Dither Fish for Bolivian Rams?

[Zeaqua]

Hey all! I’m planning on setting up a botanical style breeding tank for a pair of Bolivian rams, and I’m looking for a dither fish for them. In my experience, the rams don’t do too well without a dither, and in his video, @Lowells Fish Lab notes the same. Obviously, I’d prefer something that wouldn’t completely obliterate the fry, but in my case, something that would do well in blackwater would be better. 
Thanks!

[Guest]

I would love to help but I have no experience with breeding anything. I'd say just do your research and you'll be fine.

[Rube_Goldfish]

On 11/15/2023 at 4:58 PM, Zeaqua said:

Hey all! I’m planning on setting up a botanical style breeding tank for a pair of Bolivian rams, and I’m looking for a dither fish for them. In my experience, the rams don’t do too well without a dither, and in his video, @Lowells Fish Lab notes the same. Obviously, I’d prefer something that wouldn’t completely obliterate the fry, but in my case, something that would do well in blackwater would be better. 
Thanks!

I've never bred rams, but given that (I think) they spend most of their time in the bottom third of the tank, something up near the surface might be the safest choice. Hatchets, clown killifish, pencilfish, something like that?

[Guppysnail]

I love @Lowells Fish Lab always my first go to. The first Bolivian I got were unwell and only one survived past shipping. Beginning of October I picked up 6 of them. They are quarantined in a tank with tons of plants. They were skittish until I put in a ton of floating hornwort. 
Now they are active, curious and come running for food m, are very interactive. I no longer see the fear and stand still behavior Lowell described. 
 

Since you are doing a botanical style if you have enough structure and plants in the tank maybe try just the B. Rams and see how they do and have an idea and source for dithers if they need them. 

[DBam]

What size a tank are they going to be in? I bred them for a while and had them with everything. As long as I removed fry when they became free swimming nothing really bothered then much. I had two pairs breeding alternately in a 75 gallon with discus, green neon and ruby tetras, Dicrossus, bristlenose, Sturisomatichthys, L46, L519. The Dicrossus would start hunting down fry. If you're running just the rams in a smaller tank than 75 go with small tetras. Cichlids are relentless and barbs won't do well in the >80° temperatures.