Top 5 Dither Fish For Freshwater Aqaurium
- Apr 04, 2021
- Anshika Mishra
- 3023 0 0
In this article, we will be sharing with you KeepingFishSimple's list of the top 5 Dither fishes that you can keep in your aquarium to help the shy fishes show up in the tank more often, and mellow down the aggression in the tank:
Why Do You Need Dither Fish?
Some fishes in the aquarium hobby like Plecastomus etc come from an environment, where they stay in the bottom of the water body or mostly hide in the caves. In such water bodies, there are always little fishes like Tetras, etc swimming at the top.
But, when these little fishes aren't around, it normally means that the predatory fishes are around. So, the fishes like Plecos keep hiding for all that time out of fear.
The same condition can occur in our tanks too. The shy fishes might not come out often because of the absence of dither fishes in the aquarium, because they are scared of having this predator around. So, in this condition, adding some dither fishes can be immensely useful in making the shy Corrydoras or Plecoes come out.
Another thing that dither fishes can do is also try to take away aggression from fish towards each other. For instance, if you have got two Rams in the tank and they are constantly fighting and we add some tetras around, then the aggressive fishes will be constantly looking around and will try to fight off the Tetras instead of each other, and eventually, the aggression will fade away.
1. Rasboras
This category includes those micro-rasboras like:
- Chilli Rasboras
- Harlequin Rasboras
- Lamb-Chop Rasboras
Basically, any schooling Rasbora is good to be added in any nano aquarium or 10-gallon tank just to make them a little bit more comfortable in that aquarium.
Rasboras are generally very easy to take care of. They like to be kept in 6-7.5 pH. Just add 6-8 of these guys in the tank and they will be schooling all day like Neon Tetras.
In general, they are also a very good display fresh, they are not going to easily breed in an aquarium, which is a good thing if you want to control the tank's population.
2. Rainbow Fish
This a good dither fish recommendation for the larger aquarium, for more than 55-gallons and more. So, if you have large fishes in your tank, then Rainbowfish is the best dither fish you can get.
You can get a school of 8-10 in your large tank, maybe even more if possible. They are a very active swimmer, so they will be constantly swimming around the tank and that is all your shy fishes need to come out. But make sure you don't keep these fishes with the aggressive ones like the Angels because the aggressive fishes will be constantly picking on them, which will surely cause a lot of trouble for you.
Rainbows are also very easy to breed, they are comfortable waiting for any kind of food, so you will also not run into any problem while feeding them.
They will take a pH of 6-7.5, just like Rasboras.
3. Guppies
These fishes are not one of the best dither fishes out there, but they are selected by many hobbyists, because of that the list will be incomplete without them.
They are recommended to be kept in any basic community aquarium, where you want your shy fishes to come out. Guppies will always be swimming at the top of the tank which will make the shy fishes feel safe. But, you should not keep these fish with the big aggressive ones, because they are just going to gobble them up.
2. Danios
Leopard Danios, Zebra Danios are a good option for both small as well as bigger aquariums. So, you can home 6-8 of these fishes in a 20-gallon tank, or a big 55-gallon tank.
Danios are super-fast swimmers which makes them a great dither fish option for tanks with aggression problems because of their speed it is tough for the big fishes to get a hold of these little bullets.
1. Neon Tetra
This is one of the cheapest fish on this list, so a great alternative for buyers with a tight budget without compromising on the colors and activity in the tank.
These are best for planted aquariums because green plants make their colors look more beautiful. Though you cannot keep them with Angels you can surely keep them with Apistogramma, Dwarf Cichlids, German Rams, etc.
So, there you go, top 5 dither fishes in the Freshwater Aquarium Hobby. Choose the one according to your tank size, and need, feed them well, and see them thrive happily in your aquarium!
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