How to Care for Silver Dollar Fish

Silver dollar fish are the herbivorous, peaceful relative of the carnivorous piranha. They are schooling fish, so they need to be kept in groups larger than three. Six is a good-sized school for most home tanks. The average silver dollar fish grows to around 6 inches in diameter.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Use a tank that is at least 40 gallons. A small school of silver dollar fish are much better kept in a 75-gallon tank.

2. Heat the tank temperature to 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Give them plenty of hiding places inside the tank. Silver dollar fish like subdued lighting and spend time under plants and other tank structures to get out of the direct light.

4. Mix your silver dollars in the tank with other fish of similar size. Silver dollar fish are peaceful by nature and can live with most other tank-compatible fish without displaying aggression.

5. Replace the filter on your tank on regular intervals. Silver dollars are extremely sensitive to nitrate. Old filters allow nitrate levels to rise, which causes the silver dollar fish to start gasping for air.

6. Feed them a diet high in vegetable matter. The healthiest diet for silver dollars is a mix of flake fish food, peas, zucchini squash and lettuce. They will also eat small live food when offered, such as brine shrimp and small worms.

Tips & Warnings

• Silver Dollar fish have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years.
• Silver Dollar fish not kept in a school of three or more, become skittish. The larger the school, the less skittish the fish.