When do Red Hook SD's get their hook?

[08trdoffroad]

That is what I figured after researching juvie RH's more. Even tho they are not what I originally wanted, they are definitely the healthiest regulars I have seen around here...and I will love them anyway! Store Owner claimed they are WC, but I have my doubts about that as his supplier doesn't seem to be very honest in their dealings. Lesson learned...I will never do business with Shawn @ Aquatica in Orem, Utah again!

I read somewhere that only males have alot of red in their anal fin. All of mine have just as much red in their fins as the two in the pic's I posted. So I guess it is safe to assume I have six males?

Also, one of the six had its' tail badily nipped before I purchased them, (you can actually see him in the bottom of the second pic I posted earlier) I felt bad about just leaving it all alone after purchasing all the others, so I purchased him aswell. His tail is missing all way to the base. I have been dosing the tank with melafix and aquarium salt. I have had them about two weeks and I think his tail might be regrowing. So my question is, will he suffer any permanent deformity from this as he gets older?

 

[payara 26]

Petsmart was selling them for a dollar. So I bought 5 and they all have there hooks from day 1. One of them has a gray hook though??????? Favorite fish I have owned.

 

[Allan01230]

They get thier hook at about 2 to 3 inches. Those you have are regular sds. Their are about 10 species of the regular silver dollars incidently. Red hooks get huge. I had a pair that were very close to 12 inches across and almost 2 inches thick. Great fish keep looking they will turn up again. The big freeze down in Florida killed off a lot of stock and I'am sure red hooks were part of this. Don't think they are bred in tanks I know for sure they are bred in Florida ponds.

 

[12 Volt Man]

your regular SD's are very nice looking!

 

[Cichla dude]

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

Yes those are regular silverdollars... look just like my 2~

 

[08trdoffroad]

EVen tho they turned out to just be reg's, they are growing like crazy! They seem to have almost doubled in size since I brought them home a few weeks ago. I saw some at a LFS that were about 5". I can't wait until mine are that size. I have always loved the way pacu and piranaha's looked, but could not house a pacu due to their adult size. SD's are a happy medium for me so to speak. I will probably still try to track down 4-6 Red Hooks to put in a 90 g tank with them at some point.