# silver dollars and severums



## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i know silver dollars get pretty big and that they like to school. would a silver dollar or a small group of silver dollars be a good tankmate idea for two severums in a 75?

i hear if you keep a single silver dollar they will spook and be nervous. i definetely know i dont have room for a school, but i was thinking that my two sevs with another cichlid may be too much in a 75 (thanks to alot of advise from you guys) but that a silver dollar or two or three?????? may be ok?

anyone ever kept silver dollars with severums? anyone think one would be ok? do i have room for more tan one?

thanks.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I haven't kept silver dollars and severums together, but I have kept single silver dollars without the spooking problem.


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## elroach (Oct 26, 2007)

I have a school of 5 in a 120 with a Sev and a GT pair and seem to be doing just fine other than the silver dollars killing a few of my rainbowfish.


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

I have 2 silver dollars in with my Chocolate Cichlid and they get along just fine. They were only spooky when they were small. I bought them when they were a little larger than a quarter. Lucky for them they are very fast. They always hang together except during feeding time, If you don't want a single and don't have enough room for a school, try two. Mine are about hte sixe around of a pop can now and I've only had them about 6 weeks.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

how many would you guys reccomend with a pair of sevs in a 75? i do not want to overstock or overcrowd.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

Malawidolphin said:


> I have 2 silver dollars in with my Chocolate Cichlid and they get along just fine. They were only spooky when they were small. I bought them when they were a little larger than a quarter. Lucky for them they are very fast. They always hang together except during feeding time, If you don't want a single and don't have enough room for a school, try two. Mine are about hte sixe around of a pop can now and I've only had them about 6 weeks.


oops, i missed this, haha. two may work? sounds good. thanks for the help.


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## mcflyyy (Apr 5, 2008)

I just hope you don't have any live plants in the tank, cos you won't the day after your fish go in!
Silver dollars can go through any vegetation in the tank extremely quickly and they love it! I know severums can be a bit hard on plant life too. On the up side, they won't eat plastic and both a very nice looking fish! 
Good luck,
Mcflyyy


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

mcflyyy said:


> I just hope you don't have any live plants in the tank, cos you won't the day after your fish go in!
> Silver dollars can go through any vegetation in the tank extremely quickly and they love it! I know severums can be a bit hard on plant life too. On the up side, they won't eat plastic and both a very nice looking fish!
> Good luck,
> Mcflyyy


haha, yeah i know. im planning on major driftwood and leaves. i will throw in some java moss once in a while for some cover/snack if they want to eat it. thank you for the heads up!


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

I have some live thick leaf grasses that the silver dollars don't seem to bother with. The leaf plants that were in there before I added them are pretty much toast though! :lol:


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## traumatic (Sep 28, 2006)

I have 4 silver dollars 3-4" with 5 severums 3-6" and some other smaller cichlids, and they are fine w/ each other.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

What size is your tank *traumatic*? and do you plan to keep the current stocking levels when your severums and silver dollars grow to maturity?

This type of information would be of greater help to the OP, *HONDO*, as he is concerned about potentially overstocking his 75 gallon tank.


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## traumatic (Sep 28, 2006)

it's a 120 long.... yes...

Hondo, both species are very peacefull. The silver dollar is a slow grower. The Severums grow at different rates depending on individual fish. But fairly quick up to 5-6" depending on how you measure them. I always measure the top lip to the start of the tail fin.

In a 75 gal, I'd keep 1-2 sevs and 3-4 silver dollars. Keep in mind growth rates, and the size when you get them. :thumb:


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## chrispyweld (Dec 20, 2005)

IME silver dollars do a poor job of schooling. @ most I would say to put in three in a 75g. If severums are your only cichlids and being that it is a 75g I would go with some of the larger growing tetras personally.

Gold/Blackskirt tetras are nice looking and you could add a larger group to get more of a schooling behavior out of them. I don't think your sev's will mess with them at all. Congos, Buenos Aires, and possibly serpae tetras might be good choices as well.

I am getting rid of my silver dollars. I think they are boring as they don't school and are serious pigs. They eat way more than my cichlids, including my young oscar.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

thanks for the replies. i was thinking silver dollars just cause they could take any harassment the sevs may want to dish out, plus i like good sized fish. i really want to avoid overstocking though and the size makes me nervous. i will most likely end up just going with some large schools of smaller fish to keep the sevs company and keep them active and social, but i would like to try to have something in there with them that they would get along with that isnt a school of small fish.

i guess the inevitable answer for me is a much larger tank! for now though i just want to take care of the severums. i really enjoy them.

all your ideas and opinions are greatly appreciated.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

HONDO said:


> i guess the inevitable answer for me is a much larger tank! for now though i just want to take care of the severums. i really enjoy them.


 :thumb:

Very good idea, that one. Most of the regulars here will know I'm not a great fan of severums in 4 foot tanks. I definately would not have considered adding any silver dollars to a 75 gallon tank housing a pair of severums.

I think *chrispyweld* has the right idea, try a higher bodied tetra. A few he missed are Lemon tetras, Diamond tetras, Black & Red Phantom tetras, and Black Widow tetras. Also Silver & Spotted hatchetfish grow large enough and school right on the surface. Personally I'd go with a dozen Spotted hatchetfish and something like a school of Black or Red Phantom tetras.

You could also look at adding a small gang of corydoras and one or two bristlenose plecos or whiptail catfish.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

cool, thanks alot for the ideas for schooling fish.

i will definetely throw in a group of cories. i actually really like panda cories (dont ask why, i just think they are cool) and my pleco. that will be good enough.

some good schools of small fish will look nice and keep everything active. the pleco will enjoy some real driftwood for a change and hopefully the sevs are happy.

thanks everyone for great info... as always.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

its ok for you to laugh and say get your own info, but i saw some tetras today i really like and just cannot for the life of me remember what they are called and im trying to look them up.

it was not a very high bodied tetra, more bullet shaped. they were albino "blank" tetras. they were clear/albino/white looking with black and yellow fins. the tail fin had some red in it too.

does anyone by chance have any idea what this fish is called? if you say it i will know, its just driving me nuts.

or maybe even a really inclusive list of tetras? the ones i am finding only have the most commons.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Buenos aires ?


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

nope, they were smaller than buenos aires, more yellow in the fins too. maybe persilla? frasilla?
albino prasilla tetras???? is that a real fish? hahahahaha


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Pristella Tetra, or X-Ray Tetra.
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_pristella.php


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

thats them. awesome, thanks a million.
i really liked these guys. they caught my eye and in a school they looked really nice. they had some in a display tank that were a little larger and looked even nicer. anyone ever kept these guys? i have my eye on them for future stocking for sure. i was thinking that a school of these guys and a school of some other higher bodied, maybe more colorful tetras would be nice.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

anyone ever kept congo tetras a schooling fish with sevs or other cichlids? i saw some really nice ones last week at a lfs. they look awesome and are fairly large. anyone here a fan of congos?


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

nevermind... since i am smart i put two and two together. congo=africa. im trying to keep it sa. sorry.


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## white-worms (Jun 18, 2008)

HONDO said:


> i know silver dollars get pretty big and that they like to school. would a silver dollar or a small group of silver dollars be a good tankmate idea for two severums in a 75?
> 
> i hear if you keep a single silver dollar they will spook and be nervous. i definetely know i dont have room for a school, but i was thinking that my two sevs with another cichlid may be too much in a 75 (thanks to alot of advise from you guys) but that a silver dollar or two or three?????? may be ok?
> 
> ...


What I will say is this - I bought some young Silver Dollars to put in my Discus tank thinking they would be fine (they where only about half an inch), very young ones. Well, I spotted them following the Discus and nipping at there fins. So they went bye bye! 

I was really surprised to be honest, as I didn't expect that from them, especially being so small and young.


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## saorsa (Nov 29, 2007)

I had a couple of silver dollars in with my sevs. I'd advise against getting them, althought they are fine with sevs, they're far too skittish and also they eat loads and produce lots of waste imo. I took them out....


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

I'm surprised no one suggested the ultimate cichlid companion school..........Giant danios.


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## white-worms (Jun 18, 2008)

MetalHead06351 said:


> I'm surprised no one suggested the ultimate cichlid companion school..........Giant danios.


Personally I'm not a fan of Danios. I think they look pretty boring. But then I think black neons look better than normal red neons.


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

I like the black neons better too. They're more classy looking. I plan on having schools of both in my near future apistogramma love nest.


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