Name: Spotted Silver Dollar
Brand: Brooklands
SKU: BLSSD
Price: 16.95 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

Spotted Silver Dollar

Product Details

Spotted Silver Dollar (Metynnis lippincottianus)

Overview: The Spotted Silver Dollar is a flat, disc-shaped fish that looks like a large, shimmering coin. While the standard Silver Dollar is plain silver, this species is covered in a beautiful array of dark grey or black speckles. They are "characins," making them distant relatives of the Piranha—though unlike their toothy cousins, Spotted Silver Dollars are primarily vegetarians and quite peaceful.

Origins: They are native to the Amazon River basin in South America. They thrive in river systems with dense vegetation and slow-moving water, where they congregate in large schools for protection.

Personality: Spotted Silver Dollars are energetic, social, and very skittish. Because they are a "prey" species in the wild, they are easily startled by sudden movements or loud noises, often darting across the tank at high speeds. They are completely peaceful toward other fish, but they are "chainsaws" when it comes to live plants—they will eat almost any greenery you put in the tank.

Care Level: Easy to Intermediate (due to size and schooling needs)
Temperament: Peaceful but skittish
Diet: Herbivore (Vegetable-based flakes, spirulina wafers, and fresh blanched greens like spinach, zucchini, or cucumber)
Max Size: 5 – 6 inches (13 – 15 cm)
Family: Serrasalmidae
Tank Size: 55–75 gallons minimum (they need horizontal swimming space)
Temperature: 75°F – 82°F (24°C – 28°C)
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Should be kept in groups? Yes. They are strictly schooling fish and should be kept in a group of at least 5. Keeping them in smaller numbers will make them extremely stressed and prone to hiding.

Pro Tip: If you want to keep live plants with these fish, stick to very tough species like Java Fern or Anubias, but even then, they might take a nibble!