Silver mono
Monodactylus argenteus
A silver, diamond-shaped schooling fish from mangroves that moves towards marine water as it grows; it needs a school and a large brackish tank.
Key facts
- Body length
- 6.7 in without fins
- Minimum tank
- 47 gallons
- Group
- 4+
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Care level
- 4 / 5
- Lifespan
- Not well documented
- Diet
- Flakes, pellets, frozen brine shrimp, mysis and krill
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific mangroves and estuaries
- Hardier than7%
- Bigger than80%
- Calmer than28%
Water: their range vs yours
Silver mono tank mates
- AngelfishGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Blue dolphin cichlidGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Bristlenose plecoGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Chinese algae eaterGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Clown loachGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Common plecoGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Convict cichlidGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Firemouth cichlidGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Golden mbunaGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Jewel cichlidGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Leopard sailfin plecoGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Peacock cichlidGets along in shared water.Good mates
- BettaSilver moony (mono) can eat young or small Betta; adults are big enough to be safe.Risky
- Blood parrot cichlidSilver moony (mono) outcompetes the slow-eating Blood parrot cichlid for food; target-feed to make sure it eats.Risky
- Bronze corySilver moony (mono) can eat young or small Bronze cory; adults are big enough to be safe.Risky
- DemasoniSilver moony (mono) can eat young or small Demasoni; adults are big enough to be safe.Risky
- DiscusSilver moony (mono) outcompetes the slow-eating Discus for food; target-feed to make sure it eats.Risky
- Fairy cichlidSilver moony (mono) can eat young or small Fairy cichlid (Brichardi); adults are big enough to be safe.Risky
- Neon tetraSilver moony (mono) can eat Neon tetra: prey body depth 0.7 cm ≤ mouth 3.4 cm.Avoid
- Harlequin rasboraSilver moony (mono) can eat Harlequin rasbora: prey body depth 1.1 cm ≤ mouth 3.4 cm.Avoid
- Fancy guppySilver moony (mono) can eat Fancy guppy: prey body depth 0.8 cm ≤ mouth 3.4 cm.Avoid
- Panda corydorasSilver moony (mono) can eat Panda corydoras: prey body depth 2.4 cm ≤ mouth 3.4 cm.Avoid
- OtocinclusSilver moony (mono) can eat Otocinclus: prey body depth 0.7 cm ≤ mouth 3.4 cm.Avoid
- Cherry shrimpSilver moony (mono) can eat Cherry shrimp: prey body depth 0.8 cm ≤ mouth 3.4 cm.Avoid
How we check
The numbers the tank model uses for silver monos: water as ideal and tolerated ranges, bioload from adult mass, space, flow and how they act on other species.
- Standard length
- 17 cm (TL)
- Adult mass
- 138.45 g
- Bioload at 25 °C
- 28.80 BU
- Min. water
- 151 L net
- Min. footprint
- 120 × 45 cm per group
- Group
- 4+ (best 5)
- Swims in
- middle, top
- Flow
- moderate
- Body / fins
- compressed disc, normal fins
- Diet type
- omnivore meat
- Fin nipper
- none
- Sensitive to
- —
Sources: FishBase: Monodactylus argenteus · Fishprofiles: Monodactylus argenteus · WetWebMedia: Monos
Care notes
Silver monos live in bays, mangrove estuaries and lower rivers of the Indo-Pacific, and only the young enter fresh water. They are fast, greedy fish that grow to about 6.5 inches in aquariums.
Keep a school of four or more in a 40-gallon tank at the very least, moving them to brackish and usually marine water as they mature. In cramped tanks they quarrel among themselves, and small fish may be eaten.
Questions
What size tank does a silver mono need?
At least 47 gallons (151 litres of water after decor). Adults reach about 6.7 inches without fins.
How many silver monos should be kept together?
Keep at least 4, ideally 5 or more: fewer feel exposed and hide or turn nippy.
What water do silver monos need?
75–82 °F, pH 7.5–8.5 and 0–0 dGH. Silver monos come from Indo-Pacific mangroves and estuaries.
How long do silver monos live?
Not well documented with good care.
What fish can live with silver monos?
Good tank mates include Angelfish, Blue dolphin cichlid, Bristlenose pleco, Chinese algae eater and Clown loach. Each is checked both ways for size, fin nipping, temperament, territory and shared water.