mom2alexis

First off let me say that I'm new to this group and I have some question's to ask..Since I'm new to this type of fish..

We was giving a silver dollar fish today (we have always have had gold fish and betta's) so this type of fish is new to us on how to care for it. As of right now we have it in a 10 gallon fish tank by it's self. We don't know how old it is or anything. Since the people that gave it to us someone left it in there rent house so they wanted us to have it so they didn't have to kill it.

So how big of a tank dose it need to be in and can any fish be in the same tank with it? Like can we add some of our gold fish with it and see how they do with it?

Sorry for all the question's but this type of fish is new to us and we want to be able to care for it the right way.

I'm adding a picture of it that I did get of it today.

Attached Images

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TFA101

Minimum for this fish is 30 gallons. This fish grows huge, but usually about 6 inches average, so a ten gallon tank will hold it only for a while. It is a tropical fish, so goldfish are incompatible as these fish require warmer water, 78 degrees will suffice. It is a rather hardy fish though, and it will peacefully live with other larger robust fish that will not harass it, such as the larger blue gouramis, dwarf cichlids, larger barbs and larger tetras. To keep this fish with multiple specimens, I would recommend a tank no smaller than 55 gallons.

AlyeskaGirl

Welcome to fishlore!

Silver Dollars are a schooling fish and grow to about 6 inches. A 10 gal tank is much too small for him. You need at least 2 more dollars for him to feel safe and a bigger tank. They are a tropical fish and can't be housed with goldfish. As goldfish need to be in cooler water as Silvers need 78-80 as most tropical fish do. They eat flakes, plants, frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. Mine also love veggie rounds and romaine lettuce. They are fairly easy to care for. Also prefer low lighting and are skiddish so make sure you have nothing sharp in there.

I love mine!

It looks as though he may have finrot.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/finrot.htm

aquarist48

Good morning and Welcome to Fish Lore. I agree with the above posters that he really should be homed in a larger tank. They are tropical and should not be housed with goldfish. He looks fairly large in the picture and guessing him to be 3 to 5 years old. They really need to be with several of their own kind as they do like to school and it helps them to feel much safer in their environment. A very peaceful fish. They will eat flake food, or pellets, but they love veggies like lettuce, peas. If you have live plants in the tank they will probably be eaten.

You can add other tropical fish with him but research the species that you want to add before doing so. The additional fish need to be peaceful as well.

Best of luck! Enjoy your new buddy

mom2alexis

Thanks for the tips. We have him in a 10 gallon tank in our daughter bedroom for her pet and he acts like he is doing alot better then he was when we gotten him. But we have seen when someone goes around the tank he goes and hides for awhile and when the light is on he will hide until the light is off then he will come out and swim around. So we have been keeping the light off for him since her room already gets alot of light. But when our daughter goes around the tank he wont hide...So I'm taking it that he don't like a lot of moving done around his tank.

Regal

Any chance they left behind the aquarium he was in? Maybe you could get that tank.

aquarist48

Glad to hear that he is showing signs of improvement. Silver Dollars can be shy and take a while to adapt to their new environment. Yes, they can be startled easily.

mom2alexis

No, they didn't give us the tank just the fish and someone gave this fish to my mom and step-dad and they knew we have fish and knew that he would be better taking care of with us and not killed

rileyrk190

They are great fish! Another concern i would have with these guys, is being in a ten gallon if they get startled enough they can injure themselves on the sides of the tank. When i was redecorating my 55g, i put them in a rubbermaid container, and they bumped into the sides all day long.

CatladyDane

He's lovely! I got my first silvers (3, and they're about the size of a silver dollar right now) a little over a week ago. I have them in a 20 gal tall tank with lots of fake plants for hiding. If they seem to need more space in the future I'll adjust accordingly. I've been known to rearrange fish and decorations more than once. At first they were quite shy, but they seem to be much better now, even curious. They didn't get upset with me when I stuck my hand in to clean, vacuum the gravel, and add more plants today. When I first brought my guys home they seemed very skittish but they calmed down after a few days during which I left tank lights off. (I get lots of natural light in that room.) They do tend to stay close to each other. They're so cute when I drop in an algae wafer and they dart after it! Good luck with your beautiful silver.

AlyeskaGirl

Just to let you know a 20 gal tall is NOT big enough for 3 of them.....they grow fast, especially if you feed them a good diet. A 55 gal is more suitable for them as they will grow to about 6". Then you can add 2 more and have a shoal of 5!

Take a Romaine lettuce leaf or Spinach and blanch it and stick in the gravel...they will love to snack on it!