Using small cichlids as dithers

[Quo Vadis]

I am working on my 700g build currently, and have a lot of cool fish as tiny juveniles growing out, to be ready to go in when it is done. It will be mostly large cichlids, like Oscars, Severums, a couple P-bass, synspila, pearsei, loiselle, GT, petenia spelndida, etc., as well as a giraffe catfish, clown loaches, fire eel, and possibly a black arowana. Most these fish are currently between 1-2 inches, but will hopefully all be around the 6 inch range when they get moved to their new tank. My inquiry concerns dithers. I don't like any of the typical large dithers, such as SDs or tinfoil barbs, and as a result have no desire to waste my bioload space on a fish I don't care for. Are there any lesser known ones I am missing?

Because if not, I have been considering using smallish cichlids as dithers. Specifically convicts. My LFS uses them as feeders so I could get them really cheap, but I actually really like the one convict I currently have. She is a beauty. If I waited til my main show fish were settled in, and in the 6-12in range before introducing a bunch of convicts could this work? I know as full grown adults there will be some fish who could eat a 6 inch fish, but my thinking is that because convicts are prolific, if I gave them cover and a head start (before other fish were big enough to eat them) they may be able to reproduce themselves, as well as provide a little extra food here or there. Thoughts?

 

[that_fish_Guy]

Might work but in the end either your fish will be passive towards the convicts and you will have tons and tons and won't have anything to do with them, or your fish will be agressive towards the convicts and you won't have any left in the end.

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[FriedFlowerHornFillet]

^+100
perhaps giant danios? They stay up at the top and school well. They're pretty good at avoiding predators if you get a lot of them.

 

[ehh]

the purpose of dithers is to get shy fish out and about, not sure why would want dithers in a community tank like that? any dithers you add will be eaten by the pbass eventually.

id say just skip on dithers and enjoy your current stock.

 

[Jc1119]

I think you are talking about "targets" as opposed to "dithers". Unless you have a lot of shy fish.

I use small cichlids quite often as targets for pairs, but I'd be very careful about mixing convicts and other smaller crypts with certain species. Our cutteri keep our 13" trimac and his 11" female at bay when they spawn. Convicts can be just as aggressive and lighting quick...


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[swifty]

It's possible. I've heard of people keeping convicts with large fish like flowerhorns and jaguars. They are small enough to not be a threat to the bigger fish, but tough enough to handle any aggression without getting stressed to death. You just have to make sure they are all the same sex, males preferrably. Females I've read will still lay eggs and do the whole pairing up thing.

My 2" female con is a feisty one. She will occasionally chase my 5.5" JD, wont back down from my 4" FM or my other 3.5" JD, and bullies the hell out of my silver dollars, which range from 2 inches all the way up to 6. I'm removing her soon and hoping to replace with a more laid back male.