Juvenile Firemouths

[SarahBravo]

I've decided to put a colony of firemouths in my 180 litre, and currently have some juveniles (1" or so) in quarantine. I'm hoping in time to get 2 pairs, and take the others back to the lfs. Some of the articles on the net recommend using dither fish, specifically platies, to calm the firemouths.

Would you guys recommend using dithers? Are there any other fish i could use other than platies? And in a 180 litre (40 UKG, roughly 50 USG) what other fish could I have with 2 pairs of adult firemouths (if any)?

 

[juanveldez]

well ideally your dithers are going to be fish that are hardy, can take a beating and won't fit into the fishes mouth. and a platy most definatly would fit into an adult FMs mouth.

 

[Nix]

Maybe some LARGE mollies would work, firemouths in the wild watch smaller fish (much like live bearers) to run and flee from preditors, giving the firemouths a warning, so calm smaller fish=calm firemouths. Maybe...... Congo tetras?

 

[freddyk]

Congo tetra's are too timid for these tanks - I've tried it.

Something that sticks to the top of the water and won't get in the way of the FM is best - giant danios, rainbow fish, that sort of thing.

Dither fish are actually meant to bring them out, not calm them. Worth having either way.