All fish / Serrasalmidae

Golden Silver Dollar

Mylossoma aureum

Also known as silver dollar, golden dollar, hard-bellied silver dollar, mylossoma silver dollar, pacu silver dollar, 银板鱼

A tall, flattened silver fish with a serrated belly keel and, in many individuals, orange-tinted fins and throat. It is kept as a large, active schooling fish for big community tanks alongside other robust South American species.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

18 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Herbivore: vegetable-based pellets and flakes, blanched greens, fruit, plus occasional insects and worms

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 or more years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon and Orinoco basins: Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru

Breeding

An egg-scattering seasonal spawner that migrates with floods in the wild. Captive breeding is rarely reported and is not practical in home aquariums.

Good to know

It grows large and needs a long tank with plenty of swimming space. It will eat soft aquarium plants, so use hardy or artificial plants.