Silver dollar care

Water temperature

75–82°F

Silver dollars do best at 75–82°F and pH 5–7. Plan on 75 gallons or more. Good tank mates include kuhli loaches, angelfish, apistogramma.

Eats live plants down to the roots. Calm but skittish in small groups.

Metynnis argenteus

Best tank mates

Silver dollar next to its best tank mates. Overlap is what lets two species share a heater setting.

pH range. Tap water in most US cities sits between 7 and 8.

Adult size to scale.

Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); silver dollars need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful silver dollars.
Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 6 inches silver dollars do.
Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); silver dollars need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 6 inches silver dollars do.
African cichlid Different water: african cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, silver dollars want pH 5–7.
Jack Dempsey Jack dempseys are aggressive and will bully peaceful silver dollars.
Electric yellow cichlid Different water: silver dollars want pH 5–7, yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6.