All fish / Serrasalmidae

Spotted Silver Dollar

Metynnis lippincottianus

Also known as silver dollar, spotted metynnis, lippincott's silver dollar, speckled silver dollar, spotted silverdollar, ปลาเงินดอลลาร์, シルバーダラー, スポッテッドシルバーダラー, 银板, 斑点银板

A deep-bodied, almost round silver characin covered in small dark spots, with a reddish flush on the anal fin in mature males. It is kept as a hardy, active shoaling fish for large community tanks and makes a peaceful dither fish for cichlids.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 5 or more

Diet

Herbivore: spirulina flakes and pellets, blanched vegetables, soft plants, occasional live or frozen foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon basin, Brazil and Peru

Breeding

Pairs scatter eggs among plants in soft, slightly acidic water and do not guard them. Spawning is possible in a large, well-kept tank but is seldom done deliberately at home.

Good to know

It eats most soft aquarium plants, so use hardy or artificial plants. It is skittish and needs a covered, spacious tank with a group of its own kind.