Silver Dollar (fish)

Silver Dollar (fish)

Silver dollar is a common name given to a number of species of fishes, mostly in the genus Metynnis, tropical fish belonging to the Characidae family which are closely related to piranha and pacu. South America, these somewhat round-shaped silver fish are popular with fish-keeping hobbyists.

The silver dollar is a peaceful schooling species that spends most of its time in the mid- to upper-level of the water. Its maximum lifespan is more than 10 years. A chin-layer, the adult fish will spawn around 2,000 eggs. This breeding occurs in soft, warm water in low light.

Silver dollars natively live in a tropical climate in the sides of weedy rivers. They prefer water with a pH of 5–7, a water hardness of up to 15 dGH, and an ideal temperature range of 24–28 °C (75–82 °F). Their diet is almost exclusively vegetarian and in captivity they will often eat all the plants in a tank. They will also eat worms and small insects.