Care
Silver Dollars are a timid, but peaceful, shoaling species, juveniles of which will require an aquarium at least 4ft long. These fast-swimming fish grow very quickly and before long will require an aquarium measuring at least 6" x 2" x 2". They must have company of their own kind, and 6 specimens would be considered to be the minimum number to house together. Larger groups will help to make them feel much more secure. The aquarium itself should be sited in a quiet location where it does not receive a large amount of continual foot traffic going past. These are very skittish fish that are easily startled, so they must be provided with many shady hiding spots within the aquarium and some very tight fitting coverslides to prevent them from accidentally jumping out. Decor must be chosen with care as anything sharp can cause them injury whenever they decide to make a dash for cover. When cleaning the aquarium, much care must be taken to ensure that the fish do not become too startled. Silver Dollars are largely herbivorous and possess quite powerful dentition. They will devour most plant species in their aquarium. More robust species such as Java Fern or Anubias can sometimes be successful; otherwise you may wish to opt for plastic or silk varieties. Lighting should be subdued. The Silver Dollar aquarium must be well-filtered and well-oxygenated. These fish originated from heavily vegetated tropical rivers with a fair amount of current, so a good flow rate should be provided. Excellent water quality must be maintained at all times, as they are sensitive to elevated nitrate levels. These nervous fish should not be housed with any small (bite-sized) or aggressive species. It should be noted that many other Metynnis and Myleus species are often imported under the catch-all common name of Silver Dollar. Silver Dollars "can you meet all their requirements? Think before you buy!
Feeding
A large proportion of the diet should consist of vegetable matter. Silver Dollars will happily consume the following: flake, green flake, slow-sinking pellets, algae wafers, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, watercress, fine-leaved aquatic plants (such as Cabomba caroliniana), and frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp etc. Larger specimens will eat krill, chopped prawns etc.
Breeding
Best carried out in a separate warm softwater breeding aquarium with plenty of spawning mops/robust plant species. Silver Dollars often spawn in shoals, depositing up to 2000 eggs. The adults do not normally consume the eggs, which can be expected to hatch within 72 hours.
