What is a "Dither"

It can have a couple of different meanings depending on your point of view. Some would say dither fish are there to make your "prize" fish more comfortable because it see's the dithers and becomes more relaxed. Dithers can also accentuate the "prize" fish in question by creating contrasting colours or size. Thirdly I'd say dithers are also used as targets for aggressive fish, to spread out aggression or draw it away from another fish.

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Dithers=targets, usually smaller and faster than your main fish in your tank if your fish are aggressive, that way if you have aggressive cichlid s or whatnot it gives them something to chase instead of each other, or if you have large fish that aren't the most active, they add some liveliness to the tank

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dither_fish

for example i put some giant danios in with my blood parrots to make them less skitish

targets are fish to draw aggression away from other fish in tank and spread it out

Dithers are fish used to make shy/nervous fish more comfortable and outgoing in the tank. A term that has been used for decades in the aquatic trade.

This article is from 1979. http://www.cichlidae.com/article.php?id=42

Target fish are not the same as dithers. Target fish are used to assist in pair bonding between male and female fish, and to give both male/female fish a release from their aggression towards each other. Both terms and their definitions are thoroughly explained in detail in the link posted above.


HTH

Dither fish are usually an active, schooling species that by their continual movement, will promote a sense of security and well-being to the other tank inhabitants. They do not represent a threat to them. They are rarely, if ever in the same family or genus (Ex. Silver Dollars as dithers for Uaru, say). Target fish are added to provide a perceived threat to the other fish. Their presence will strengthen pair bonds and result in increased spawning activity (Ex A Green Terror in with my pair of Hoplarchus psittacus). They have to be recognized as a potential threat so a cichlid would require a cichlid target. The targets could be younger, subdominant fish of the same species, or heterospecifics. The closer the heterospecific is in color , behavior, and size and shape, the more the fish will react to them.

Fish that can take a lickin and keep on tickin.

dmopar74 said:

Fish that can take a lickin and keep on tickin.

Click to expand...

not necessarliy