I'm really falling for Silver Dollars again...

[Magnum Man]

so, I had them 30ish years ago... back then, only the common ones were available to me... now back into tanks again 3ish years ago, and I'm finding all kinds of reasons to love them again...
lots of new varieties, that weren't available to me back then... I'm currently using several as companion fish, they are a pretty cichlid looking fish, without a lot of the nastiness, that often comes with many cichlids... I have 2 angel fish, that can't seem to get along with other angels, and the dollars have bonded with angels, a wild caught yellow acara, that terrorizes any fish even close to similar looking ( that one took some work ), but an adult common silver dollar has become a companion that the acara at least tolerates and a few adults in with a bichir, that because of their shape, speed, and intelligence have survived, and look nice in that tank... they have been a "working class" fish here, I have the common, tiger, and spotted varieties currently, and I've decided they have enough positive traits in their own rite, that they are going to be my main stocking in the 250 gallon, when that gets set up... they have been in the hobby for a long time, yet there doesn't seem to be many that keep them... the common one in with the acara has avoided any battle scars, and actually looks really nice, as does my tiger and spotted varieties... do the dollars have any friends here???

 

[Lcc86]

I don't keep them myself as only have nano tanks but they remind me of little piranhas

 

[Magnum Man]

"plant piranha's" though mine only seem to munch plants I care about... I was particularly fond, of a blooming nana, and turns out the Dollar was too...

 

[FranciscoB]

We have been over this before….
No such thing as “common silver dollars” to refer to a single species of fish. At least 3 different species of Metynnis silver dollars are commonly in the hobby (excluding tigers which are fasciatus, and spotted which are most often either lippincotianus or maculatus), and these 3 species have been in the hobby for decades. So the term “common silver dollars” is almost devoid of any meaning.

 

[Magnum Man]

sorry, for writing genericly, I'm not very good, with scientific names, and with the "plain silver ones" there doesn't seem to be enough differences for me to pick up on the various species... perhaps if doing a large mixed shoal in a bigger tank, it will inspire me to learn to tell the differences, with them side by side, in the same tank

 

[GaryE]

One of the big problems we face as hobbyist is that often deciding which species we have is we lack information even if we research. Often, with fish like these, you should know where they're from before you can take an educated guess. They can be genetically different without wild differences in their appearances, and as far as I know, no one on the forum has a DNA lab.
We used to go with the eye test, but as we've invented the tools to look deeper, it has gotten more interesting. It's also gotten way harder.

 

[FranciscoB]

sorry, for writing genericly, I'm not very good, with scientific names, and with the "plain silver ones" there doesn't seem to be enough differences for me to pick up on the various species... perhaps if doing a large mixed shoal in a bigger tank, it will inspire me to learn to tell the differences, with them side by side, in the same tank

If you post pictures of the specimen(s) you refer to, we can suggest what species they may be, and you can refer to them in more precise terms. Although there are about 15 spp of Metynnis, many fewer are in the hobby and we can narrow it down upon seeing decent photos. Cheers!