Silver Problems -_-

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Fishfriend1

Fishlover Extraordinaire
Dec 11, 2009
3,958
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Southeastern PA
Real Name
Mr. Palmer
So, as per this thread I acquired 2 Silver Dollars from my moms friend. They are/were both very thin and less than healthy (gasping for breath and all that fun stuff :headshake2:). They both ate well when I fed them and seemed to be doing well in the tank I put them in (no QT because they've been in the friends tank for literally years without death or illness). Well, besides being very thin and the whole gasping for breath thing they both seemed fine, and I hoped to fatten them up a bit and that the gasping was only due to the move from friends tank to large Tupperware to bag to my tank (which had a somewhat warmer temp then the bag and tuppa water) but today one of them (but not both?) is stuck on the top of the tank on its side unable to swim properly. It still has loads of swimming power, but it cannot stay down and cannot right itself.

I'm a little t'd off about the whole situation (It was take them or they were going to be dumped into a nearby river -_-) but I was rather expecting them both to keel over so I'm in no way surprised about this. What I am interested in is as follows:


  1. What is the cause of this fish having, what swim badder issues? Is it just the different water, or the move stressing the poor creature out?
  2. Why is only one of them effected? The other is fine, even eating readily and with muy gusto.
  3. Why are the black skirts and small common pleco completely unaffected as well? Are they just hardier?
  4. Is there any chance at all that it will recover? FWIK it won't, but I don't know everything.
  5. Will I need to acquire more silvers to keep the last one company or will it be able to survive on its own? The two fish have been alone together for several years now.

From what I know, swim bladder issues are usually fish-specific, so I don't need to be worried about the rest of my tank ending up this way. That said, I am keeping an eye on the tank for when it dies, since I'm rather certain it will and since I don't have any way to euthanize it besides like crushing it with a brick (not going to happen).

I hate people who don't care for their fish properly, but in this case it seems to have been a case of being ignorant of proper care rather than of being inconsiderate of the fish (they are really nice people, even foster a pitbull right now that was abused poor girl) so I can't really be angry at them. Only wish they'd rehomed the fish sooner :(

Well, thanks for any feedback. I suppose I'll keep this updated in relation to the silvers.
 

dougall

...
Mar 29, 2005
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I would primarily think about how you acclimated them, if they were less than healthy I would expect that frequent partial water changes were not performed..

so likely high nitrate and TDS in the old tank, then the shock of moving to your bright, sparkling, pristine tank.
 

Fishfriend1

Fishlover Extraordinaire
Dec 11, 2009
3,958
3
38
Southeastern PA
Real Name
Mr. Palmer
I would primarily think about how you acclimated them, if they were less than healthy I would expect that frequent partial water changes were not performed..

so likely high nitrate and TDS in the old tank, then the shock of moving to your bright, sparkling, pristine tank.
Gah! I can't believe I made such stupid mistake :wall: I haven't added fish to my tanks in almost 2 years so I completely forgot about old-tank syndrome :(

Should've put them in the 20g with a lot of their own water and then slowly changed it out over a week or so :footinmouth:
 

Fishfriend1

Fishlover Extraordinaire
Dec 11, 2009
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Southeastern PA
Real Name
Mr. Palmer
Will the last silver dollar be able to survive on it's own or does it need to have at least 1 other of its species? My tank is pretty overfiltered so I could manage probably a small group (3-5) without without crashing it, assuming I QT them first and whatnot. I would only be overstocking by 50% and would have plenty of filter power... Though some of the fish may get a bit large *cough* pleco *cough* but I can handle that.
 

rufioman

"That guy"
Aug 16, 2010
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Heath
First of all...stuff happens, you tried. Everyone kills fish, bro. I would rehome the silver because they are true schoolers and prefer 6+ with 8+ being ideal. That's how my lfs has them and it's cool watching them hang around. $.02 and 16 hours of driving talking :crazy:
 

Fishfriend1

Fishlover Extraordinaire
Dec 11, 2009
3,958
3
38
Southeastern PA
Real Name
Mr. Palmer
First of all...stuff happens, you tried. Everyone kills fish, bro. I would rehome the silver because they are true schoolers and prefer 6+ with 8+ being ideal. That's how my lfs has them and it's cool watching them hang around. $.02 and 16 hours of driving talking :crazy:
Now to search for a LFS that wants a somewhat sickly Silver Dollar that doesn't know what plants are (not kidding, this fella's in a heavily planted tank and hasn't even taken a nibble yet, inhales flakes though). That said, I wish I could keep them, they're surprisingly pretty for a plain silver fish (even sickly, which is weird). Wish me luck lol
 

dougall

...
Mar 29, 2005
3,480
900
120
Now to search for a LFS that wants a somewhat sickly Silver Dollar that doesn't know what plants are (not kidding, this fella's in a heavily planted tank and hasn't even taken a nibble yet, inhales flakes though). That said, I wish I could keep them, they're surprisingly pretty for a plain silver fish (even sickly, which is weird). Wish me luck lol
You'd likely do better trying to find a hobbyist than an LFS.

in SEPA, maybe Bucks County Aquarium society or Delaware county aquarium society would be good places to start, both have relatively active facebook communities.

But for right now, giving the fish the best care you possibly can until it can be rehomed would be the best bet.
 

Fishfriend1

Fishlover Extraordinaire
Dec 11, 2009
3,958
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Southeastern PA
Real Name
Mr. Palmer
So I've become attached to the healthy one (probably not a good thing). My tank has the filtration and size to handle a solid 5 or so Silver Dollars (the smaller breeds at least) would that be in any way logical to do or would wanting to be stupid and irresponsible? (sorry if these seems like a stupid question, but I get attached to fish easily...)
 

dougall

...
Mar 29, 2005
3,480
900
120
So I've become attached to the healthy one (probably not a good thing). My tank has the filtration and size to handle a solid 5 or so Silver Dollars (the smaller breeds at least) would that be in any way logical to do or would wanting to be stupid and irresponsible? (sorry if these seems like a stupid question, but I get attached to fish easily...)
Just give it a name, everything will fall into place then.
 

Fishfriend1

Fishlover Extraordinaire
Dec 11, 2009
3,958
3
38
Southeastern PA
Real Name
Mr. Palmer
Just give it a name, everything will fall into place then.
BAH! Why do you do this? I literally named it in my head because of this post XD
 
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