Animal-World > Aquarium Tropical Fish > Characins > Silver Dollar Fish

Silver Dollar

Family: Serrasalmidae

Family: CharacidaeMetynnis argenteusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Silver Dollar looks just as its name implies, round and 'covered with silver'!

   These are named "Silver Dollar" because their body shape is almost round and is very compressed laterally. Generally they are a silver color with slight green and blue tints in the right light. There are also hints of red, especially the anal fin of the male which is edged in red. In some habitats they will have small dots on their sides.

   The peaceful Silver Dollar is a choice fish for many aquarists who want a community aquarium with good sized inhabitants. The Silver Dollar, though very peaceful, gets rather large and needs a good sized aquarium. They are a lively fish and like to hang out in schools, so get several if you can!

   These fish are happiest in a large shallow aquarium with peat filtered water, dark gravel, and lots of plants and hiding places. The Silver Dollar does like to eat plants! So get plants that are not so tasty like java fern and hornwort, or you can use plastic plants.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Habitat: Distribution / Background

   The Silver Dollar was described by Ahl in 1923. They are found in South Americain in Guyana, Orinoco, western Amazon, and the Paraguay Basin.

• Scientific Name: Metynnis argenteus
• Social Grouping: Groups - Best in groups of 4 or more.
• IUCN Red List: NE - Not Evaluated or not listed

Description

   The Silver Dollar is a very deep bodied fish with a round almost disk like shape that is very compressed laterally. They are a silver color with slight green and blue tints in the right light. There are also hints of red, especially the anal fin of the male which is edged in red. In some habitats they will have small dots on their sides.

• Maximum Size: 8.0 inches (20.32 cm)

Fish Keeping Difficulty

• Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
• Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate - Although this fish is fairly hardy the aquarist must be prepared to maintain a very large tank.

Foods and Feeding

   Since they are herbivorous the Silver Dollar will generally eat mainly vegetable foodstuffs including a variety of plants, lettuce, cress, chickweed, and large vegetable flake. A good spirulina formula would be beneficial.

• Diet Type: Herbivore
• Flake Food: Yes
• Tablet Pellet: Yes
• Vegetable Food: All of Diet
• Feeding Frequency: Several feedings per day

Aquarium Care

• Water Changes: Bi-weekly

Aquarium Setup

• Minimum Tank Size: 75 gal (284 L)
• Substrate Type: Any
• Lighting Needs: Moderate - normal lighting
• Temperature: 75.0 - 82.0° F (23.9 - 27.8° C)
• Breeding Temperature: 81° F - 79-82° F (26-28° C).
• Range ph: 5.5-7.5 - (6.0-7.0 for breeding)
• Hardness Range: 4 - 18 dGH - (below 10° dGH for breeding)
• Brackish: No
• Water Movement: Moderate
• Water Region: Middle - These fish will swim all over but mainly in the middle of the aquarium.

Social Behaviors

   The Silver Dollar is a good peaceful fish recommended for all community aquariums.

• Venomous: No
• Temperament: Peaceful - Although this fish is peaceful it is best to avoid a significant disparity in size of tankmates.
• Same species - conspecifics: Yes
• Peaceful fish (): Safe
• Semi-Aggressive (): Threat
• Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Safe - not aggressive
• Plants: Threat

Sex: Sexual differences

   The male has a longer anal fin which has a red tinge on the front of it.

Breeding / Reproduction

   Suggested water conditions: 79-82° F (26-28° C); pH 6.0-7.0; below 10° dGH.
   The Silver Dollar fish are easy to spawn, they will do so in a school. Place clumps of plants on the surface so they will spawn in between them. The female will lay up to 2000 eggs which will fall to the bottom and hatch after 3 days.

The parents will not eat the eggs so there is no need to remove them. The fry will attach themselves to a surface and eat small plankton. See the general description of how to breed Characins in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

• Ease of Breeding: Difficult - Although breeding is not difficult, it is only possible in a very large tank with precise water conditions.

Availability

   The Silver Dollar is readily available and is reasonably priced.

References

Animal-World References
Freshwater Fish and Plants Tropical Fish ~ Freshwater Fish ~ Aquatic Plants

Author: David Brough, CFS

• Silver Dollar : $7.79

Silver Dollar Offered By: PetsMart Price: $7.79

Lastest Comments on Silver Dollar Fish View all 48 comments on Silver Dollar Fish Add Your Comment

Ian - 2011-10-06 I got 4 small silver dollars, about the size of silver dollars.... I tried to put them in with my 3 inch Tiger Oscar but he chased them all around and actually grabbed one in its mouth! I moved them to a different tank... Any suggestions on what I should do to try to get the silvers back with my Oscar? Oh and I got the silver dollars for a great price of 1.25 when my Oscar was about 10. Zorb catfish - 2011-11-05 It depends on your oscars temperament. If it if relatively peaceful to larger fish than you can put then in when full grown. If your Oscar is very mean than I would not recommend putting them in at all Alex Burleson - 2011-11-05 Unless your Silver Dollars are about the same size as your Oscar, or too large for them to fit in his mouth, they should not be housed with him! Silver Dollars are more peaceful than a large Cichlid such as an Oscar, and should be separately housed. Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-15 You really need bigger silver dollars. Sometimes if you feed the oscar heavily and make sure it is very full and slow, then try to re-introduce the silver dollars. Make sure the oscar remains full until he gets use to the idea of sharing his tank. Tegan - 2012-05-15 My dollar fish is getting eatin alive by my tiger striped fish! WHAT SHOULD I DO? Reply

Cindy - 2012-05-07 My silver dollars are about 5 years old and for the last three days one has been laying at the bottom of the tank and his eyes are cloudy looking. He seems to be breathing fast and is very disoriented when I disturb him...swims very fast and hits everything. I don't know what to do to help. I have been putting some melafix in the tank every day but have not done any water changes because I don't want to stress him out. Any advice would be appreciated very much. Thank you. Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-08 Check you water levels and definately do a water change. Do you have good water movement? Cindy - 2012-05-08 Yes lots of bubbles and the other fish are all doing good. How do I check my water levels? Reply

Anonymous - 2012-03-12 Hi Why have 2 of my silver dollars got black spots on their side and their tails gone black? Jeremy Roche - 2012-03-12 Is it the edges of tail that are turnong black or the entire tail? Reply

Hamad - 2012-02-24 Hi , Can I but bala shark with silver dollar fish ?! Clarice Brough - 2012-02-26 You can, but be sure you have a large enough tank with decor, like plants, to provide hiding places. The Bala shark is a very nervous fish, and it will get very big. Reply

Anonymous - 2012-01-26 Hi, how many of these can I keep in a 150 gallon tank with a red bellie pacu, 3 senegal bichirs, 4 firemouth cichlids, 4 feeder fish, 6+ mousquito fish, 6 banded dartersP.S. the silver dollars would be to distract the pacu from edible fish like the darters. Reply

Katelyn - 2011-11-28 Is a group of three silver dollars enough to keep them happy? Charlie Roche - 2011-11-29 Yes. Reply

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