Not enough SILVER DOLLAR talk....
So,
In the fall of 2017, I inherited 3 adult silver dollars, estimated to be at least 15 years old at that time (later found to be more like 20 years). This came from a science classroom aquarium at a local school. Although well cared earlier in their life, the later years were bad for these fish, not seeing good food, a water change, and not getting even the water level topped-off with any frequency.
I am not completely sure of what spotted silver dollar species they are. I believe they are Metynnis maculatus Kner, but sometimes I thinl they may be Metunnis altidorsalis Ahl, or M.lippincotianus (Cope).
So I brought them home and it has been about 2 years since that. They are kept in a group of 8 Metynnis of 3 species, in a planted (yes, planted... see my other recent post) 75gallon (soon to become 150gallon). Filtration comes from a Fluval FX6 + AQ 110. Water changes 50-60% every week.
In the pictures below, I show you a single fish, the largest, a mature male, at 2 dates: 31 December 2017, and April 2019. He came with 3 ailments: a) a severe case of pop-eye, b) a white/clear membrane (like cataract) over both his eyes, and these weird blotches on his sides, as if some skin disease or something else was affecting him. One eye was worse, and he did not seem to see well. But fortunately he (and the others) ate well.
Because of his eyes, my wife and I named him One-Eyed-Jack. Unfortunately I don't have earlier pictures (I will continue to look for some), so the December 2017 pictures were taken when the fish had already been at my home for 2-3 months.
The scale is in inches, so the fish is about 5.5-6" (total length) and over 1 inch thick.
In the second set of pictures (April 2019) the fish does not have the membranes on his eyes, the blotches are gone, and the pop-eye is almost completely gone (although he continues to be a little buggy-eyed). He is the largest male in our 8-dollar troop, and his (their) improvement has brought much joy to our home.
Comments welcome. If anybody has experiences on rehabilitating dollars after poor conditions, I would love to see evidence of that and to learn from what yo have been able to accomplish and how.
By the way, the recent images do not show him in breeding colors. He does show those often, but are hard to catch in photos. I will try to get more images of the and the other dollars in the little troop.
Cheers!
So,
In the fall of 2017, I inherited 3 adult silver dollars, estimated to be at least 15 years old at that time (later found to be more like 20 years). This came from a science classroom aquarium at a local school. Although well cared earlier in their life, the later years were bad for these fish, not seeing good food, a water change, and not getting even the water level topped-off with any frequency.
I am not completely sure of what spotted silver dollar species they are. I believe they are Metynnis maculatus Kner, but sometimes I thinl they may be Metunnis altidorsalis Ahl, or M.lippincotianus (Cope).
So I brought them home and it has been about 2 years since that. They are kept in a group of 8 Metynnis of 3 species, in a planted (yes, planted... see my other recent post) 75gallon (soon to become 150gallon). Filtration comes from a Fluval FX6 + AQ 110. Water changes 50-60% every week.
In the pictures below, I show you a single fish, the largest, a mature male, at 2 dates: 31 December 2017, and April 2019. He came with 3 ailments: a) a severe case of pop-eye, b) a white/clear membrane (like cataract) over both his eyes, and these weird blotches on his sides, as if some skin disease or something else was affecting him. One eye was worse, and he did not seem to see well. But fortunately he (and the others) ate well.
Because of his eyes, my wife and I named him One-Eyed-Jack. Unfortunately I don't have earlier pictures (I will continue to look for some), so the December 2017 pictures were taken when the fish had already been at my home for 2-3 months.
The scale is in inches, so the fish is about 5.5-6" (total length) and over 1 inch thick.
In the second set of pictures (April 2019) the fish does not have the membranes on his eyes, the blotches are gone, and the pop-eye is almost completely gone (although he continues to be a little buggy-eyed). He is the largest male in our 8-dollar troop, and his (their) improvement has brought much joy to our home.
Comments welcome. If anybody has experiences on rehabilitating dollars after poor conditions, I would love to see evidence of that and to learn from what yo have been able to accomplish and how.
By the way, the recent images do not show him in breeding colors. He does show those often, but are hard to catch in photos. I will try to get more images of the and the other dollars in the little troop.
Cheers!
