Silver Dollar Fish Mating Behavior

Silver Dollars are an egg laying fish species native to South America. These attractive fresh water fish are highly social and prefer to be housed in groups of six or more. Silver dollars mature at approximately 6-inches in length, with the male fish being slightly smaller than the female. These peaceful and herbivorous tropical fish will breed for the aquarist, if fed correctly and housed in water with the correct chemical parameters.

  1. Water and other Conditions

    • Silver dollars are induced to spawn in soft, acidic water. The carbonate hardness of water in which these fish will typically spawn, should be in the region of 8 German degrees of hardness (dKH), but can be as high as 18 dKH. Silver dollars also prefer warm water, which should preferably be over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Under captive condition, these silver colored fishes prefer to spawn in subdued light. Silver dollars in aquariums are encouraged to spawn by draping a towel over their tank, to darken it and to maintain the higher temperature. Spawning is usually triggered within 48 hours of darkening the aquarium.

    Fertilization

    • Silver dollar breed in flooded sections of the river, which are typically shallow and sun drenched. These fish tend to seek out areas with many broad leafed aquatic plants. Here the male will chase a gravid female, until she allows him to come along side her. The male will flick against the female's body and will release his milt or sperm into the water as she releases her eggs. The male may wrap his body around that of the female, as she begins to release her eggs and the pair remains close together to optimize the number of eggs that are fertilized.

    Egg Laying

    • The female silver dollar will release approximately 2000 eggs, which drift away from the pair after being fertilized by the male's milt. The eggs of silver dollars are sticky and tend to adhere to aquatic vegetation or the substrate, if they reach the river bottom. Silver dollars in an aquarium will not normally predate upon their own eggs or fry, but other fish species in a community aquarium, will likely do so.

    Hatching

    • Silver dollar eggs hatch within three to four days. Fry become free swimming after a period of seven to ten days and feed on tiny aquatic organisms. In aquariums, the very young fry will accept infusoria, but can be weaned onto newly hatched brine shrimp after 10 days of age. Silver dollar fry will feed on algae and begin to eat aquatic vegetation as they mature.