Silver dollar care guide

Plan a tank with silver dollarsSee all tank mates

Silver dollar quick facts

• Known jumper: keep a tight-fitting lid.

Tank setup

A group of five adults needs at least 75 gallons (284 L), and length matters more than volume: aim for 5 ft (150 cm), ideally 6 ft (180 cm). Juveniles grow fast, so plan for the adult tank from the start. They are easily startled, so give them open swimming space, some cover along the back, dim light and a tight lid.

How many silver dollars in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits silver dollars is a 125 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep them at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), pH 6.0–7.5 and soft to moderately hard water (3–12 dGH). They like clean, well-oxygenated water with some current. A group of adults eats a lot, so use strong filtration and change water every week.

Best tank mates for silver dollars

These popular species share silver dollars' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 82 good matches.

• Betta fish

  6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Guppy

  5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Dwarf gourami

  7.5 cm (3 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Angelfish

  15 cm (5.9 in) · 24–29°C (75–84°F)

• Tiger barb

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

Avoid keeping silver dollars with

• Cherry shrimp: Silver dollar eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Silver dollar 24–28°C (75–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Silver dollar 24–28°C (75–82°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Celestial pearl danio: Silver dollar can eat celestial pearl danios: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chili rasbora: Silver dollar can eat chili rasboras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful silver dollars.

Feeding

Mostly plant-eaters. Feed a spirulina or vegetable-based flake or pellet every day, plus blanched peas, zucchini, cucumber, spinach and lettuce. Add small amounts of bloodworm or brine shrimp as treats. Give only what they finish in a few minutes.

Behavior

Peaceful, but nervous when kept alone or in too small a group. They may eat very small fish, such as chili rasboras or newborn livebearers, and they will eat dwarf shrimp. Good tankmates are medium to large peaceful fish such as plecos, Synodontis and other large catfish, angelfish, giant danios and calm medium-sized cichlids.

Breeding

They spawn in groups and scatter eggs over plants or the bottom, with no parental care. Use a separate tank with soft, slightly acidic water near 28 °C (82 °F), and remove the adults after spawning. Eggs hatch in about three days, and fry start on infusoria, then baby brine shrimp. Males have a longer, often reddish anal fin.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Use artificial plants, or tough ones like java fern and anubias. Soft plants get eaten fast, and even tough ones may need replacing.
• Keep at least five. A lone silver dollar tends to hide and stay stressed.
• Feed greens every day. Flakes or meaty food alone don't suit them.
• A dark background and dim light help calm them.
• Fit a tight lid. They jump when startled.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• en.wikipedia.org
• fishkeepingworld.com
• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se