From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Silver Dollar
Metynnis argenteus
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C
- pH
- 6 – 7
- Min. tank size
- 260 L
- Lifespan
- 10 years
- Diet
- herbivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Metynnis argenteus |
| Family: | Serrasalmidae |
| Origin: | South America (Amazon basin) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | herbivore |
| Max Size: | 15.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 6+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains, and the practical issue is which species you have bought. Metynnis argenteus and Metynnis hypsauchen are both traded as silver dollars and are virtually indistinguishable. The reliable difference is a black blotch located slightly above and behind each eye in M. hypsauchen, absent in M. argenteus. Several other Metynnis and related genera also reach the trade under the same name, including the spotted silver dollar and the red hook (Myloplus rubripinnis), which carries a distinctive red hook-shaped anal fin and grows considerably larger. For a keeper this rarely matters — all of them are peaceful, herbivorous, shoaling and hard on plants — but it does mean a mixed shop tank is often more than one species. They belong to the family Serrasalmidae alongside piranhas and pacus, which explains both the body shape and the persistent confusion. One genuine warning attaches to that family. Pacu are sold as small silvery juveniles that look much like silver dollars and reach well over half a metre. If a shop cannot name the species, do not buy it. |
| Lifespan: | 10 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium to high
- Min Tank:260 L
- Substrate:Sand or gravel; driftwood; tough or plastic plants only; open swimming space
- Plant Safe:Not plant-safe (devours live plants)
- Filtration:High
Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus) is a species of fish in the family Serrasalmidae. It is native to South America (Amazon basin). The silver dollar is a peaceful, herbivorous relative of the piranha that will eat every plant in your tank. It comes from the Amazon basin and reaches 150 mm standard length — a tall, laterally compressed disc of polished silver that looks like a coin on edge and shoals beautifully in numbers. Specialists put the plant problem with an exclamation mark: the species is an avid plant-eater. It naturally inhabits densely planted areas, which is unfortunate for anyone who wants a densely planted tank, and hardy plants require regular replacement. It is genuinely peaceful with fish it cannot eat, and it is often confused with its predatory cousins on the strength of the family resemblance. That confusion runs both ways — people avoid a harmless fish, and occasionally someone buys a piranha thinking it is a silver dollar. It needs length and width rather than height, and a group of at least five.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 6+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Silver Dollar
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