Plants with Silver Dollars

[Chris Galipeau]

Hi!
I have a tank with silver dollars. First it was planted, but when I bought
Silver Dollars, they ate all my plants. I found out that they don't eat on
Java Moss. I wanted to know if someone knows other plants that Silver
Dollars will not eat?!?! I tried many, but for now, I only found Java Moss
that they will not eat. Thanks!

[NetMax]

Post by Chris Galipeau
Hi!
I have a tank with silver dollars. First it was planted, but when I
bought Silver Dollars, they ate all my plants. I found out that they
don't eat on Java Moss. I wanted to know if someone knows other plants
that Silver Dollars will not eat?!?! I tried many, but for now, I only
found Java Moss that they will not eat. Thanks!

If hungry enough, they might eat most any plant, but a list of plants
which has shown some resistance to other fish is Hornwort, Anubius, Java
Ferns, Onion and Amazon swords.

[wendy]

I keep my fish well fed, I have one very large Silver Dollar and since I got
him he hasn't been anywhere near my plants.
wendy

Post by NetMax

Post by Chris Galipeau
Hi!
I have a tank with silver dollars. First it was planted, but when I
bought Silver Dollars, they ate all my plants. I found out that they
don't eat on Java Moss. I wanted to know if someone knows other plants
that Silver Dollars will not eat?!?! I tried many, but for now, I only
found Java Moss that they will not eat. Thanks!

If hungry enough, they might eat most any plant, but a list of plants
which has shown some resistance to other fish is Hornwort, Anubius, Java
Ferns, Onion and Amazon swords.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[NetMax]

Post by wendy
I keep my fish well fed, I have one very large Silver Dollar and since I
got him he hasn't been anywhere near my plants.
wendy

Many behaviours are taught, learned from observation or accidental. This
is what allows Angelfish to be brought up with Neons, until they
'discover' that Neons are tasty. This discovery comes from watching
other fish chasing the Neons, or the introduction of a new small fish
which gets eaten, or an Angelfish just gets very hungry and experiments.
Similarly, botia (type of loach) sometimes have to be shown that there is
a tasty morsel inside that snail shell to become good snailers.

In regards to the Silver dollar, it's eating & digestive system has
evolved away from its other characidae cousins (which include carnivorous
Piranhas) into a 'lawnmower'. Many types of fish (herbivores,
micro-predator etc) tend to snack almost continuously, so keeping them
well fed alone will not keep them off their natural diet. You are
relying on a bit of luck keeping a fish off its evolved diet. If you
miss some feedings, fish will often discover their ability to consume
something else (usually its natural foods but not always), and then your
Neons, snails or vegetation will all soon disappear.

There is a school of thought that feeding specific processed foods to
satisfy their natural dietary requirements may influence them away from
their natural sources. In this case, you would feed a Silver Dollar
spirulina wafers (which they love), bloodworms & shrimp to the loaches
and feeder fish (rosies) to the Angelfish. This strategy might work on a
nutritional level, providing a closer balance of minerals and vitamins
which they have evolved towards, but behaviourally, the results can be
mixed, ie: "that wafer sure smells a lot like that Anacharis I swim past
every day" thought the Silver Dollar ;~), so ymmv.

cheers

[bassett]

Post by NetMax

Post by wendy
I keep my fish well fed, I have one very large Silver Dollar and since I
got him he hasn't been anywhere near my plants.
wendy

Many behaviours are taught, learned from observation or accidental. This
is what allows Angelfish to be brought up with Neons, until they
'discover' that Neons are tasty. This discovery comes from watching other
fish chasing the Neons, or the introduction of a new small fish which gets
eaten, or an Angelfish just gets very hungry and experiments. Similarly,
botia (type of loach) sometimes have to be shown that there is a tasty
morsel inside that snail shell to become good snailers.
In regards to the Silver dollar, it's eating & digestive system has
evolved away from its other characidae cousins (which include carnivorous
Piranhas) into a 'lawnmower'. Many types of fish (herbivores,
micro-predator etc) tend to snack almost continuously, so keeping them
well fed alone will not keep them off their natural diet. You are relying
on a bit of luck keeping a fish off its evolved diet. If you miss some
feedings, fish will often discover their ability to consume something else
(usually its natural foods but not always), and then your Neons, snails or
vegetation will all soon disappear.
There is a school of thought that feeding specific processed foods to
satisfy their natural dietary requirements may influence them away from
their natural sources. In this case, you would feed a Silver Dollar
spirulina wafers (which they love), bloodworms & shrimp to the loaches and
feeder fish (rosies) to the Angelfish. This strategy might work on a
nutritional level, providing a closer balance of minerals and vitamins
which they have evolved towards, but behaviourally, the results can be
mixed, ie: "that wafer sure smells a lot like that Anacharis I swim past
every day" thought the Silver Dollar ;~), so ymmv.
cheers
--
www.NetMax.tk

Silver Dollar's are Herbivores, they will eat all plant's given time, If
you have plants try giving them a Spinich leaf, or some Chinese Cabbage,
Just push the stalk into the gravel. Not only will they do well on it, but
they will also grow.
Regards bassett