Product Details

Blackberry Silver Dollar – Myloplus schomburgkii

The Blackberry Silver Dollar is a rare and impressive large South American characin with a deep silver body, dark vertical barring and bold mature colour. Correctly listed as Myloplus schomburgkii, but still commonly sold as Myleus schomburgkii, this is a powerful shoaling fish for very large aquariums. It is usually peaceful with suitably sized tank mates, but it grows large, eats many soft plants and should be treated as a specialist big-fish species rather than a standard community tetra.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Blackberry Silver Dollar
Other Names: Black-Barred Myleus, Black Bar Silver Dollar, Black-Banded Silver Dollar, Disk Tetra, Black-Eared Pacu, Blackberry Myleus
Scientific Name: Myloplus schomburgkii
Older / Trade Name: Myleus schomburgkii
Fish Type: Large Characin / Serrasalmid
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Myloplus schomburgkii is native to South America, with records from major Amazon and Orinoco basin systems. It is associated with large rivers, floodplain habitats and areas where shoals can move through open water while feeding on plant matter, fruits, seeds and other natural foods.

In the aquarium, Blackberry Silver Dollars need a spacious, mature setup with strong filtration, open swimming space and secure décor. They are active shoaling fish and should not be kept in cramped or lightly filtered aquariums.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Blackberry Silver Dollars have a rounded, laterally compressed body typical of large silver dollar relatives. The body is usually bright silver to metallic grey, with a strong dark vertical bar or broad black body marking. Mature fish may show red, orange, blue, purple or blackberry-toned highlights depending on strain, sex, maturity, mood and lighting.

Adults can reach around 35–40 cm or more, with FishBase recording the species to 42 cm SL. Juveniles are often sold much smaller, but they must be planned as large adult fish from the start.

Aquarium Suitability:

This species is suitable only for large aquariums, monster community displays and specialist South American setups. It is best kept by aquarists who can provide long-term swimming space, a proper shoal, strong filtration and a plant-heavy diet.

Blackberry Silver Dollars are not suitable for small community aquariums, planted aquascapes containing delicate soft plants, nano fish tanks, lightly filtered aquariums or tanks with timid fish that may be stressed by fast-moving shoals.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum for juveniles is 450 litres, with a tank length of at least 150 cm. Adult groups should ideally be kept in 700 litres or more, with a tank length of 180–200 cm+ strongly recommended.

This is a shoaling fish and should be kept in a group of 5 or more where space allows. Larger groups are more natural and confident, but require a very large aquarium and excellent filtration.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Hardness: Soft to moderately hard
Additional Notes: Maintain stable, clean, well-oxygenated water with strong biological filtration. Large silver dollars are active feeders and can produce a heavy waste load, so regular water changes are essential. Avoid sudden water-chemistry changes and poor nitrate control.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Semi-Aggressive

Blackberry Silver Dollars are usually peaceful for their size, but they are large, fast and powerful. They may eat very small fish and can intimidate shy species through constant movement. Suitable tank mates include larger peaceful cichlids, larger characins, robust catfish, large peaceful plecs, medium to large rainbowfish in compatible conditions and other similarly sized South American fish.

Avoid tiny tetras, guppies, shrimp, slow delicate fish, very long-finned species, aggressive fin-biters and highly territorial fish that may injure them. Their strong teeth mean they should be handled with care and not encouraged to bite fingers, bags or nets.

Feeding:

Blackberry Silver Dollars are primarily herbivorous to omnivorous and need a vegetable-rich diet. Offer spirulina flakes, herbivore pellets, algae wafers, high-quality floating sticks, softened leafy greens, courgette, cucumber, peas, spinach, romaine lettuce and other safe vegetable foods.

They will also accept frozen and prepared foods such as brineshrimp, bloodworm, mysis and small meaty items, but these should be supplementary rather than the main diet. A plant-heavy diet helps support long-term health and reduces excessive attention on aquarium plants.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This is an active shoaling fish that spends much of its time moving through open water. When settled, a group of Blackberry Silver Dollars creates an impressive display, especially as mature fish develop stronger body bars and coloured fin or flank tones.

They can be nervous if kept singly, in small numbers or in exposed aquariums. Sudden movement outside the tank may cause fast dashing, so provide a secure lid, open swimming space and a calm aquarium location.

Care Notes:

Add Blackberry Silver Dollars only to a mature, fully cycled aquarium with strong filtration and plenty of swimming room. Secure heaters, pipework and décor, as large active fish can knock loose equipment. Robust hardscape and tough plants such as Anubias or Java fern may survive better than soft-leaved plants, but even tough plants may be sampled.

Because “Blackberry Silver Dollar” is a trade name and may refer to especially dark or selectively line-bred stock, colour and pattern can vary between suppliers. List with Myloplus schomburgkii for current taxonomy and include Myleus schomburgkii for customer search.

Recommended For:

Experienced

Availability:

Occasional / Specialist import

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, black bar width, blackberry tone, silver sheen, fin colour, sex, age and markings can occur between individual fish.