MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT DITHERS

[Hybridfish7]

I just fried my brain trying to see how these things would work and what I'm going to do...
So my initial plan was to get a 20 gallon tank with a marbled honduran red point and some tetras. As for the tetras, I was thinking about getting either Columbian blue and red tetras or long fin serpae tetras. Then I got some platies for my planted tank, and immediately got attached to them, and thought they'd be nice dithers, adding color to the tank.
So here are my questions, they go from relevant questions to just questions I have.
1. Can serpae tetras live or even school with Columbian tetras?
2. Should I go with the combination of marigold and blue wag platies or tiger and blue spotted platies if I go with platies as dithers?
3. Would platies or tetras be better dithers?
4. Can platies live with normal convicts?
5. Would a pair of hrp's be better?

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hello,
1. Yes they can live together, wont school together tightly but most tetras will swim together a bit. But in a 20 gallon I have found actual schooling activity is reduced, which might be because the fish are always close together anyway and don't feel the need to stick in a school. Just my guess.
2. I'd say get whichever you like best
3. My vote would be platies because they are geographically correct. Or swordtails.
4. Depends on the convict, some will be fine some might kill them.
5. I have found HRP's to be slightly less aggressive but only slightly. But yes I would say better chance with the HRPs. Nanoluteus would be even better for a 20 in my opinion.

 

[Ogertron3000]

Don't worry yourself about it too much, they are all suitable it should come down to what you like best.
I will try to answer your questions based on my experience, keep in mind I'm not an expert!

1. They can live together but won't shoal. Personally I think one school of a single type of fish looks better than two.
2. Pick whichever platie you think will look best.
3. I prefer tetras but it wouldn't make too much difference I imagine. Possibly if you want a biotope platies may be more correct. Someone will be able to give more details on biotope suitability I think.
4. They can but need a decent size tank or they will get beaten up a lot.
5. I'm not too familiar with this fish but if they breed like convicts you will end up with hundreds of them if you get a pair!

let us know what you choose to go with.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Thanks for the response, and

5. I have found HRP's to be slightly less aggressive but only slightly. But yes I would say better chance with the HRPs. Nanoluteus would be even better for a 20 in my opinion.

My plan was to get one or two of Jeff Rapps' marbled honduran red points.

But in a 20 gallon I have found actual schooling activity is reduced, which might be because the fish are always close together anyway and don't feel the need to stick in a school. Just my guess.

I have a ten gallon with a small acara and some red eye tetras as dithers (I know they get big I'll rehome them when they get near 3 inches) and they seem to school pretty well, they're all still about an inch or less.

 

[Hybridfish7]

5. I'm not too familiar with this fish but if they breed like convicts you will end up with hundreds of them if you get a pair!

that's one of the things I like about hrps, (or rather I like the opposite) they're known for having very small spawns (40 to 50 average)

 

[Hybridfish7]

Also, (if anyone knows) can an hrp breed with a convict? I mean they're pretty closely related... Problem is one is no aggressive... If it's a male hrp and a female convict would that work? Only problem with that is that male hrp's are just as big as (or a little bigger than) female convicts, male hrp's maxing out at 4 inches, female convicts also getting about 3-4 inches.

 

[duanes]

They can hybridize, but whether that is a good idea might be the ultimate question, adding more unidentifiable mutts to an already muted up group?
In my opinion, it is not, unless you use the fry as feeders.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Thanks for the response, and

My plan was to get one or two of Jeff Rapps' marbled honduran red points.

I have a ten gallon with a small acara and some red eye tetras as dithers (I know they get big I'll rehome them when they get near 3 inches) and they seem to school pretty well, they're all still about an inch or less.

i think the presence of the acara is key to the schooling activity. ive found that tetras school much closer and more actively when there is a predator in the vicinity. trick is finding the one that will chase them but not actually kill them. your red points should work well i think.

 

[Hybridfish7]

i think the presence of the acara is key to the schooling activity. ive found that tetras school much closer and more actively when there is a predator in the vicinity. trick is finding the one that will chase them but not actually kill them. your red points should work well i think.

Oh yeah she chases them, doesn't really nip at them, she just chases them off so she can eat. (say there's food on the ground and the tetras are eating- she'll charge at the nearest tetra to get it away from 'her' food.)

 

[J. H.]

They can hybridize, but whether that is a good idea might be the ultimate question, adding more unidentifiable mutts to an already muted up group?
In my opinion, it is not, unless you use the fry as feeders.

I thought all convicts already were mutts. (besides for ones you buy from Rapps or whatever)

Platies will never school, and if you mix two strains in the same tank, the hybrid babies usually won't look like the parents.