Interesting Facts About SILVER DOLLAR FISH

If you have a community fish tank or are interested in having one, the silver dollar fish is the perfect fish to fit in with the others. Ideally, having four or five of these fish will keep them quite happy as they like to socialize with one another. Although they are a relative of the piranha, this type of fish is entirely friendly.

Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A lot of space is needed for silver dollar fish so if you were thinking of having a school of them, you would need a tank no smaller than a 50-gallon. If your silver dollar fish was silver dollar size when you bought him, you might be surprised when he grows to his adult five to six inches. He will look extra large too because these fish are as wide as they are tall.

The silver dollar fish is an herbivore, meaning they eat plants. Keep that in mind should you have any live plants in your aquarium. They won't be there long after the arrival of your fish. They eat fish flakes, but if you want to keep these fish really healthy you need to vary their diets with lettuce and other live foods.

In the wild, the silver dollar fish lives in tropical waters, all around South America, and especially in the Amazon River Basin. In the tank, they prefer to have soft water that has a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. If they are in a tank with lots of other fish, they will live in the middle area. They need a nitrate level below 50 ppm. You will need to measure the nitrate level regularly. In lieu of live plants the nitrate level can be aided by letting a little algae grow in the corners of the tank.

With silver dollar fish, especially a school of them, you will want to be sure to keep the cover on your tank. They will leap out of the tank should they get scared of something. You also need to make hiding places for them with lots of rocks and driftwood. When you first get the fish, don't be surprised if they hide a lot. Once they get used to the new environment and know that you are the person with the food, they will get a lot friendlier.

Silver dollar fish will breed in the home aquarium if the conditions are right. They like the temperature of the water to be between 81 and 90 degrees. It only takes around four days for the eggs to hatch and within a week the little guys will be swimming around. You will know they are ready to mate when the female gets two black sports near her side gills and the red on the fins turns black.

Silver dollar fish are one of the most popular aquarium fish. They are very active in the tank and are fun to watch.

By Jenny Styles To read about pruning cherry trees, silver dollar plant and other information, visit the Gardening Central site. Article Source: EzineArticles

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NANNOSTOMUS Fish Care and Aquariums

How to care for Nannostomus species 

If you are considering tanks and fish, care is sure to learn more about the types of fish on the market. Having an overall ideal as to the type of fish can help you handle fish care and aquariums with less after. Keep in mind that aquariums today are equipped with electronic devices, switches, controls, etc, which enable you to use the components to maintain your aquarium. Still you will need a test kit, and a few other items to keep up your aquarium. In addition, fish are all different, yet some species are similar in comparison. Again knowing the species can help you maintain your aquarium as well, since some fish prefer hard water, soft water, acidy water, alkalinity water, and so on. To help you relate to fish and to work toward maintaining your tank, we can review a few types of fish.

Nannostomus eques (Steindachner, 1876) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nannostomus include the Eques, Marginatus, Unifasciatus, Trifasciatus, and the Beckfordi species. Nannostomus Eques originated from the Amazons. The fish are commonly referred to as Nannobrycon Eque, or Poecilobrycon. The Tube Mouth fish as he is commonly named grows at a size of 2 inches. The species are sometimes called the Brown-Tailed Pencilfish, or simply Pencilfish. This fish has a stretched out snout and swims in the tank at an angle. Nannostomus are peaceful fish, which tend to prefer the same water conditions. The water should be set between 78 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The male fish tend to be slimmer than the Nannostomus female. In addition, the fish spawn on broadleaf plants. Check out the Ludwigia plants and the Hygrophila.

Nannostomus Marginatus is commonly known as the Dwarf Pencilfish. This fish comes from the western areas of Guiana. The fish is of the smaller breed in that they usually grow one, ¼ inches in size. Still, this stocky breed has some pretty colors that make him appear big. The fish has black stripes, which red colors sprinkle over his fins.

Nannostomus Margin is a peaceful fish, and a bit introverted. Due to his introverted nature and peaceful side, it is best to keep the Marginatus in tanks where smaller fish dwell. The Nannostomus Marginatus feed and expect water conditions in the same way that the Nannostomus Anomalus expect. Nannostomus Marginatus female fish tend to present a lighter color than that of her male counterpart. This fish is ideal for breeding.

Nannostomus Unifasciatus is commonly known as the Tail-eyed Pencilfish. As well, the Nannostomus Unifasciatus is sometimes called the One-Line Pencilfish. This specie comes from the Amazon and Guiana. Nannostomus Unifasciatus grow around 2 inches in size. This specie in particular is one of the most colorful breeds on the market. The fish has a lower lobe, which is brilliantly decorated with colorful spots. The fins enlarge.

Nannostomus Unifasciatus has a friendly nature and is suitable for communal tanks. The fish feed and expect water conditions comparable to the Nannostomus specimens. To date this fish is not a choice of breeding angle, since studies are inconclusive. Yet, if you purchase the fish, you may monitor its behaviors on your own to learn more.

The Nannostomus Beckfordi is popularly known as the Beckford’s Pencilfish, or the Golden Pencilfish. The fish matures at 1 ¾ inches in size and comes from Guiana and the Amazon Basin. This breed is peaceful in nature, which makes him subject to communal tanks. The hardy specie however has a fragile appearance. Still, he can hang his hat in communal waters without a problem.

This article is from my e-book "Aquarium Fish Care Tactics"

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