Dither Fish

[Levin Tilghman]

Can pygmy Corydoras or other small Cories be used as dithers? Or will they eat Apisto eggs and fry?

 

[anewbie]

pygmy won't eat the eggs but if they aren't careful the female might chew off their tails or worse.

 

[Iormungand21]

I have had success with pygmaeus and habrosus cories in breeding tanks with a few apistogramma sp that i've kept without problems. Your mileage mage vary, everyone's fish and tanks/scapes etc are different. If the potential of cories being murdered by a protective apistogramma mom is unacceptable, I would pass.

 

[MacZ]

If it's a big-mouthed Apistogramma a C. pygmaeus may end as attempted food. Seen A. cacatuoides choke on these Corydoras. Usually at least one of the fish involved dies.

 

[MacZ]

I'd like to add, bottom dwelling fish (Corydoras, loaches etc) I would only combine with dwarf cichlids in a sufficiently big display with a big footprint. 100x40cm minimum, the bigger the better. Especially if keeping both sexes of the cichlids, which will at one point end in breeding behaviour. And that's where things usually go down the drain because cichlids and catfish/loaches will stress each other a lot at that time.

 

[anewbie]

I'd like to add, bottom dwelling fish (Corydoras, loaches etc) I would only combine with dwarf cichlids in a sufficiently big display with a big footprint. 100x40cm minimum, the bigger the better. Especially if keeping both sexes of the cichlids, which will at one point end in breeding behaviour. And that's where things usually go down the drain because cichlids and catfish/loaches will stress each other a lot at that time.

While i generally agree my experience with pygmy is they are much more timid than other cory and seem to learn to stay away from areas that cause conflict (if the aquarium is large enough); this is distinctly different than the sterbai, aeneus and eques i have who simply go where they want to go.

 

[MacZ]

(if the aquarium is large enough)

We're basically saying the same.