Silver dollar

Identity and search names

Single-species profile for Metynnis hypsauchen. Preserve the permanent AquaNexus ID and route; retain former scientific combinations and trade names only as searchable aliases. Search names include Silver dollar, Metynnis hypsauchen, Common silver dollar.

Environment and housing

Long open swimming area with shaded cover and stable water.

Feeding and nutrition

Feeding ecology: Primarily herbivorous omnivore

Feeding routine: Feed a plant-heavy complete diet once or twice daily with measured invertebrate foods; expect substantial plant consumption and waste.

Breeding and reproduction

Egg scatterer; adults provide no care and eggs require protection from the group

Breeding plan: Egg scatterer; adults provide no care and eggs require protection from the group Parental care: No parental care.

Compatibility plan

Keep with similarly sized fish that will not eat or intimidate them.

Filtration and aeration

Filtration: Use mature biological filtration sized for the adult group and feeding load, with protected intakes and a flow pattern suited to the species.

Aeration: Maintain dependable gas exchange and dissolved oxygen with surface agitation or supplementary aeration while preserving sheltered resting areas.

Maintenance

Test water routinely, remove waste and uneaten food, service filtration without destroying biofilm and review stocking as animals mature.

Adult projected load

Adult projected load includes mature body mass, social-group size, territorial space, oxygen demand, feeding waste and breeding output.

Welfare and risk

Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. “Silver dollar” covers several similar species. Confirm identity, and do not place this large plant eater in a small decorative planted tank.

Main risk: “Silver dollar” covers several similar species. Confirm identity, and do not place this large plant eater in a small decorative planted tank.

Biosecurity and release

Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.

Overridable warnings

Warnings may be overridden only after adult size, group structure, filtration, aeration, compatibility and maintenance capacity are recorded.

Sources

• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Metynnis hypsauchen — Taxonomy — accepted name, original combination, synonyms and distribution cross-check
• NCBI Taxonomy — Metynnis hypsauchen — Identity — independent accepted-species and classification cross-check
• IUCN Red List search — Metynnis hypsauchen — Conservation — current assessment and wild-provenance cross-check
• PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — Australian biosecurity — current South Australian possession and trade restriction cross-check
• DAFF — importing live ornamental fish to Australia — Australian biosecurity — current national live-fish import pathway and permitted-species warning
• Catalog of Fishes — current nomenclature — Current fish taxonomy and synonymy
• AquaNexus editorial policy — Independent synthesis, scope and source-policy control