A standard in the aquarium industry, the bright and flashy Silver Dollar is easy to raise, easy to feed, easy to breed, and easy to care for. It is the perfect fish for a beginner aquarist while still bringing a bright, eye-catching piece of excitement to any community. Silver Dollars do best when in schools of three or more. If you keep only one, be prepared for it to fade and die. Silver Dollars are round bodied and somewhat flat. Females tend to be larger than males and will grow to be up to six inches in length. While they are a solid silver most of the time, during courtship and breeding males will develop two very large and prominent black spots over the pectoral fins. It is not uncommon for Silver Dollars to also have some red coloration in the fins and around the mouth that deepens during courtship.
While the shimmering silver of the Silver Dollar is beautiful to look at, in the wild it serves a purpose as a defense mechanism. When a school of Silver Dollars is attacked, they will swim quickly and erratically allowing the light to reflect off them and into the eyes of predators, dazzling and distracting. Though they are a peaceful species of fish, if one of your Silver Dollars becomes injured, the school will turn on it and devour it. If one of your Silver Dollars becomes injured it should be removed to a hospital tank as quickly as possible.
Care:
Silver Dollars are very peaceful, though they can be skittish if not provided with shelter. They do best in water kept between 75-80˚F with a pH of 5.8-7.0, making their water requirements fairly broad and easy to accomplish. This is a fish that prefers a long aquarium with lots of horizontal swimming room. Though the Silver Dollar is a very peaceful fish that gets along well with fish of all sizes, they are not easily pushed around and will hold their own with aggressors.
Diet:
Though Silver Dollars are widely believed to be herbivores, they are omnivores and will eat a variety of foods with a somewhat voracious appetite. Flake food, bloodworms, daphnia and brine shrimp are all excellent options as well as peas, potatoes and fresh fruit. The key to keeping a school of Silver Dollars in peak condition is to vary their diet often. Be warned! If you have aquatic plants these little fish will nibble them down to nothing.
Size: 5 Inches
Freshwater/ Saltwater: Freshwater
Diet: Omnivore
Reef Compatibility: NA
Tank Mate Compatibility: 9
Lifespan: Up to 10 Years
