Data sheet for the disc tetra – silver dollar
German name:
Disk Tetra – Silver Dollar
Scientific name:
Metynnis argenteus
Origin:
South America: Amazon region
Size:
14 cm
Aquarium
Length:
180 cm
Contents:
From 400 liters
Lighting:
Bright
Furnishings:
water values
Temperature:
23-28ºC
PH value:
5.5-7
Behave
Number:
10
Area:
center
propagation:
egglayer
Lining:
herbivores
Behave:
Keep in a small swarm
Difficulty level:
Experienced aquarist
Sources
General information about silver dollars
Silver Dollar Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.5 Author: Derek Ramsey
Silver dollars, Metynnis argenteus, come from central South America. They grow to about 15 centimeters. Because they grow relatively large, the aquarium should be correspondingly large. Pools with a water content of 400 liters or more are suitable. Silver dollars are not suitable for community tanks. They should be kept in their own species aquarium. Silver dollars are schooling fish.
Mainly plant-based food is eaten. Fruit can also be fed. Tetra cichlid sticks are put in the mouth like a cigar and nibbled without putting it down.
The water should be rather soft. Because silver dollars live mostly in black water in nature, the water should be dark in color. So it should be filtered over peat or peat extract should be added.
Fine sand can be used as soil.
Large cichlids are suitable as company.
Silver dollars eat plants.
Silver Dollar Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.0 Author: Brian Gratwicke
Silver dollars are true vegetarians. They will happily eat plants, even if lettuce is offered as an alternative.
The aquarium should therefore be planted with hard plants. Relatively hardy plants are Java fern and Anubias.
However, even with these, at least young leaves are nibbled on.
The aquarium must therefore be decorated primarily with wood and stones.