What can i do to get my fish....

Mice · Member Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 76

What can i do to get my fish (Silver Dollar) healthier and bigger. I know you aren't suppose to feed them a lot i'm not dumb. It's easy to over feed but is there a high protein type of food that will make them better. Like example how weight lifters take protein shakes to get bigger? I'm looking for something like that. Maybe bloodworms or something similar like that. Also, maybe home products like lettuce, cucumbers or something. I just want my fish to live long, be healthy, and grow as much as possible to the point where it isn't too big for my 30g.

-Mice

Fish Addict · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:01 am Post subject:

cooked spinach is grreat for them

Mice · Member Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 76

what do you mean by cooked. Boiled water, what? and what does it do for them to get big?

kc5gvn · Moderator Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 1147

The best food for growth that I know of is Plankton, but it is very doubtful that Silver Dollars will eat it. They will eat live or frozen brine shrimp which is high in protein. You can stock the tank with Cabomba or Hornwort plants for them to graze on between feedings. Provide plenty of aeration. Be sure to do water changes to keep nitrates down. High nitrates leads to low O2 saturation, slowing down the growth process. Extremely high nitrates can cause stunting.

Hooben · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject:

I keep my silver dollars in groups of three or more at all times. They also live in 100 gallons or more, so there may be some stunting if conditons aren't right...like KC5gvn said. The nitrates can add up pretty fast when your talking 30 gallons of water. Mine like eating flake food and really love to play keep away with algea wafers in their mouths. They swim around and nibble bites out of them...and they love and need the plant and algea nutrients. For growth, there's nothing like a big tank!
Good luck.

Mice · Member Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 76

I'd love to get a big tank. But this might be the biggest i can get for a while. It was good price, and is good size. What are some tips you can give me for not stunting growth.

Mice · Member Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 76

I'm very dissapointed in myself. I'm so embarrassed to say this but, my pH was very very low. That may be the reason why my fish were dieing and not my silver dollars, because they can take the lower pH levels. What do you think? I had a bala shark that died, a pleco, and some tetras. Could that be the reason? My pH test strips got wet and i didn't even realize. (Atleast I found out my problem)I invested in a drop one that you shake and i'm gradually bringing it up, dont want to pH shock them. I was also thinking about getting two chinese algae eaters. Are they related to plecos? And if they aren't are they going to produce a lot of waste/nitrAtes. They seem small, and not very harmful if i do normal water changes and have right water levels.

Thanks
-Mice

Fish Addict · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 1:23 am Post subject:

i would not get 2 chinese algea eaters maybe 1 but they get bigg if your going it get something i would get some oto's

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

kc5gvn · Moderator Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 1147

With the PH being so low, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you haven't cleaned the gravel or done water changes in a while. Rather than using chemicals, which won't last very long in the tank, to raise the PH, I would recommend several partial water changes and using a PH buffer like Novaqua. PH buffers are more stable and last longer with less risk to the fish. Also with the water buffered it is easier to correct the other problems with the tank (i.e. cleaning the gravel).

Mice · Member Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 76

I did a water change every week. About 20% like you are suppose to do. I think it might have been because of the chemicals i have been putting in. Ich and stuff.

kc5gvn · Moderator Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 1147

I haven't run across any medications that will cause the PH to drop, but food, waste and debris will settle and collect in the gravel causing the PH to drop. When you do your water changes drain the water from the bottom of the tank so that you can pull some of that debris from the gravel.