Black Berry Dollar - 3 inch

Black Berry Dollar, often associated with the Blackberry Silver Dollar line of Myleus schomburgkii, is a rare and striking freshwater fish known for its bold dark sheen, rounded body shape, and fast open-water swimming style. At around 3 inches, this juvenile specimen already shows the attractive blackberry-toned coloration that makes it stand out in large display aquariums. It is best suited for hobbyists who keep spacious tanks and enjoy active schooling fish with a premium, uncommon look.

This fish combines the classic silver dollar body form with richer, darker contrast and a more exotic visual appeal. Because it is energetic and grows into a sizeable fish, it performs best in well-filtered aquariums with stable water quality, strong swimming space, and compatible tank mates that can handle its speed and feeding enthusiasm.

Key Features

• Appearance: Deep-bodied, disc-shaped silver dollar type fish with a dark blackberry-like tone and reflective highlights that become more attractive as the fish matures.
• Size: Supplied at approximately 3 inches, making it a good juvenile size for grow-out in a spacious aquarium.
• Colors: Dark metallic body tones with blackish shading and subtle silver reflection depending on lighting, diet, and overall condition.
• Lifespan: With proper care, stable water, and a quality diet, silver dollar types can live for many years in large home aquariums.
• Temperament: Generally peaceful to semi-active, but fast-moving and best kept with similarly robust tank mates rather than tiny, delicate fish.
• Water Type: Freshwater species suitable for tropical aquariums with good oxygenation and efficient filtration.

Care Requirements

• Tank Size: A large aquarium is strongly recommended, ideally 250 litres or more for a group, as silver dollar types are schooling fish and need horizontal swimming room.
• Water Parameters: Maintain temperature around 24-28°C with pH roughly 6.5-7.5. Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrates low through regular water changes.
• Diet: Offer a varied omnivorous diet including quality pellets, vegetable matter, spirulina-based foods, blanched greens, and occasional protein-rich treats.
• Tank Mates: Suitable with larger peaceful to moderately active fish such as severums, larger barbs, peaceful catfish, and other compatible medium to large community species.
• Schooling Need: This fish is more confident and natural in behaviour when kept in a small group rather than singly, provided the tank is large enough.
• Aquascape Tips: Use open swimming areas with sturdy décor around the edges. Softer or delicate plants may be nibbled, so choose hardscape and hardy setups when possible.
• Care Level: Best for intermediate aquarists because of its adult size, need for space, and requirement for stable water quality.

For best colour and activity, acclimate the fish slowly, avoid overcrowding, and provide a strong filtration system with regular maintenance. Black Berry Dollar is an excellent choice for aquarists looking for a rare exotic display fish that brings movement, contrast, and premium appeal to a large freshwater aquarium.