Breeding Silver Dollar (Metynnis Hypsauchen) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in rivers with a lot of plants in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Guyana.

Body description

Body of the fish is laterally compressed. Colour of the fish is silvery-pinkish. The dorsal fin is high and it looks like pennant. The fat and anal fins are wide. There are also variants of this fish with transverse, dark stripes. Male has the anal fin wider than female and also the color of the front part of the fin is yellow-red.

Temperament and behaviour

This species rummages substrate, destroys plants and it becomes more aggressive towards other fish with age. These fish are intelligent and they take care for the offspring.

Aquarium decoration

This species prefer a spacious tank which is longer than higher. Aquarium should have a lot of hiding-places among roots, rocks, dimmed light, plants with hard and bitter leaves. The fish are sensitive to accumulation of nitrates and sudden fluctuations of the water parameters.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You can stimulate these fish to spawn by increasing water temperature, reduction of water pH and water hardness and by adding floating plants. Male's anal and dorsal fins are darker during the spawning season. Male swims around female and totters from side to side during courtship. Female lays eggs when she is ready. Male immediately fertilizes the roe. The eggs fall on the substrate. The parents usually take care for the offspring but they sometimes can eat the eggs. The eggs hatch after 3 days. The fry starts to swim and feed 2-5 days later.