Mid water dithers?

[CTU2fan]

Festivums I've kept seemed to hang out in roughly the top 40% of the tank which is cool with other cichlids that seem to hang out a bit deeper.

If you're thinking smallish dithers like tiger barbs I think I'd lean toward some larger tetras like blackskirts or even serpaes. They won't be as nippy as the barbs but depending on what else you're stocking they might well get picked off.

Agreed re: rainbows though, that would be cool.

 

[Muske]

Discus seem like an expensive dither....

 

[Umbra]

I know some people might try and skin me for this... but I'd recommend exodons! I've used them as dithers with a plethora of different cichlids from severums to salvinis/aggressive africans, and they tend to squabble amongst themselves instead of bothering the cichlids. If they get too close, they get chased away. They tend to stay away from bigger fish as well. At first I was worried about them nipping fins/scales and whatnot, but they only things they've bothered were some assorted mid-sized barbs I used to use as dithers (and now the barbs school and squabble with them - go figure) and some cichlids smaller than they were. The cichlids didn't hesitate to show them who's who though, and now everything is peaceful in all my tanks.

 

[thefishguy7]

I've done schools of tetras. Congo's would look great. A few get eaten? Who cares? A school of 15 will have hundreds of offspring every month.
Bosami's are nice too though...