(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Metynnis argenteus
Common Name: Silver Dollar
Adult Size: 6 inches
Life Expectancy: 10 years
Habitat: Brazil, Guyana
Tank Size: 75 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 75 - 82° F
- pH Range: 5.0 - 7.0
- Water Hardness: 2 - 15
Temperament: Active and peaceful; known for jumping and a cover on the aquarium is recommended.
Diet & Nutrition: Almost exclusively vegetarian. Favored foods include vegetable flakes such as spirulina, and leafy greens such as lettuce, watercress, and cooked romaine or spinach. They will also eat cooked vegetables such as peas and squash. Even though the silver dollar prefers a vegetarian diet, they will also eat meaty foods as treats. They are especially fond of bloodworms, mosquito larvae, glass worms, and brine shrimp. Some silver dollar individuals can be rather timid in a community tank and can end up underfed as a result. The use of feeding rings will likely mitigate this issue.
Breeding & Spawning: Naturally group spawners but can also be bred in known pairs. Although the parents will not consume their own eggs or fry, other fish will, so when spawning, place them in a separate tank. When they spawn, the female will lay up to 2,000 eggs. The eggs will fall to the bottom of the tank where they will hatch in three days; they will not be bothered by their vegetarian parents. After approximately a week, the fry will be free swimming and able to eat fine foods such as commercially prepared fry food, finely crushed spirulina, or freshly hatched brine shrimp.
Gender: Males have a longer anal fin that is tinged with red on its front.