Due to many species of African cichlid having a reputation for being aggressive fish, people often have problems with them in their tanks and we have noticed more and more people reaching out to ask for ways that they may be able to calm their African cichlids.
In our opinion, one of the best options available are dither fish and the use of dither fish have become increasingly popular amongst cichlid keepers recently.
Even a decade ago, many people thought dither fish would not work well with African cichlids due to their aggression levels but a good school of dither fish has been used time and time again to be able to calm your African cichlids.
This is why we have decided to publish this article going over some great options for dither fish for African cichlids.
Our hope is that we will be able to help as many of our readers as possible find a dither fish that they are able to use in their tanks with their African cichlid but please keep in mind, the species suggested below may not work in all tank setups or with all types of African cichlid!
What Is A Dither Fish?
A dither fish is a small, non-aggressive fish that is used in order to make other fish feel more comfortable.
Dither fish are not there to be eaten and they are not there to fight, they are simply there to provide a sense of safety for the other fish in the tank.
The idea behind using dither fish is that the other fish in the tank will see the dither fish as being safe and non-threatening and this will make them feel more comfortable and less likely to be aggressive.
Although African cichlids can be aggressive to their tank mates, dither fish have been proven to have a calming effect on them.
Dither Fish For African Cichlids!
Here is our list of suitable dither fish for a tank with African cichlids with the top four being our primary recommendations for most setups:-
- Tiger Barbs
- Tetras
- Danios
- Rasboras
- Pencilfish
- Corydoras
- Livebearers
Although some people do keep multiple types of dither fish in their African cichlid tank, there is usually no need and a single species of dither fish is usually the best option for most setups.
Tiger Barbs
Tiger barbs are one of the most popular dither fish for African cichlid tanks and this is due to their small size, active nature, and their boldness.
Tiger barbs are a schooling fish so they should be kept in groups of six or more and they do best in tanks that have plenty of hiding places.
Their schooling activities will usually calm a tank that has African cichlids in it and prevent the African cichlids from being aggressive towards each other and their tank mates.
Tetras
Tetras are another great option for a dither fish for African cichlids and they come in many different shapes, sizes, low prices, and colors.
Tetras are a schooling fish so they should be kept in groups of six or more and we usually only recommend that you use one species of tetra as your dither fish but there have been reports of people being able to use multiple types of tetra in larger tanks without issue.
Tetras are very active fish so they will help to keep your tank lively and this usually has a calming effect on the other fish in the tank.
Danios
Danios are another great schooling fish that make an excellent dither fish for African cichlids.
Like tetras, danios come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, and they are also very active fish that will help to keep your tank lively.
Danios should be kept in groups of six or more but some people do keep less danios in their tank without issue.
When used specifically as a dither fish, you really do want to be trying to increase the chances of their schooling though to provide their calming effect so six or more will usually be the better option for your tank.
Rasboras
Rasboras are another schooling fish that make great dither fish for African cichlids.
Like tetras and danios, rasboras come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, and they are also very active fish when schooling that can help to minimize aggression from your African cichlids in your tank.
Rasboras should be kept in groups of six or more but some people do keep less rasboras in their tank without issue.
When used specifically as a dither fish, you really do want to be trying to increase the chances of their schooling though to provide their calming effect so six or more will usually be the better option for your tank.
Pencilfish
Pencilfish are a great option for a dither fish if you have a smaller tank or you want to add some variety to your dither fish selection.
Most people will keep pencilfish as their dither fish of choice for African cichlids if they are intentionally trying to breed their cichlids in the tank.
This is due to pencilfish usually occupying the upper levels of the water in an aquarium reducing the number of eggs that they will eat helping to increase your cichlid fry yields.
Corydoras
Opposite to pencilfish, a corydoras can be used as a dither fish that will occupy the lower levels of your African cichlid tank but you will have to be careful with the type of African cichlid you keep in the tank as some will still be aggressive to a cory in their tank.
On top of that, you also have to be careful with the type of corydoras that you use in your tank too as they can be difficult to temperature match with suitable water temperatures for your African cichlids too so we would usually recommend that you go with the options covered earlier in our article.
Livebearers
Although they are one of the more problematic options for a dither fish on this list, some people have used the various types of livebearers in their African cichlid with success.
Guppies, Mollies, and Platies have all been used but some of them do end up being eaten by the African cichlid so we would recommend that you go with one of the other options on our list if possible instead.
