Favorite dithers

[Quo Vadis]

I am interested in what everyone's favorite dithers are - I am looking for dithers for three different tanks. My personal favorite are some smaller barbs (checker, cherry, odessa), harlequin rasboras, glowlight tetras, and white clouds, but all these are too small, I think, for my needs.

#1 Non aggressive feeding dither (i.e. no danios or rainbows) that gets at least 2-3 inches (big enough to avoid being eaten by 12-15in ropefish)
#2 Dither/target fish big and tough enough to avoid being picked on by acaras, firemouth, sajica, or eaten by them or pictus catfish. Also prefer this dither to be one that swims more toward the top, because the tank is 32" tall.
#3 Dither/target fish that is big enough to avoid being eaten by Oscars, small P-bass species, arowana, Parachromis, Petenia Splendida. (I don't know if there are really any option other than bigger SD species or tinfoil barbs?)

And last question - Have you ever had a dither that you considered to have a real personality? Most seem pretty mindless to me (compared to cichlids, some oddballs, catfish, loaches, etc.), but I am curious if anyone has owned a dither that has more personality.

 

[Montelboom]

For #1 you could try a mixed school of gold and cherry barbs since they'll fit the bill nicely

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[Quo Vadis]

I have some cherry barbs already in another tank, that I was planning on returning for store credit because I thought they might get eaten, but I was wondering if they might be ok. Most people say Ropefish don't eat that big of fish...

 

[PDRed302]

For number 2 -

I am a big fan of denison barbs, I have some in my ca/sa cichlid tank and they seem to get along just fine.

As for 3 -

You have already mentioned it but I really dig my spotted SD's, although they do sometimes startle and scatter, they are a fun group to watch.

 

[jclyde13]

I love bala sharks. They're just annoying and jumpy when they're young (until they reach about 6" or so), but a school of 9"+ balas is an impressive addition to any large aquarium, and they're very robust. I really wish I still had mine... in fact, I will probably end up growing out another group of them for my 225, eventually. My largest was around 10", and I want to say it took about 2 years to get there.

 

[everlastace]

1 and 2 would both be Buenos Aires tetras.

For #3, I vote SD as well. I have a small school of spotted SD, I'd love to get my hands on some striped sd.


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[ocellatus]

My favourite are Apollo sharks. Good size, great fins, tough, great speed.

O

 

[Quo Vadis]

I love bala sharks. They're just annoying and jumpy when they're young (until they reach about 6" or so), but a school of 9"+ balas is an impressive addition to any large aquarium, and they're very robust. I really wish I still had mine... in fact, I will probably end up growing out another group of them for my 225, eventually. My largest was around 10", and I want to say it took about 2 years to get there.

Hmmm, I am not a huge fan of SDs, hence my interest in other big dithers - do you think they would be ok for #3?

 

[james99]

There's a few large barb species that would work, both filament and mascera barbs get 5"+. I just got luckyvand finally found filament barbs after looking for awhile.

 

[divemaster99]

I use Redside Dace as dithers in one of my many native tanks and they're very personable, come up to the glass and beg not to mention they have huge mouths for dace, when I first collected them I thought they were salmon fingerlings because of the mouth, some even develop a small Kype! But then those are natives which I wouldn't mix with any of your setups, most other dithers I have aren't very friendly.