convicts with my aggressives as dithers?

[robynsfish]

i have 6 baby convitcs that i'm growing out.. would they do well as a group with my large fish, once they are @3 inches and too large to eat? the convicts are around an inch, inch and a half, and already tormenting my figure 8 puffer, who is normally a little s.o.b. i'v got a 40 breeder for the cons if it won't work out just in case, but has anyone tried it?i have a 7-8 in fh, a 6-7in texas, a 4in jack dempsey, and a 4-5 in red oscar..
the only really aggressive fish in the tank is the texas, and thats because he's trying to convince the flowerhorn to breed. he mainly chases everyone away from the "love nest" i'v got about a dozen 1 1/2 inch red swordtails in with the larger fish, and they get left alone pretty much, except for the oscar taking the occasional snack.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

I dont think convicts are good dithers. Plus if they decide to mate, it may cause turmoil in your tank.

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

chances are convicts will "fit in" into the cichlid hierarchy of the tank rather than be dithers to keep other fish entertained or comfortable

 

[robynsfish]

so they should work in the tank? like i said, i have a back up tank just in case they get beaten up, or THEY'RE too aggressive, or they decide to breed..i thought dithers were any fish that helped to distract the aggression and attention of the larger fish.. my mistake

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

they could easily live with the jd and texas in general, the fh might kill them, and some of the others as you know

 

[robynsfish]

the flowerhorn is actually my mellowest fish in the tank, he grew out in a tank full of african cichlids ( i admit, he was an impulse buy) and only moved out because he outgrew the tank...followed by the oscar, then the dempsey, then the texas as the most aggressive. i think i'll wait till the cons are at least 3 inches, and try it out..as long as no one eats my pink con, i'll be happy.

 

[LobstersGoPeenchPeench]

i used firemouths as dithers because yes i too thought that dithers were to just give the prize fish something to chase around... which it would work because instead of my pike beating up on my managuense and my oscar it would chase them around and leave the oscar and jag alone.... also they would sit by my oscar at feeding time and eat all of his excess food he would spit out. it worked good for a while until the pike choked to death on 2 rosies and then the hierarchy went to chaotic and there was a battle for the alpha fish between the oscar and the larger of the 2 jag's. might i add at the time the fish were all smaller than 3 inchs

 

[Pyramid_Party]

It could work, but like someone said, convicts might just fit into the tank and not really be dithers at all. Plus convicts are not that fast.