# *URGENT* - Piranha or Silver Dollar



## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Hi guys
Hope someone out there can help me out there.

I'm a reptile keeper (Exotic snakes), I must state before i write this post i do not know or pretend to know anything about fish.
However, last week a friends young 14 year old son, had brought these two fish from a shop without his mother knowing so and was keeping them in a bucket in his bedroom with no filter or heater, however she found out and asked me to come and take a look, he says he didn't know what fish they were, i am 95% certain they are Silver Dollar, which are related to piranha (i have done much research last two days) However i know it is NOT a red belly, they have no red on them, i'd say they were juveniles, with clear front sharp teeth.

When i visited my friends house the fish however were swimming at the top just floating.
I have now got them in a filter in a 15L tank and with a 'Fish R Fun 50W Aquarium heater' I have set this to around 25C-28C.
They seem to be doing ok now, i have fed them dead brought sardine fish.
I'm going to be rehoming them as i have no interest in fish at all but i care for all animals so brought them in or they would of have died in that bucket :censor:
I have one issue with this heater, i set it in between 25C and 28C and the orange light comes on and i know they go off automatically, but during the night i don't recall seeing the light come back on? does the light come back on to heat it again when the temps drop below to what i have set ? Because i can't really work it out. If someone knows more about this please advise..as they were in that bucket for 4 days!!!!

EDIT: I do not have a thermostat for the tank

Any advise would be great so i can care for them properly till they go!

Thank you!

Steve


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## craigieboi (Feb 6, 2014)

hi mate 

the heater light will go on and off as the heater powers on/off ( if lights off heater is off) where do u have the heater situated? if its in a low flow area then the water around the heater will cause it to switch off try and put it where the flow is good this way it keeps a constant temp throughout the tank

hope this helps

craig


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Hi

I will post a few tomorrow after work as i am in bed buddy, but indeed they have ate the fish, does that mean they are not Silver Dollar?


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## craigieboi (Feb 6, 2014)

doesnt mean theyre not as if theyre hungry enough theyll eat anything tbh but usually they'll only eat smaller fish 

ie 10" dollars eating tetras etc

if it helps any dollars are quite 'tall' fish ... in that they almost seem large from top-bottom as opposed to red bellies which are normal 'fish shape .. being nose-tail

it may be another type of charcin species 

(which believe or not is actually part of the deadly neon tetra family lol)


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Thanks for your edit to that message mate v helpful, what temperature do you recommend i set the heater at? Its a 50W heater and a 15L tank 

I have the heater at one end and the filter at the other, but the filter has a a compartment that drops the filtered water which is by the heater ? 

As long as there ok until i can rehome them, i'll be a happy bunny


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

M22 said:


> Hi
> 
> I will post a few tomorrow after work as i am in bed buddy, but indeed they have ate the fish, does that mean they are not Silver Dollar?


pics would help.


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

I thought so, i will post some when i finish work

Thanks guys


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## craigieboi (Feb 6, 2014)

probably the best temp to keep em at without knowing actual species would be about 26-27c or about 78-80f 

ps the heater is probably working fine as it wont take much to bring 15l of water upto temp especially if its a warm room 
:2thumb:


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Pictures below, Anyone know now? :whistling2:


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)




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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)




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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Anyone know have a clue as to what they are :whistling2:


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## Snake Island Reptiles (Feb 6, 2014)

i am willing to adopt them ....


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## klair328 (Nov 15, 2006)

Look like tetra... Black widows perhaps but cause stress colour will be faded...


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

'Snake Island Reptiles' No thanks, i've seen your rude posts on the forum i doubt you can look after yourself but thanks anyways.

And Klair328, Thanks for reply, Tetra? I'm just getting told many different species now...well i'm going to rehome them anyways not for me,but if anyone knows what they are would be a big help and what they eat and temps, so i can house them till rehomed.


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## Fargle (Aug 8, 2013)

Best guess is that they are a silver dollars. Looking at the shape of the dorsal and anal fin, coupled with the fact that a 14 yr old could afford them I'd put money on them being dollars. They have the wrong shape and no spots to be a red belly piranha and they're too big to be a black widow tetra.

Out of interest has the lad had a bollocking for purchasing fish on the sly and has anyone told the shop what happened and maybe reported them for selling fish to someone under 16? It's illegal and they should have checked he had the right set-up, especially for a larger fish like the silver dollar.


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Unfortunately, i have just come back from a meal and to see both fish floating at the top of the tank, both dead.

Such a shame, they didn't need that all that drama 

RIP

Thanks for all the replys


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## craigieboi (Feb 6, 2014)

sorry to here that m22 yes they appear to be silver dollars .think they were thru the wringer in the lfs tho as if u look at the fins they seem ripped quite badly so very likely your kindness was simply delaying the inevatable


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## M22 (Feb 6, 2014)

Thanks buddy for your help - very sad, i'm going to the pet shop who sold him them on Monday as he brought them in his school uniform after school. Hes grounded by his mum anyways and i'm going to advise the shop owner he shouldn't be selling fish like that actually at all to school kids and show him the picture on my iphone of the dead floating fish.

Hopefully he'll learn.


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## craigieboi (Feb 6, 2014)

no probs m22 and try get the kid while grounded to find out about fish ......... i worked with a young guy called daryll in aquatic rooms in edinburgh ( anyone who shops for fish in/around edinburgh would know the shop) and i remember when i first met him , young guy 13 or something but man he knew his stuff and today 10 years on he owns his own shop in gorgie edinburgh.........

just a quick story lol


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

klair328 said:


> Look like tetra... Black widows perhaps but cause stress colour will be faded...


nope.



Fargle said:


> Best guess is that they are a silver dollars. Looking at the shape of the dorsal and anal fin, coupled with the fact that a 14 yr old could afford them I'd put money on them being dollars. They have the wrong shape and no spots to be a red belly piranha and they're too big to be a black widow tetra.
> 
> Out of interest has the lad had a bollocking for purchasing fish on the sly and has anyone told the shop what happened and maybe reported them for selling fish to someone under 16? It's illegal and they should have checked he had the right set-up, especially for a larger fish like the silver dollar.


they are defo silver dollars of the genus metynnis. btw, i used to buy fish when i was under 16- 14 in fact. so did other kids in my year at school.



M22 said:


> Unfortunately, i have just come back from a meal and to see both fish floating at the top of the tank, both dead.
> 
> Such a shame, they didn't need that all that drama
> 
> ...


so sorry to hear about that.


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## Fargle (Aug 8, 2013)

wilkinss77 said:


> btw, i used to buy fish when i was under 16- 14 in fact. so did other kids in my year at school.


I used to buy beer at 15-16, doesnt make it legal! The shop shouldnt have sold the fish without the parent there.


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## froger (Jan 19, 2014)

Wow that tank is small.


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## Spreebok (Jul 4, 2012)

froger said:


> Wow that tank is small.


As op said, it was a temporary tank to get them out of the kids bucket so OP could rehome them.

Sad to hear they passed op


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

wilkinss77 said:


> btw, i used to buy fish when i was under 16- 14 in fact. so did other kids in my year at school.


At the risk of sounding offensive, is there no chance the law has changed since you were 14? When I was 14 (8 years ago), it was illegal for me to buy a pet without a consenting adult.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Nicquita said:


> At the risk of sounding offensive, is there no chance the law has changed since you were 14? When I was 14 (8 years ago), it was illegal for me to buy a pet without a consenting adult.


could be- it was in the 70s when i could buy them. & all aquatic shops served me.


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

A quick google says that the age was raised from 12 to 16 in a recent update of the Animal Welfare Act in about 2007. I assumed it was pretty recent. Most animal based legislation is


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## Spreebok (Jul 4, 2012)

wilkinss77 said:


> could be- it was in the 70s when i could buy them. & all aquatic shops served me.


Yeah, it's changed and it now against the law to sell critters to anyone under 16. 

Source: Worked in a reptile/aquatics/pet shop.


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