Need advice on dithers

[Mythic Figment]

Geographically correct dithers for carpintus might be Astyanax tetras, Xiphophorus swordtaills, Poecillia mollies and some other Mexican livebearers.
All would need to be large enough, and/or fast enough, I have seen Astyanax as large as 4", and mollies even larger in Mexico.

Duanes you continue to impress me with your complete knowledge of all the species in and around cichlids from different regions. Unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue how to identify any of these. LOL

Giant danios, any big bodied tetra - lemons, red & blue columbians etc. Also most barbs would work - tigers, rosys etc. My LFS runs monthly 99 cent specials of fish they have a large stock on, typically they'll be fish good for use as dithers.

Silver dollars get too big for any of the tanks you mentioned - they would be crashing into the glass nonstop. Also, I don't like to use SDs if I'm growing out juvies. They are far too active feeders & food hogs, makes it hard for young fish to get stuffed.

I know barbs are often super hardy, but do you think they will be calm enough with the cichlids not to be nippy if I put them in with the carpintis and salvini?

I might go with the lemon tetra idea for the rivulatus and stalsbergi. I've always wanted some lemons and I think the two Andinoacaras will be calm enough that I won't have too much to worry about unless I draw the short straw and end up with some psychos.

If you actually have pairs you won't really need dithers as much as targets if you have a hyper aggro fish.

Targets will eat the fry too, something to consider. We had danios in with the Rivulatus for awhile. Now they are alone in a 90.

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I'm honestly not sure what (if any) pairs I might try to keep. I am going to try to keep at least one pair in the 75 long term (probably the carpintis). Any dithers that could survive in a 4' tank with mean parents? LOL




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[the animal guy]

Real fish keepers dont torture one fish everyday to make another one shine..

 

[duanes]

The fish in the pic are Astyanax tetras, and some type of live bearer.
There were giant schools, and snorkeling among them was amazing, and irritating.
The tetras are so bold they'd chew on my ears and neck, and the bites were sharp like biting flies.
I'm going to post a video soon as I finish editing with schools of Astyanax, and Parachromis freidrichsthalii. The water was very turbid from rain, and not as easy to watch as I'd like.
A friend has a school of Astyanax with Geos, and it's great looking tank.

Duanes you continue to impress me with your complete knowledge of all the species in and around cichlids from different regions. Unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue how to identify any of these. LOL

 

[Mythic Figment]

Real fish keepers dont torture one fish everyday to make another one shine..

I can only assume you are talking about target fish. There are responsible ways of doing it that doesn't result in either the "torture" or death of the target fish. And considering you don't know me or the methods by which I keep my fish, it's a little brash of you to say that I'm not a "real" fish keeper for considering target fish. The purpose of a target cichlid isn't to give the pair something to bully and kill, but to defend against. The target fish should be the species on the offensive, not the other way around.


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[Mythic Figment]

The fish in the pic are Astyanax tetras, and some type of live bearer.
There were giant schools, and snorkeling among them was amazing, and irritating.
The tetras are so bold they'd chew on my ears and neck, and the bites were sharp like biting flies.
I'm going to post a video soon as I finish editing with schools of Astyanax, and Parachromis freidrichsthalii. The water was very turbid from rain, and not as easy to watch as I'd like.
A friend has a school of Astyanax with Geos, and it's great looking tank.

Duanes you continue to impress me with your complete knowledge of all the species in and around cichlids from different regions. Unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue how to identify any of these. LOL

Sweet. I look forward to seeing it.

That is interesting that they would be so bold in such large numbers as to attack you.


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[cichlidfish]

I have astyanax bimaculatus. They are about 4-6" right now. Just like Everyone mentioned they are very bold. They will take food from your hands and nip at large CA cichlids. They also destroyed HRP fry easily. The parents didn't have a chance.
Here is one. They are fast and do need swimming space since they are so active. It's hard to get pics!




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[cichlidfish]

The fish in the pic are Astyanax tetras, and some type of live bearer.
There were giant schools, and snorkeling among them was amazing, and irritating.
The tetras are so bold they'd chew on my ears and neck, and the bites were sharp like biting flies.
I'm going to post a video soon as I finish editing with schools of Astyanax, and Parachromis freidrichsthalii. The water was very turbid from rain, and not as easy to watch as I'd like.
A friend has a school of Astyanax with Geos, and it's great looking tank.

Duanes you continue to impress me with your complete knowledge of all the species in and around cichlids from different regions. Unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue how to identify any of these. LOL

Those biting ones must have been the A. Mexicanus which maybe the most aggressive and one of the largest astyanax sp. ever see their teeth? They are very piranha like. They are found through Texas and Mexico.


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[Quo Vadis]

If you don't care about it being geographically correct, look into some of the bigger Rainbowfish. They are very underated as dithers for cichlids in IMO. They are beautiful, very, very fast, probably could escape most cichlids, and very bold. I have a lone turquoise rainbow leftover from a heater malfunction that killed his friends and now he is in with my CA cichlids and sunfish. He thinks they are his school and swims around randomly chasing/nipping at them and then darting away. It keeps the cichlids on thier toes, er, fins, and seems to disperse cichlid-on-cichlid aggression. He (the rainbow) also tries to court certain smaller cichlids. I think I need to get him some more pals...

 

[Mythic Figment]

Lots of good options so far guys. Thanks. I'm definitely interested in the tetras. Know of any common species of Astyanax that good LFSs might carry regularly for cheap?

Barbs are an interesting idea because their speed and aggression makes them fairly well suited to some of the more aggressive cichlids. I would only worry they would be too nippy on the cichlids.

Mollies are an intrequing idea, but I'd worry they would be too slow and get beat to death. Plus I've heard livebearers spawning will drive a lot of cichlids crazy with chasing down food.

Rainbows are beautiful, but I'm afraid thy are too expensive. It would suck to buy a bunch at $7+ each only to see them end up as treats.


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[cichlidfish]

Lots of good options so far guys. Thanks. I'm definitely interested in the tetras. Know of any common species of Astyanax that good LFSs might carry regularly for cheap?

Barbs are an interesting idea because their speed and aggression makes them fairly well suited to some of the more aggressive cichlids. I would only worry they would be too nippy on the cichlids.

Mollies are an intrequing idea, but I'd worry they would be too slow and get beat to death. Plus I've heard livebearers spawning will drive a lot of cichlids crazy with chasing down food.

Rainbows are beautiful, but I'm afraid thy are too expensive. It would suck to buy a bunch at $7+ each only to see them end up as treats.


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Jeff Rapps has astyanax aureus I believe. They are gorgeous. I wish I had the space because I would love them. They are very common throughout CA including Costa Rica and Nicaragua.


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