Silver Dollar Fish
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Description
Silver dollar fish, also known as silver dollar, It is a fish of the genus Metynnis, from family characids, so It is a fish aquarium hot water and sweet. Its name is due to its flattened shape and silvery color, quite comparable to the currency nomitaded. Are distant cousins Piranhas, They are sharing with family, although these fish are vegetarians, so in the aquarium plants should be incorporated hard leaves, If you do not want to stay without vegetation.
Morphology
They are fish that in the aquarium can measure up 14 centimeters. Its shape is rounded, semi-discoidal y bright silver color, when it is given the light directly. It seems that Males are slightly larger than females. It is not the only sexual dimorphism, in males the front of the anal fin is colored in red, besides being slightly more elongated than in the female. They have an adipose fin, Y all fins are transparent, Anal except the male. They have small eyes in relation to your body, Y to the like piranhas, his mouth is provided with a good teeth with teeth very sharp.
Distribution and habitat
- Easytest with 50 test strips water.
- Strips for analysis 6 important water values in 1 minute.
- nitrites (NO2) from 0 a 10 mg / l.
- Measure the pH of 6,4 a 9,zero.
This species comes from the regions to northern South America, although according to some publications, It appears to be limited to the Tapajos River in Brazil. It can be found on the margins of the river, where vegetation is more abundant and where food is easily.
Aquarium conditions
The silver dollar fish, You need a good sized aquarium, between 200 Y 250 liters It would be the right thing, diffused light, dark soil with peat and good oxygenation of the water. So perfect is that the aquarium contains a good vegetation, the problem is that plants are big eaters, so they must be plants of hard leaves, somewhat bitter, which will surely have to replace assiduously. An alternative is to include plastic plants. The temperature of the water should be between 24º and 28ºC, with a pH between 6 Y 7. Soft water.
Diet
They are vegetarian fish, consume any type of plant food. We can feed it with zucchini, cucumber, peas and all kinds of leafy greens. To this feed, you can complement with dry preparations from algae, Specific fish.
Behavior and compatibility
It is a peaceful and gregarious fish, what You need to live more copies of their species. We recommend having the least five to six copies, to swim together. In a community aquarium fish should include related or larger size, as they could eat other smaller fish. As usually swim in the upper and intermediate, a good idea is to include fish occupying the rest of the aquarium, Like the catfish, that occupy the bottom.
Reproduction
El silver Metynnis It is not as easy to play as other characids, but it's not impossible, provided that a number of recommendations are followed:
- To succeed in reproducing the silver dollar, we use a breeding tank.
- The aquarium should have a temperature of 28 ° C, and be more acidic than recurring.
- To help spawning, a good concept is to make water changes, but are hotter than the aquarium.
- The male be prepared to generate, when they acquire a darker color, especially as we can see in their anal fin, and dorsal caudal.
- At the time of courtship, males chase the females.
- When the female releases eggs (until 2.000 eggs), are fertilized by males.
- Although not eat fish eggs which habitually, one fertilized once a good idea to remove the adult fish.
- The fry will appear three days after the eggs are fertilized.
- They must be supplied with specific preparations, until they acquire a size, in starting to tolerate other foods.
Tips
The Metynnis argeteus, a fish is quite similar to the Metynnis hypsauchen, the two copies may be sold under the name silver dollar or silver dollar, but really they are two different species. They are so similar that are easy to confuse, even if the Metynnis hypsauchen has a black spot above and behind the eyes. There would be too much trouble in care, that would be exactly the same for both species.
- The article is easy to install and use. Fairly dirty things from the bottom of your aquarium effectively. Support two sizes of pipe…
- Siphon tube supplied. Caudal 520 liters per hour.
- With this tool, You can remove dirt from the bottom of your aquarium. Supplied with two sizes of suction tube, It is suitable for…
- It can also be used as a water trap to change the water, or to empty your aquarium when connecting a hose to the outlet.
