Suggestions for Dither Fish

[equinom]

Don't know what the problem is, but my cichlids are hardly ever visible. I put quite a bit of rock in there, making lot's of caves, overhangs and hiding places. Looks like I may have made too many - because there are always hiding.
The fish are a mix: No special, true species. Just an African mix. The tank is in a busy location - so I was thinking some dithers may help to calm them?
So what would be good dithers? A different thread was mentioning dithers and said they should be hardy and fast - like a danio. How about Tiger Barbs? They seem to be a pretty adaptive fish, they are fast and tuff. I think of my tigers as being like a junk yard dog: don't take no poop from no one. But they are big clowns when they get used to you.
What other fish do you think? And moving this tank is out of the question - no other place to put it. (55 gal on wooden stand with canopy)

 

[Avalon]

I like rainbowfish--they are almost as active as danios when in schools and are very adaptable. Make sure you have a good lid. They like to jump!

 

[dogmaiwli]

Rainbows, Id sharks, Zebra/Giant Danios, Tiger barbs are great, Cory's if they are bigger. You best bet is to try a couple and see how the fish respond, then add a few more or you could mix it up, say-put in some zebra's and a couple barbs, or some rainbows and Id's. or a little bit of everything, just keep in mind that dither fish tend to enjoy being in groups of 3 or more, and they should be fast and active.

 

[crazy_fish]

I would suggest 2 Siamese Algae Eaters and 3 Tiger Barbs. I have these guys in my 30g tank with 3 Kribensis Cichlids, and they all get along great. The SAE's are active and playful, and do a fantastic job at keeping algae under control. My Tigers are extremely active and playful with each other, but rarely interact with the other fish. Other people have horror stories.

My Kribs still like to go into the hidey hole at night and sometimes during the day, but spend most of their time out and about. Sometimes the male gets a little testy with the barbs, but they have gotten used to each other, and the barbs know to keep their distance.

If you do get tigers, you should expect some fighting at the start, because they will stand up for themselves, but they will eventually learn to keep their distance from your Cichlids. You should also expect to see lots of activity from them, including:
playing tag
wrestling noze-to-noze
swimming lap at high speeds
doing barrel rolls
pulling on plants and features
rummaging in gravel
taunting other fish
sucking on the filter suction strainer
Swimming up the waterfall from the powerhead (they have yet to make it all the way up...)

Yada yada. They're very active.

cheers

 

[SoulFish]

danios, rainbowfish usually work but they are a bit expensive for dithers in my opinion, i tried them as dither with my saulosi and the saulosi whipped em up good and fast

 

[equinom]

I went with the tigers...

I added about 8 tiger barbs - and there was an immediate difference. Fish that I hadn't seen in days came out to see their neighbors. Within a few days things pretty much went back to the cichlids hiding most of the time - but not quite as bad as before. And those tigers make the tank come alive - with all of their quirks!

All in all, I would say that TBs are decent dithers.

 

[Somonas]

You can also try removing some hiding places.
Africans are timid fish however... I find mine are especially the days after I've been playing around inside the tank.

 

[equinom]

I've considered removing some of those caves - or perhaps just move stuff around again. That's one of the things I enjoy most about keeping fish - getting to re-decorate. Got to admit plants and rocks are a lot cheaper than paint and wallpaper.