help with dither fish

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
actually none of my fish really hide much at all. they all have their certain areas in the tank where they will go from time to time but generally they don't hide. As i said dithers were just something that i was interested in. i realize that anything small will end up a snack in time, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for the thoughts and opinions. its def not a need to have, just wanted to know what ppl think about dithers for big cichlids.

rrcoolj - i have read and heard that ebjd can be fragile and don't get as big or usually as aggressive as normal jacks. at the moment it is by far the biggest in the tank and the boss of the tank, no one messes with it and it usually breaks up any aggression the others show towards each other lol
 
He may be the boss now but as your fish get older especially the tex and the GT that could change very fast and it only takes a second for a fish to get torn to shreds. I am not saying it won't work for sure but just watch them carefully and be prepared to move him when things get rough.
 
Dither fish are to help coax shy and timid fish into coming out into the open more. Target fish are a shoal of fish that help disperse aggression. I think you're wanting targets. They'll really help keep your cichlids from killing each other....as much.
 
rrcoolj - the ebjd is def my baby, i got him at just over an inch so i keep a close eye on him. thanks for looking out tho, it wasn't until i started reading threads on here that i realized how different they are than normal jacks

rich_one - i like rainbows too, just don't like the price of them lol
 
i didn't know there really was a difference in dither fish and target fish. i always thought they were the same thing just called different things depending on who u asked lol i love this place, learn something new everyday
 
horrifier said:
i didn't know there really was a difference in dither fish and target fish. i always thought they were the same thing just called different things depending on who u asked lol i love this place, learn something new everyday
Click to expand...

Most definetly. In my tank, I have zebra danios as dithers for my breeding cons, but they wouldn't work as targets; they are too fragile, and wouldn't hold up against the con onslaught. I have a CAE and rainbow shark to keep them occupied, so they won't have time to turn on each other.
 
well thats def good to know. i don't really need dithers or target fish since my fish don't really show much aggression and don't hide. i think i will just hold off until i get my big tank then maybe i will go with a school of something
 
I'm using Albino Tiger Barbs right now for fish that are in the same size range as yours. They add movement and color to the tank and they are working great as a dither/target fish. My JD enjoys chasing them around instead of the smaller GT - which is great.

I know that they will more then likely become a snack once my fish put on some size but for the time being they are working out well.
 
aqualoon - my better half wanted me to get some tiger barbs, and i have seen them a lot in cichlid tanks, but they just seem so small
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom