# Dithers for convicts?



## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

I was thinking about buying some dither fish, just to make my startled convicts a bit more comfortable. Ever since I put the tape measure up to the glass, my convicts are frightened of me. I have 2 zebra danios as dithers currently, but they only stay at the top of the aquarium, and pose zero threat to my convicts, nor distract them. I was thinking of going with tiger barbs, as they worked magnificently to bring my firemouth out of hiding. But with their feeding frenzy mentality, they might pick off some of the fry, and I want to save them to donate to a chain store.

Good article:
http://mikejacobs.50megs.com/DitherFish.html

Should I purchase dithers for my cons? What type of fish?


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I've used pristella (aka x-ray tetras) tetras with my HRP with some success, tiger barbs work well, bloodfin tetras are good, columbian tetras are a good species too, congo tetras, buenos aires tetras (though they get a bit big)...

What tank are the cons in again?


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

The cons are in a 20. If I buy dithers, I am going to remove my rainbow shark and zebra danios and put them in another tank.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

I'm thinking about taking my 5 tiger barbs out of my 20 long and putting them with my breeding cons in my 20. I will put the two danios in there, I really haven't decided what to do with the rainbow shark.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

20 long or 20 high?

The bloodfins would work well in a 20 long, but the tiger barbs, columbians, buenos aires, and congos get too big for a 20 long.

My thoughts...

Bloodfins
Black Phantom Tetra
Serpae tetra?


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## justin3p0 (Apr 5, 2010)

tiger barbs will smash on your fry


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> 20 long or 20 high?
> 
> The bloodfins would work well in a 20 long, but the tiger barbs, columbians, buenos aires, and congos get too big for a 20 long.
> 
> ...


I have them in a regular 20. It's small enough as it is, so I probably won't be adding anything. Thanks for your help Chubbs!


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

justin3p0 said:


> tiger barbs will smash on your fry


Yea when it comes to feeding time, tiger barbs have no fear. I don't know if the parents will be able to fend off 5 of them.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Personally then I'd just leave the zebra danios, maybe add 3 more and call it a day


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

The zebras aren't doing anything. Eventually, they'll end up being a meal to the convicts. I think I won't feed them a bit, then they'll swim around the front of the tank and beg for food when they see me.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

haha good plan


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Well I sat down in front of my tank and snapped a few pics of my breeding cons:









I put a small cichlid stone in that the female can fit into and the male canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t, just in case. Plus I added a terracotta pot.









I know my photo skills arenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t the best, but my male con is Ã¢â‚¬Å"blushingÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Well this morning, my convict pair was going at it pretty heavily. It looked as if my male was trying to coerce the female into breeding again, and she clearly didn't want to. They were separated, with fry on both sides. So, I desperately didn't want something unfortunate to take place, as my male is probably twice the size of the female. So I netted him out and placed him in my other 20 with 3 of his children from their first spawn. My female is alone in a 20 with her fry.

Last night I was performing tank maintenance, and the fry were scattered all over the tank. When I got close to the fry, my female bit me, twice! My male just stared at my hand, and backed up slowly. Even when I followed him _trying_ to get him to react, he would just turn all grey and do nothing. For her small size, she sure packs a wallop!


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Yeah, they pack a pretty big wallop - my male con bit my knuckle, held on, and whipped his body around while I was trying to install my powerhead... Pretty crazy right?!


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

So, my cons kill all their dithers. Even the bottom feeders (BN pleco and otto) which rarely swam outside my massive collection of live plants and driftwood.

If you don't have a plethora of hiding spots, don't even try it. The cons will settle in, and then quickly take over the tank (esp when they breed).

Mine are not overly aggressive (in a 29 high) in comparison to other stories I've heard/read.

If I did anything, I'd do something that schools, and something more aggressive--like tiger barbs. I'd do a school of at least 9, if you have the room. Any less and the tiger barbs will pick each other off slowly, one by one, or the cons will see them as targets (the more you have, the more they intimidate the cons). Though, sometimes, the numerous school can put the cons into overdrive (i.e. protect my territory).

Convicts don't need dithers to settle in. They're not like blue rams or something. They're hardy and active. Tetras and guppies/platys are victims in your tank.

If the cons are new, I'd give them time. Plenty of cover to hide in. Sometimes it takes 2 weeks for a fish to feel comfortable in the environment.


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> Yeah, they pack a pretty big wallop - my male con bit my knuckle, held on, and whipped his body around while I was trying to install my powerhead... Pretty crazy right?!


**** yes. Just imagine if cons would grow to the size of a dovi. They are some tiny terrors!


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## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

toume said:


> So, my cons kill all their dithers. Even the bottom feeders (BN pleco and otto) which rarely swam outside my massive collection of live plants and driftwood.
> 
> If you don't have a plethora of hiding spots, don't even try it. The cons will settle in, and then quickly take over the tank (esp when they breed).
> 
> ...


Thanks. But I felt the need to split them up, as they were fighting. I notice there is alot of conspecific aggression with these guys, I mean my male chases everything, but it seems he intentionally pursues other cons and actually likes fighting with his mate.

Actually, I don't really know how much his mate actually "liked" him. I think it was more of that she "tolerated" him. Everybody was saying how important it was to get a handful and let them pair off, but I took matters into my own hands and introduced them separately. Maybe I should've heeded that advice.


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## toume (Oct 7, 2010)

I got three, ended up with three. But the male definitely beats the **** outta the females. I don't separate because the female holds her own. Sometimes, I need a divider, or do a time out (remove male into a hosp tank for a few hrs. The worst time is when they eat their babies.

They start with about 60-80, but the tank is too small, so they eat them until they have about 12. Whoever eats the last one, gets chased and beaten--it's not always male on female. I've seen my much bigger male get trashed by one of his little girlfriends.

Fighting: it's just the con way. IME anyway.


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