Silver Dollar Resistant Plants?
- Thread starter JazzyB
- Start date
Di am also despartely looking for plants that my dollars won't eat I've tried anubius, and Java fern which both were eaten by day 2. I was very surprisEd when I bought a banna plant, just because that looked so cool...and was surprised when mu dollars ignored them! Since my tank is 90gl. I'm going tipi need more then a few banana plants...any SUGGESTIONS will be greatly appreciarpted'
I've had success keeping several Crypts with Silver Dollars, they don't touch them. As well as Bacopa. Other than that, most others become meals.
I also float Water Lettuce and Water Sprite, and they seem pretty safe.
I have 6 SD's in a 75G fully planted, with several other fish.
I also float Water Lettuce and Water Sprite, and they seem pretty safe.
I have 6 SD's in a 75G fully planted, with several other fish.
[I realize this is an old thread]
I agree that people who keep dollars in planted tanks are in the minority, but it is possible.
I don't know what is the secret, and I don't pretend to know better, but my group of silver dollars (3 different species of Metynnis) are in a somewhat densely planted tank, including 3 spp of Cryptocoryne, java fern (Microsorium), and several other plants, some of which I have since removed but which grew well (Elodea, water sprite, and others). I also keep a 'floating corral' with duckweed, specifically for them to munch on. I grow the duckweed in a separate small dedicated tank, just to replace the floating patch in the SD's tank. The last image (with 'floating corral') is actually older than the others and there were several plastic plants visible; it was taken in Dec 2017. In the other images, there is no plastic plants and the tank has been running so for ~2 years. Cheers!
I agree that people who keep dollars in planted tanks are in the minority, but it is possible.
I don't know what is the secret, and I don't pretend to know better, but my group of silver dollars (3 different species of Metynnis) are in a somewhat densely planted tank, including 3 spp of Cryptocoryne, java fern (Microsorium), and several other plants, some of which I have since removed but which grew well (Elodea, water sprite, and others). I also keep a 'floating corral' with duckweed, specifically for them to munch on. I grow the duckweed in a separate small dedicated tank, just to replace the floating patch in the SD's tank. The last image (with 'floating corral') is actually older than the others and there were several plastic plants visible; it was taken in Dec 2017. In the other images, there is no plastic plants and the tank has been running so for ~2 years. Cheers!
Impressive! I really like silver dollars...what is your feeding regimen? Maybe one trick is making sure they have plenty of other plant-based food options available, so they're not as likely to go after the live plants?
Thank you both!
Regarding the plants, thanks! they all are relatively low light requiring species.
Tank is a 75, lights are 2 fluorescent tubes. I add Fluorish weekly and root tabs occasionally. Filtration is FX6 and AQ 110. Water changes ~60% weekly.
Feeding is rather involved...
I feed at night, they get a rotation of any of chickpeas, sunflower seeds, one of ~8 different pellets (from Ken's some animal, some plant),
freeze dried mealworms, dried insects, frozen cubes (4 choices), or my own frozen food. In any day they get 2 of those choices.
In the morning, I hang them algae thins (cut-out Nori seaweed), on clips, sometimes other veggies instead. I don't give much lettuce lately because they don't like it s much.
They don't munch on any of the plants, at all. They do eat the duckweed, but actually not that much (a small handful would last a whole week or more in the tank). But they do eat all the food I throw at them.
Cheers
Regarding the plants, thanks! they all are relatively low light requiring species.
Tank is a 75, lights are 2 fluorescent tubes. I add Fluorish weekly and root tabs occasionally. Filtration is FX6 and AQ 110. Water changes ~60% weekly.
Feeding is rather involved...
I feed at night, they get a rotation of any of chickpeas, sunflower seeds, one of ~8 different pellets (from Ken's some animal, some plant),
freeze dried mealworms, dried insects, frozen cubes (4 choices), or my own frozen food. In any day they get 2 of those choices.
In the morning, I hang them algae thins (cut-out Nori seaweed), on clips, sometimes other veggies instead. I don't give much lettuce lately because they don't like it s much.
They don't munch on any of the plants, at all. They do eat the duckweed, but actually not that much (a small handful would last a whole week or more in the tank). But they do eat all the food I throw at them.
Cheers
Wow, that's some feeding list. There's nothing like a ton of food choices! My worst species for spoiling were young discus & loaches I had at the same time. 6 feedings a day with no repeats, haha.
How do you offer chick peas & (raw?) sunflower seeds? Those have never hit my radar as fish foods, lol. I've mostly kept carnivores or omnivores, but those are in our people diet so they "could" be fish foods...Tell us more please...
How do you offer chick peas & (raw?) sunflower seeds? Those have never hit my radar as fish foods, lol. I've mostly kept carnivores or omnivores, but those are in our people diet so they "could" be fish foods...Tell us more please...
The chickpeas come from the can (Goya or any other). I open a can, rinse the chickpeas very well (get rid of the gooey stuff), and keep them frozen in a ziplock bag. To feed, I take a few (it works out to about 10 chickpeas or so for 2 tanks), let them thaw and get to room temperature, remove the skins (probably not necessary) and break them at the water surface between my fingers, They go crazy for these, and all minuscule pieces remaining after a couple of minutes of frenzy are eagerly sought after from the sand and gravel. Probably breaking the peas is not necessary (the dollars will of course take the whole chickpea and munch on it), but I do it because I like to see them come get it from my hand, and because it seems that this way all 8 dollars get a fair share.
I have also given green peas, red beans, and guandules, left over from my family's food. Rinse well, remove skins, break between fingers at water surface and see them eat.
The sunflower seeds are plain, roasted, unsalted. I take a pinch-full and break them with my fingers to both remove the thin skins, and to crush them so they are in smaller pieces. They love this! I tried peanuts and they eat them but no as eagerly.
Out of all the foods, the chickpeas and sunflower seeds are certainly among their favorites. But they do eat just about anything I throw in.
I try to give them both plant and animal-based foods, as I know they are not true vegetarians (in nature, they certainly include much insect/worm/etc, along with grazing on plant-like growth (algae/plant).
If you try either of these foods, let us know how it works for you. Cheers!
I have also given green peas, red beans, and guandules, left over from my family's food. Rinse well, remove skins, break between fingers at water surface and see them eat.
The sunflower seeds are plain, roasted, unsalted. I take a pinch-full and break them with my fingers to both remove the thin skins, and to crush them so they are in smaller pieces. They love this! I tried peanuts and they eat them but no as eagerly.
Out of all the foods, the chickpeas and sunflower seeds are certainly among their favorites. But they do eat just about anything I throw in.
I try to give them both plant and animal-based foods, as I know they are not true vegetarians (in nature, they certainly include much insect/worm/etc, along with grazing on plant-like growth (algae/plant).
If you try either of these foods, let us know how it works for you. Cheers!
