Dithers for Hillstream tank?

[Katy]

Hi guys,

We've not been hanging out here much lately, but still enjoying our loaches And we pop in to browse on occasion.

We would love some advise on dithers for our hillstream tank. Nothing we have tried so far has been able to hold up to the current. Would love to hear what you experts have!

Thanks,

Katy and Cloudhands

[plaalye]

Might help to describe the tank and just how much current there is.

[Katy]

Oops, sorry!

It is a 55 gal. (US), 48" long. At one point I knew the max gallons/hour, but I can't seem to recall or find it written down. On the manifold we have 2 Aquaclear 110s, and a Marineland that is less powerful, but I can't see which one it is. One FLuval and one Rena filter, also set up as unidirectional flow, but again, I am not sure the gallons/hr. pH is about 7.2.

I will keep nosing around for more specifics, but the tank has been set up for about 3 years now, and I can't remember the details (and probably assumed that I would and there was no reason to write things down!)

[plaalye]

It sounds like a torrent! Specifics not necessary, better to describe the feel. I like movement in my tanks but not that much. Are the filters cannisters? If it were mine, I'd delete at least one of the powerheads. If you're happy with it the way it is you might need to add some large wood or rocks to give fish a place to get out of the current. Rainbowfish like current, but I'm not sure about what you have going there? Maybe some Devario aequipinnatus, giant danio?

[Diana]

In nature, there are not many fish that live right in the flow of water. Like Hillstream Loaches, they spend more time hidden in the rocks, or else are streamlined so the current keeps them glued to the rocks. However, there are a few fish that might work:
Look for the leanest torpedo shaped fish, no fancy fins.
Danios
White Cloud Minnows
...are the first 2 that come to mind.

Another way to make this work is to arrange a taller rock or a thick piece of driftwood that sticks up into the current. Might create an eddy that these fish would be willing to investigate, perhaps they would hang out there.

[Katy]

Thank you!

WE had tried danio kyathits (which we have an over abundance of -- anyone want some?), and they hide in the rocks at the bottom We do have a log in the middle but not enough eddy. I wonder if giant danios might like it more, but they are big fish for a 55 g

We had a couple Vietnamese White Clouds in the big tank (remainders of a larger school) and put them in, and they seem to not even notice the current! Fortunately, we already had a small school of them on order from WetSpot, and they arrived yesterday and are in a q-tank. Hopefully in a month or so we will have a bit of a school (may try breeding them after quarantine and before addding them to the river tank, though)