What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

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MultipleTankSyndrome
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Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2021 11:07 am
Location: Loachaholica

What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by MultipleTankSyndrome » Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:59 pm

The purpose of this thread is to list some effective dithers for the benefit of everyone here.
Dithers I plan on using are a school of pictus catfish for my clown loach tank, and roseline sharks, a red tail shark, and either silver dollars or tiger barbs for my mixed loach tank. Effectiveness of each will be reported when it can.
473 liter - pictus catfish, smallscale archerfish, planned pumpkinseed sunfish
110 liter - green neon+cardinal tetras
473 liter - roseline sharks, striped kuhli+black kuhli+Burmese loaches, zebra/weather/neon kuhli loaches (planned)

Bas Pels
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Re: What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by Bas Pels » Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:39 am

Rasbora borapetensis turns out to be quite good

zimmy
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Re: What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by zimmy » Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:33 am

I was inspired to have tiger barbs and clown loaches together by the 800G on the Aquarium Coop Youtube channel a few years ago. My tank is more modest as is my stocking level but I'm finding the loaches and barbs mix with each other well. Most importantly, the loaches are always out and about. They are still small though so maybe this will change over time.

MultipleTankSyndrome
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Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2021 11:07 am
Location: Loachaholica

Re: What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by MultipleTankSyndrome » Mon Nov 15, 2021 8:46 am

For what it's worth, I think the tiger barb/clown loach combo works so well because of the fact that they are more or less identical in terms of color and both have a complex social hierarchy with fiesty behavior towards their own kind.

That makes me wonder how well tiger barbs will act as dithers for my planned Burmese loach, weather loach, yoyo loach, zebra loach, and striped kuhli loach tank, if I go for them instead of silver dollars. They don't share patterning with those loaches like they do with the clown loaches, but they are nonetheless active top dwellers with a similar social structure.

I'd also like to add that between the time I made this thread and now, I got the idea to add some dwarf chain loaches to my 110 liter. So I'll have to report back on how well the neon tetras and green neon tetras act as dithers for them.
473 liter - pictus catfish, smallscale archerfish, planned pumpkinseed sunfish
110 liter - green neon+cardinal tetras
473 liter - roseline sharks, striped kuhli+black kuhli+Burmese loaches, zebra/weather/neon kuhli loaches (planned)

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redshark1
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Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Great Britain.

Re: What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by redshark1 » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:13 am

I am currently enjoying a shoal of 15 x Trigonostigma heteromorpha (Harlequin Rasbora) with my six 27-year-old Clown Loaches (max size 11.5").

These appear to be my best dithers yet as they are active, colourful and easy to keep.

I've had them 1 year. I started with 20 but a few were not well on purchase and died. However, the population has been rock steady after the first month and they appear to be thriving.

They swim in the upper level away from the Clown Loaches and their colours contrast nicely.

They enjoy the same temperature all year round. Some dithers do not enjoy the higher temperatures (except possibly in the breeding season) and may suffer shorter lifespans - if in doubt look up your species profile in Seriously Fish.

I never tried this species before as I was concerned they would be too small, but I have not yet seen my Clown Loaches do anything of concern and they are not too small for my enjoyment.

Previous dithers have included Congo Tetra Phenacogrammus interruptus (which have proved short lived - just a few years) and Arnold's Red-eyed Tetra Arnoldichthys spilopterus (much longer lived - up to 16.5 years - an excellent fish).
6 x Clown Loaches all 30 years of age on 01.01.2024, largest 11.5", 2 large females, 4 smaller males, aquarium 6' x 18" x 18" 400 ltr/90 uk gal/110 US gal. approx.

MultipleTankSyndrome
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Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2021 11:07 am
Location: Loachaholica

Re: What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by MultipleTankSyndrome » Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:23 am

Update on the school of pictus catfish: only day 3 and they seem to be working! I can therefore recommend them to anyone who needs a dither fish for their clown loaches but wants something different from the usual top-midwater schoolers like tetras or tiger barbs.

The dwarf chain loaches are considerably outgoing even though it's only day 3 for them as well. This may mean that the neon/green neon tetras are also sufficient as dither fish for them.
473 liter - pictus catfish, smallscale archerfish, planned pumpkinseed sunfish
110 liter - green neon+cardinal tetras
473 liter - roseline sharks, striped kuhli+black kuhli+Burmese loaches, zebra/weather/neon kuhli loaches (planned)

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Iris76
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Location: The Netherlands

Re: What dither fish do you use for your loaches?

Post by Iris76 » Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:35 pm

At the moment I have 20 Kryptopterus as dither fish. ( glass catfish)
Before them, I had a 60+ shoal of Danio Choprae.

Both species are suitable for a hillstream set up, atleast it worked fine for me.
"Only dead fish go with the flow "

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