# Silver dollar/red tail shark compatibility?



## joeyd71

A few weeks ago I picked up a red tail shark for my silver dollar tank. Woke up the next morning to him sitting belly up at the bottom. So he stayed in my freezer until I could go back to Petco (tomorrow) again.

I'm reading mixed results from silver dollars and these guys getting along. So I was wondering if you guys have had any direct experience with these guys together.

I really don't want something that will kill off my silvers. I had a banded leporinus that plucked the eyes out of one of them and killed him, and I am not putting up with that again. But I really love the coloring of the sharks, so I hope it would work out. What are your thoughts and concerns?

It's a 46 gallon bowfront, with 7 silver dollars, 1 killifish, and two bigass corydoras that I have had for years.


----------



## disc61

My experince tells me 7 Silvers should be in a 75 gl at least. that might be the bigger issue. Silvers are extremely active and in a 46 gl will never be able to reach there full potentional. JMO


----------



## joeyd71

disc61 said:


> My experince tells me 7 Silvers should be in a 75 gl at least. that might be the bigger issue. Silvers are extremely active and in a 46 gl will never be able to reach there full potentional. JMO


I knew somebody would call me out on that. I thought about doing a fish swap with my 55 gallon (which currently is a community with angels and gouramis) but I never gave it any serious consideration. The silver dollars I have are very calm, and not too active. You will usually find them at the front of the tank in a row, just hanging out


----------



## foster

Silver Dollars do awesome in a 6ft tank. They get HUGE!!


----------



## navigator black

Any idea which silver dollars? There are several species of closely related fish that get to different sizes. 
They are all kind of skittish, and while they are heavy-bodied enough a red tailed shark might lay off of them, the red tail is a grouchy territorial fish with a mean streak. Red tails, with larger fish, are more inclined to harass and annoy than bite - they chase and disrupt less active times, and the targetted fish have nowhere to go to chill in a tank. It may chase after them as it grows (maybe), and that could lead to jumpiness for the silver dollars. How's your cover?


----------



## gar1948

Silver dollars get very big you will have to go bigger tank or give up those fish in the near future.


----------



## goldie

Joey the Silver Dollars that im thinking of but forgot the proper name. I had four few years back and they were very active( as said already)
I think as their just hanging about at the front they could be plain bored through lack of room


----------



## navigator black

As far as behavior grows, the entire group of related and similar species is almost the same - active, skittish plant eaters. They will all live the same way with a red-tailed shark.

They are all large, because if they get to 5-6 inches long, that is also 5-6 inches high, and round. Plus, they can put on some body bulk - they aren't wafer thin fish. 

I'm not nitpicking when I suggest aquarists take the time to do a proper species identification. There are species that top out at 5-6 inches, and others that can grow to 8 or more. That two inches matters on a fish this bulky. Sizewise, it's a ring of 100 danios, if you visualize things that way...

There is no such thing as a 'silver dollar' - there are many different species imported under this name, and since they are easy for farms to breed, there are a few that are regular visitors to our tanks.


----------



## Sully

I just transferred my 3 Silver dollars and 3 Leaf fish from a 20 gallon to a 65 high. My Silvers have always been extremely hyper active while the leaf fish are as mellow as a snail. You're very lucky if your Silvers are as calm as you say.

Also, I'm confursed by your original post. Are you saying your Silvers took out your Red tail?



joeyd71 said:


> I knew somebody would call me out on that. I thought about doing a fish swap with my 55 gallon (which currently is a community with angels and gouramis) but I never gave it any serious consideration. The silver dollars I have are very calm, and not too active. You will usually find them at the front of the tank in a row, just hanging out


----------

