Surface dwelling dithers

[DonDonnie]

Hi yall,

Any dither fish you guys would recommend that tend to stay near the surface of an aquarium? I know some pencils might but I'm also looking into other options (preferably slightly more common but all ideas are welcomed!)

 

[Mike Wise]

Hatchetfishes (other than G. strigata) are another option, but need a tightly covered aquarium cover. These fish literally fly when startled.

 

[DonDonnie]

Hatchetfishes (other than G. strigata) are another option, but need a tightly covered aquarium cover. These fish literally fly when startled.

I will look into those, my LFS has some available right now so I will keep that in mind. However, there is quite a large amount of surface agitation because of my internal filter, and I am not quite sure if the hatchets would be okay with it

 

[anewbie]

kubotia rasbora tend to stay just below the surface and swim constantly. They are not as likely to jump as hatchet fishes but also are not sa fish if that matters.

 

[Chilligan]

I have miniature pencil fish ( Nannostomus anduzei) with my taenicara candidi and they seem to stay in the mid to upper layers. Another plus is their mouths are small enough they ignore the candidi fry

 

[illumnae]

Hatchetfishes (other than G. strigata) are another option, but need a tightly covered aquarium cover. These fish literally fly when startled.

Why are marbled hatchets not good dithers? Do they tend to swim below and harass the dwarf cichlids more than other hatchets?

 

[MacZ]

Do they tend to swim below and harass the dwarf cichlids more than other hatchets?

Na, you can bury the idea of any dither actually harrassing the cichlids. I remember Mike having had bad experiences with G. striata, but what exactly I can't remember right now. All hatchet fish tend to jump as first reaction to being startled.

The only "harrassment" by dithers is to be expected from more boisterous and bigger tetras, which will follow the food down to the bottom and snatch it directly from in front of the cichlids noses. Needless to say this is also why livebearers are a bad idea to keep with dwarf cichlids.

My personal favourite are Nannostomus eques, which keep largely to the surface. Low ranking individuals might wander down literally with their rank, but I found that it's 1 in 15 fish. The rest stays in the top third. As they are territorial and can harrass each other (but never other species) until a specimen drops dead from stress and lack of food, I recommend a big group (10+), thick surface vegetation (Hydrocotyle leucocephala and Limnobium laevigatum) and a tank with a larger footprint (40x80cm minimum), as they will spread out over time, claiming territories of 10-20cm in all three dimensions.

 

[Mike Wise]

Why are marbled hatchets not good dithers? Do they tend to swim below and harass the dwarf cichlids more than other hatchets?

DonDonnie asked "stay near the surface of an aquarium". G. strigata tend to live among plant in the middle of the water column. Otherwise they are safe from eating fry. It is hard for any fish with an upturned mouth to eat bottom-dwelling fry.

 

[illumnae]

Thanks! My tanks are mostly breeding focused setups so they just contain the pair and no other fish. However, I do have a Crenicichla regani "Tapajos" tank where the male and female seemed to have paired up, but no action has taken place. I read that the presence of dithers can help to strengthen the bond of the pair so I've been thinking of adding another group of dithers to the Hyphessobrycon haraldschultzi that are already there to hopefully be able to trigger some breeding action.

The most commonly available hatchetfish here are the strigata, and the sometimes available silver hatchets tend to get too large. I've tried eques and the various dwarf pencils (coral red, coral purple, cenepa, amaya and normal marginatus) before but they tend to fight amongst themselves and the numbers dwindle over time even in a planted tank with no aggressive cichlids present. My tanks are all covered with a mesh cover.