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This page will give a completely detailed profile of the selected
fish, from A to Z. The profiled fish will be chosen randomly by Badman,
and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish. New profiles
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Metynnis argenteus, Metynnis hypsauchen
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Overview:
One of my favorite fish. The Silver Dollar is a peaceful schooling species
with a great personality. One word of caution they love greens and will
completely defoliate a fish tank in no time at all. They should have
some short of vegetable supplement in their diet.
Quick stats:
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Listed tank sizes are the minimum
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| Size: |
Up to 8" (20cm) |
| Tank: |
48 inches |
| Strata: |
Middle |
| PH: |
6.0 to 7.5 |
| Hardness: |
Soft to medium. dH range: 4.0 - 18.0 |
| Temperature: |
75ºF to 84ºF (24-29°C) |
Classification
| Order: |
Cypriniformes |
| Suborder: |
Characoidei |
| Super-Family: |
Characidoidea |
| Family: |
Serrasalmidae |
| Genera: |
Metynnis |
Common name
Silver dollar, Schreitmullers' Metynnis
Image gallery:
Additional
species photographs
Discuss:
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Forum
Distribution
Widely distributed throughout South America, from Guyana to Paraguay, including
the Amazon river basin.
General Body Form
Basically circular in shape, as long as tall, with very marked lateral compression.
The front on profile of the back and stomach are not uniformly convex (out )
, but rather curve in at the Dorsal and Anal fin level. Like most members of
the family (Piranha included!) they have tiny scales with small mouths and enlarged
lips. The Caudal fin is slightly indented, the Adipose fin is long and short
and in mature males the front part of the anal fin is crescent shaped. They
can reach a size of five and one half inches, with the males smaller than the
females.
Coloration
The entire body is basically a strong Silver/Gray, with a high iridescence,
which is highlighted when the fish are in a large school. The back is slightly
darker being Greenish/Gray or Greenish/Blue in color. The Anal fin has a pale
tinge of Silver color in the front that fades toward the back. The Dorsal fin
is clear with a series of small dark spots. In well cared for males, the Caudal
fin and the Gill cover have a Reddish border. A narrow, dark vertical band runs
through each eye. As with most fish there are color variations.
Biotope
Shallow areas of their home range that are heavily vegetated
Maintenance
The Silver Dollars require a large tank, a standard 55 or 40 gallon would be
fine. The tank should have no live plants as this species is mainly vegetarian
in habit. The substrate should be dark in color with subdued lighting. They
are schooling fish and will always be shy and skittish in a small tank, so give
them as much room as possible. The diet should primarily include plant material,
particularly Romaine Lettuce, along with the various live foods. Water quality
is not critical and the temperature should be kept in the upper Seventies to
low Eighties.
Breeding
In nature these fish spawn in shallow, sun drenched flooded areas of rivers.
In the home aquarium they have been breed in clear aged water with a temperature
between 81 and 90f. The eggs hatch in about four days and are free swimming
a week later. If well fed they will grow very quickly.
Buy now from
liveaquaria.com
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Silver Dollar
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Click photo to buy
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Metynnis argenteus
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