Silver dollars survive mostly on plant matter, and will feed on flakes, algae wafers - they go crazy for them, break them up and spread bits about the tank unless you want a fight! - cucumber, courgette, lettuce, and squash, but will also eat brine shrimp and bloodworm.
What do silver dollar fish eat?
In the wild silver dollar fish eat mostly all plant matter, and they do enjoy algae, various water plants, and veggies too. Do Silver Dollars Have Teeth? Yes, silver dollar fish do have teeth.
Why do silver dollars eat algae?
An underlying aspect of their vegetation-domination diet is that it curbs the population and growth of algae since algae are also dependent on the same food source for their nutrition needs. By cutting off the food source of algae, Silver Dollars make sure that there aren’t any algae infestations in their vicinity.
Are silver dollar fish good for community tanks?
Should You Keep The Silver Dollar Fish? (Summary) Silver Dollar Fish are certainly one of the most beautiful aquarium fish around. They will spend their time in a shoal and develop very close bonds. These top dwellers are ideal for community tanks as they are sociable and not likely to cause trouble in the tank.
Is spirulina good for silver dollar fish?
Spirulina flakes are actually great to feed to silver dollar fish. Spirulina is green-blue plankton that is a fan favorite among silver dollar fish. This stuff contains high amounts of vitamins A1, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E.
Do silver dollars eat algae?
Nerite snails – silver dollar fish will eat tiny snails, but nerites are too large for them to snack on. There are several species of these gorgeous invertebrates available in the trade and they're awesome algae eaters.
What can I feed my silver dollars?
Silver Dollar Diet and Feeding Their 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.
How often should you feed silver dollars?
Feed your fish a commercial Spirulina-based food or a vegetable-based flake food every day and occasionally provide live foods like brine shrimp and bloodworms as treats. It's also important to use a heater to maintain a water temperature of 75-82 degrees F.
How long can silver dollar fish go without food?
Most healthy aquarium fish can go three days to a week without eating. However, it usually isn't recommended to go more a day or two without feeding unless completely necessary.
Are silver dollars bottom feeders?
Corydoras are another decent silver dollar fish tank mate. These fish, also known as corydora catfish, are extremely peaceful bottom feeders and they usually don't bother any other fish no matter the size. What is this?
How many silver dollars should you keep together?
Silver Dollars are at their best when kept together. They are schooling fish, so they feel safer and more protected in a group. You should aim to keep them in a group of at least 5 individuals.
How long do silver dollar fish live for?
ten yearsThe silver dollar is a peaceful schooling species that spends most of its time in the mid- to upper-level of the water. Its average lifespan is than ten years but can live longer in captivity.
What plants do silver dollars avoid?
Here are some plants that you should avoid putting in silver dollar tanks, mainly because they will get eaten, but for other reasons too.Moneywort.Scarlet Temple.Acorus.Green Mondo Grass.Vallisneria.Red Ludwigia.Moss Balls.Cryptocoryne Wendtii.More items...•
How long does it take for a silver dollar to grow full size?
With a proper diet, the Silver dollar fish grow very quickly. They reach their full size at 8 months; at this age, they are mature and ready for breeding.
How do I know my fish are hungry?
How To Tell If Your Fish Is HungryYour fish is digging around the substrate (searching for food).Waiting and the top of the aquarium (for feeding time).Behavior changes (aggression).Noticeable weight/size changes.Slow or sluggish behavior.
How big do silver dollars get?
Articles Mentioning Silver Dollar In the wild, they can grow to lengths of up to 22 inches. Spotted silver dollar fish – Found primarily in French Guyana and Brazil, this fish grows up to 6.5 inches in length and has patterns of black dots.
How do you tell if a silver dollar fish is male or female?
Like many fish, there are no distinctly obvious means of distinguishing between a male and female silver dollar fish. The only way to tell the sex of a silver dollar fish is to study the anal fin. In a male silver dollar fish, the anal fin may be slightly longer and may also be tinged red.
How often do silver dollars lay eggs?
Facts About Silver Dollar Fish The scientific name of the Silver Dollar is Metynnis argenteus. They belong to the class of Actinopterygii and the family Characidae. These fishes look precisely like a silver dollar coin and derive their name from the same. The Silver Dollar fish lay about 2000 eggs at once.
How do you tell if a silver dollar fish is male or female?
Like many fish, there are no distinctly obvious means of distinguishing between a male and female silver dollar fish. The only way to tell the sex of a silver dollar fish is to study the anal fin. In a male silver dollar fish, the anal fin may be slightly longer and may also be tinged red.
What year silver dollars are worth money?
As a quick tip, most Morgan and Peace dollars from 1878 and newer will be worth just a small premium over their silver value. However, never make the mistake of selling a dollar coin from 1877 or older just for silver. Those types of coins always have a collector value.
How much is a silver dollar worth today?
What Are Silver Dollars Worth? A common-date Morgan or Peace silver dollar – the most widely collected types of these coins — can be worth anywhere from $25 to $35 in low grade to $50 for a common date in MS60, $125 in MS65 and $700 in MS67, the highest grade for most dates.
How big do silver dollar fish grow?
When a silver dollar (or shoal of silver dollars) are cared for properly, they can grow up to ten inches, but most stop growing between six to eight inches. Juveniles are often bought at around five or six centimetres, from an unhappy, over-stocked tank. Because of the dense population of little fish in this little tank, ...
How long do silver dollars live?
Silver dollars have an average lifespan of five to ten years - a relatively long life when compared with smaller fish like guppies, who will live for between a few months and five years if they are lucky. This means that they are a big commitment and if you are not sure if fish-keeping is for you, maybe start out with a few platties or guppies if you are unsure.
What is a silver dollar?
The silver dollar ( Metynnis hypsauchen) is a tropical freshwater fish, completely or partially silver in colour. As the name would suggest, the fish resembles a coin, as it's round and flat; almost a diamond shape.
How do I care for a tropical fish tank?
Since there is so much conflicting advice about tropical fish care in general, I will leave the specifics, but make sure that you have an established tank, do regular water changes, and feed them appropriately, they require no additional care.
How long does it take for silver dollar eggs to hatch?
Silver dollars begin to reproduce at around one year old. The females drop eggs, they are a translucent yellow colour and are not sticky. They will not usually do any harm to their eggs, and they take approximately four to six days to mature. Once the juvenile begins to swim, they can be fed on crushed flake food, brine shrimp, and milled salad leaves, amongst other things.
Is a dollar a piranha?
Although the dollar has calm and peaceful characteristics, it is often colloquially named a ' plant piranha ' or ' vegetarian piranha '. This is due to their tendency to completely strip aquatic plants bare, so while your fingers are safe, your Java fern isn't. Navigation. Size. Lifespan.
Can silver dollars be kept in a community tank?
As far as tank mates go, silver dollars are best kept in large groups, so a species tank would be ideal, however, they can be equally as beautiful in a large peaceful community tank. As a rule, if a fish can fit in another's mouth, presume that it will be eaten, however I have successfully raised platty fry and guppy fry in my tropical aquarium with tetra, silver dollars, and scissortail rasboras.
Why are silver dollar fish so good?
Silver Dollars are at their best when kept together. They are schooling fish, so they feel safer and more protected in a group.
How many gallon tanks do silver dollar fish need?
Silver Dollars need at least a 75 gallon. This is the minimum tank size for a school of 5 individuals.
What are some good tank companions for a cichlid?
Further ideal tank mates are peaceful South and Central American Cichlids such as freshwater Angelfish, Firemouth, and Green Terror Cichlids. Giant Danios, Pacus, and Anostomus are also good tank companions.
How did the silvery fish get their name?
These silvery-colored fish get their name from how they look. Laterally flattened, they look exactly like an old silver dollar.
Where do silver dollar spawn?
In the wild, you will find them spawning in shallow waters and in heavily planted areas of flooded rivers.
Is a silver dollar a herbivore?
They belong to the Characidae family, the same family as Piranha and Pacus. However in contrast to their more aggressive relatives, they are peaceful herbivorous fish, perfect for large size community aquariums. Silver Dollar is a common name given to a number of different species in the Metynnis genus.
Are Silver Dollar Fish Suitable For Your Aquarium?
Silver Dollars are hardy tropical freshwater fish. They are large peaceful schooling fish that make the perfect addition if you want a community aquarium with good-sized fish.
How long do silver dollar fish live?
Silver Dollars are one of the longest living freshwater aquarium species, living up to almost ten years in captivity.
Why do silver dollar trees cut off the food source?
By cutting off the food source of algae, Silver Dollars make sure that there aren’t any algae infestations in their vicinity.
Why is it important to clean silver dollar tanks?
This is important because stressed Silver Dollars are more likely to acquire diseases.
How many gallons of water do you need to keep 5 fish in a tank?
This is due to the fact that they are schooling fish and need to be kept together in groups. Therefore, for keeping five of them together, you would need a 75-gallon tank. If you want more than five in your tank, you need to provide 10 gallons for each fish added.
What is the water that a squid fish live in?
The water that they reside in is usually dark and filled with thick vegetation. You will also see an abundance of gravels, rocks, driftwood, weeds and peat in their surroundings. They can be seen in small, heavily-grown tributaries and rivers with moderate current flow.
Where do silver dollars come from?
It is believed that Silver Dollars have originated from South America, although it hasn’t been backed by conclusive reports. Still, their origin has been deduced from where they are mostly found, which are the Guyana, Peru, Amazon east of Rio Negro, Paraguay, and the Tapajós River in Brazil.
Do silver dollar have a tail?
Having a round disc-shaped body that is laterally compressed, Silver Dollars have a flat and board tail fin. Sexual dimorphism is pretty obvious in them. The anal fin in males is longer than in females. They may look ordinary, but the beauty that they create when a bunch of them are kept together is extraordinary.
Silver Dollar Fish Behavior
Silver Dollars love to hang around the top layers of your tank, which is less common and means that you could really have a well-positioned community when planning your tank for action in all areas.
Silver Dollar Fish Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your Silver Dollar Fish, you could expect them to live for around 10 years. The quality of their tank conditions will impact their lifespan, as always, so you can expect a longer life if you meet their requirements meticulously.
Silver Dollar Fish Appearance
Their name says it all. They possess tall flat bodies with a predominantly rounded or rounded diamond shape.
Silver Dollar Fish Habitat And Tank Requirements
We ideally want to achieve optimum health for fish we keep in captivity by closely mimicking their natural habitat. Their wild origins are the blackwaters of streams and rivers and the basins of South America with slow to moderately moving currents.
Notes On Feeding Silver Dollar Fish
If you are supplying your tank with live plants that have flavor appeal, expect your Silver Dollars to be munching on those regularly and factor that in as part of their diet.
Silver Dollar Fish Common Health Issues
Silver Dollars are not prone to anything species-specific to be aware of, just the usual hazard of freshwater fish life.
How To Breed Silver Dollar Fish
Silver Dollar Fish will happily breed in captivity and are fairly easy to encourage.
What to feed silver dollar fish?
You can feed your silver dollar fish with these, for example, lettuce, cress, chickweed.
What kind of lettuce do silver dollar fish eat?
Romaine lettuce is another favorite type of food of the silver dollar fish.
What plants can I keep with silver dollars?
Below are some of the best optional plants for your silver dollar fish tank.
How fast do silver dollars grow?
A total of nine days will take for the baby silver dollar fish to start to swim around freely .
What are spirulina flakes made of?
Spirulina flakes are made from green, blue plankton that is a favorite food among this species.
What do water goats eat?
In the wild, these fishes will typically feed on the surrounding vegetation, including earthy plants. That is why in the aquarium world, they are also known as water goats.
Can silver dollar fish uproot?
But it is best to keep these plants tied to any rock or driftwood in your tank so that the silver dollar fish will not uproot it.
Size
Lifespan
- Silver dollars have an average lifespan of five to ten years - a relatively long life when compared with smaller fish like guppies, who will live for between a few months and five years if they are lucky. This means that they are a big commitment and if you are not sure if fish-keeping is for you, maybe start out with a few platiesor guppies if you are unsure. Alternatively, if you have decided …
Water Preferences
- Silver dollars prefer to be kept in water that has a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, and a soft to medium water hardness, dH range 4.0 to 18.0. They like the temperature between 24° and 29° C.
Care
- Dollars are easy to care for. So as long as you have a tank big enough to house four or more fully grown dollars (if you plan on keeping them for that long, otherwise make sure that you have somebody ready to buy them off you or adopt them once they grow out of your tank) the maintenance that they require is relatively low. They prefer shallow, long and wide tanks, with pl…
Tank Mates
- As far as tank mates go, silver dollars are best kept in large groups, so a species tank would be ideal, however, they can be equally as beautiful in a large peaceful community tank. As a rule, if a fish can fit in another's mouth, presume that it will be eaten, however I have successfully raised platy fry and guppy fry in my tropical aquarium with tetra, silver dollars, and scissortail rasboras. …
Feeding
- Silver dollars survive mostly on plant matter, and will feed on flakes, algae wafers - they go crazy for them, break them up and spread bits about the tank unless you want a fight! - cucumber, courgette, lettuce, and squash, but will also eat brine shrimp and bloodworm. I will often leave a sacrificial aquatic plant in my tank too for them to nibbl...
Reproduction
- Silver dollars begin to reproduce at around one year old. The females drop eggs, they are a translucent yellow colour and are not sticky. They will not usually do any harm to their eggs, and they take approximately four to six days to mature. Once the juvenile begins to swim, they can be fed on crushed flake food, brine shrimp, and milled salad leaves, amongst other things.
Silver Dollar Fish Facts & Overview
Appearance
- As the name suggests, they look like an old silver dollar. They have a round body that is laterally flattened. Silver Dollar Fish is a generic term that refers to multiple characin species. Metynnis hypsauchen and Metynnis argenteusare two popular species and they look very similar. The only way to spot the difference between these species is the black patches found behind the eyes an…
Habitat and Tank Conditions
- Silver Dollar Fish originate in South America. The waters here are dark and filled with peat. They will also have gravel and rocks with dense vegetation and lots of hiding spots. The rivers that they live in are often full of debris such as driftwood, large rocks, and weeds. As far as currents, the water flow here will be moderate.
Diet
- Silver Dollars are actually omnivorous fish; however, they prefer an herbivorous diet. In nature, they usually feed on the surrounding vegetation including terrestrial plants. You can feed them a variety of plants such as lettuce, cress, chickweed, cucumber, peas, and spring greens. You can also feed them seaweed such as spirulina along with large ...
Care
- Silver Dollars are pretty hardy fish. As aquariums are closed systems, harmful substances such as nitrate, phosphorous and decomposing organic matter will build up over time. This is why water should be replaced on a regular basis and at least 25-50% of the water should be replaced every other week. Even though Silver Dollars are quite resilient fish there is no guarantee that your fis…
Breeding
- Silver Dollars are relatively easy to spawnin captivity providing they have a large comfortable environment. In the wild, you will find them spawning in shallow waters and in heavily planted areas of flooded rivers. You will first need a mated pair. For the best success of finding breeding pairs always keep them in a group, raising them from juveniles to maturity. This fish usually reac…
Are Silver Dollar Fish Suitable For Your Aquarium?
- Silver Dollars are hardy tropical freshwater fish. They are large peaceful schooling fish that make the perfect addition if you want a community aquarium with good-sized fish. If kept alone they can be quite skittish and are best if kept together. Their name, Silver Dollars, is quite a generic name to refer to different Metynnis species, different in colors and sizes. They are best for aquarists wit…