a mild Midas until then. Of course he was only about 4" so he didnt hurt them very much. The Midas mellowed out toward them overnight and he hardly ever even bothers with them anymore even at feeding time.

True Red Hooks are awesome looking and totally worth it. Just keep looking, you will find them.

 

[Cichla dude]

Post some pics of the so called redhooks. I have some feeling that they are just reg. orange finned silverdollars. A lot of lfs will sell reg. silverdollars as redhooks for the quick bucks. I am not saying this is the case, but pics will be needed for proper id. Do they look like the one in my avatar?

 

[08trdoffroad]

Here are some I took tonight...they are so much more difficult to photograph than my Frontosa! lol

 

[DMD123]

They look like regular SD's to me. Sorry. No Red Hooks there.

 

[peewee]

yeah, regular silver dollars.