can mollies be used as dithers for cichlids in the convict complex?

[Hybridfish7]

If you know me, you know I get a lot of fish tank ideas.
1. bamboo forest tank with panda butterfly goldfish, budget at $400 so not anytime soon for me
2. discus tank
(I'm gonna wait till my BP passes and 'frees up the space' for that in my 55. I can't house him with anything other than the plec that's in there with him but I don't want to sell him cuz I've raised him since before he peeled 8 years ago and I love him.)
3. 20 gallon "where are we now" central american 'biotope' with platies and a pair of HRP's of captive bred colorations (what I'm working to right now, just waiting to clean out and cycle the quarantine tank)
4. Hybrid pair of a. nanoluteus and a. siquia 'blue honduran' with mollies (even if they aren't successful breeders at least it would be a nice color contrasting pair)

and that's where my question comes in.
I like the gold panda lyretail mollies, and wondered if they could be used as dithers.
I know they come from central america, and that they need a bit of salt in their water.
do they need salt or can they do just fine in pure, hard, freshwater?

 

[duanes]

Mollies (Poecilia gill, and other olivine) are "the" most common species of fish in Costa Rica and the surrounding areas, where the cichlids you mention are from.
So in my view they are perfect dither fish for cichlids.
Some are found in brackish, some totally fresh, in streams and swamps, I found them in almost every Cenote I dove in in the Yucatan. They range in temps from 62'F to almost 100'F.
The one you mention is a line bred species, so the extra finance may be detrimental in that it may invite nipping or even aggression from similar colored cichlids (like nanos, although I have never found them to be aggressive in my yanks). The extra finance may even slow them down, but this will only be known if you try them.
I usually try to keep my dither fish to be natural colored, to not distract from the main species the cichlids. Of course this is just my personal bias being a one trick pony about cichlids.

 

[dan518]

If the tank is only 20 gal it could be more hit and miss, you might find that the convicts wont let anything live in there.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Agree with Dan.
They do make great tank mates but a 20 gal is on the small side to expect a live and let live situation.

 

[duanes]

I agree about the 20 gal being skimpy, didn't notice the size on first read.

 

[Hybridfish7]

like I said, the pairing would either be 2 marble hrps or a normal hrp and a nanoluteus.
both are more of the less aggressive convicts, and both are pretty small.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

Still tight in a 20 gallon. Mollies can reach 6 inches with time.

 

[elting44]

I agree with the others, if you go with a m/f and they pair, even if it is unsuccessful, the pair will guard the eggs regardless and even if the eggs are on one end, the range in which they will guard will almost certainly take up the entire length.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Still tight in a 20 gallon. Mollies can reach 6 inches with time.

hm. i think i should just stick with platies then.

 

[RD.]

You don\t need dithers, and as others have stated in a tank that size they will become target fish, not dithers. Bad idea ......