As a member of the family Characidae, the Myleus schomburgkii is essentially a giant South American tetra. Native to Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela, this fish inhabits fast-moving river basins along the Amazon; sharing its native environment with its close relatives the piranha and the red hooks (Myloplus), also Characids.
Although there are a variety of fish and color morphs that fall under the generic term “Silver Dollar,” the Blackberry Silver Dollar is our favorite here at Dan’s Fish. This fish is a variant of the more commonly available Black Barred Silver Dollar (Myleus schomburgkii) which is the only species in the genus with vertical barring on the body. In the case of the Blackberry color morph, those bars have been selectively bred to increase in size until they covered almost the entire body of the fish giving it it’s unique coloration. The specific Blackberry Silver Dollars we currently have at Dan’s fish also have a bright orange anal fin. An additional feature, which is seldom captured in pictures and videos, is the bright silver flecks of “glitter” that run along the upper section of the body which begin directly behind the head and run beneath the dorsal fin. These fish truly are stunning!
Myleus schomburgkii are large for a dither fish. Some of the literature states that they top out at about 4.5,” but Ohio Fish Rescue has a video where they show some Black Barred Silver Dollars which are 15” plus in size. Those fish are over 15 years old and are not the Blackberry morph, but it does appear these can get quite large with time. While they get rather large, they have proportionally small mouths for a fish of their size and so can be housed with much smaller fish. If you’re looking to put together a large Amazon themed tank, these are worth consideration.
These fish have a reputation for being shy, but here at Dan’s Fish, we keep them in bare aquariums and don’t find them to be the least bit shy after they settle in. They regularly come up to the glass to beg for food when we walk by. These are schooling fish and we attribute their comfort with the fact that we are keeping them in a group. Also, they share the tank with Electric Blue Acara and some Brycinus longipinnis which help them feel comfortable. If your fish have trouble settling in, some attention to hardscape might be in order. For example, if a large piece of driftwood is placed so it reaches across the upper levels of the water column, these fish will happily group together beneath the driftwood where they will feel secure, but remain in plain sight for the aquarist to enjoy.
Warning: these fish eat plants! Don’t place them in your painstakingly planted aquarium or the result will be fat happy fish and a bare tank. While these fish eat plants, they are not picky and are also happy to eat just about anything else as well. Here at Dan’s Fish, the bulk of their diet contains vegetable matter: spirulina flakes, algae wafers, zucchini, Repashy, raspberries, apples, and other fruits and veggies are regularly offered. In addition, various flake and pellet foods, as well as the occasional live or frozen treat, are rotated in. These are fast swimming fish and voracious eaters. Be conscious of their tankmates and ensure everyone in the tank is getting enough food, because these pigs will eat everything they can get their fins on.
