What are some good schooling fish for cichlids?

[MonitorSpiderCichlid]

I am just wondering what are some good schooling fish for medium sized cichlids like salvini's and grammodes?
I was thinking tiger barbs? or silver dollars, if so what type of silver dollars should I get? PLEASE HELP!!!

I will try getting picture of my Grammodes in a few minutes!

 

[Dispatch273]

I've got tiger barbs and giant danios with my cichlids. They all leave them alone and they are all very active!

 

[MonitorSpiderCichlid]

Here is one picture of my Grammodes. He is a little skittish.

 

[ExoticGREEN]

If its for long term. Tetras are out of the question. I would try silver dollars, or tinfoil barbs.

 

[Stratoquarius]

I use columbian tetras, they are quite old now about 3-4 years. all around 3-4" and quite round. they make amazing dithers and they are bright blue bodies and blood red fins, looks way better than dollars

 

[rrcoolj]

Dither fish are used to draw shy cichlids out of hiding. A target fish is used as a punching bag or distraction for aggressive cichlids(usually breeding pairs). I'm not sure which one you are looking for but I'm assuming it's dither fish. In that case silver dollars are an awful suggestion IMO. They are extremely high strung skittish fish and will bang into any and everything at the first sign of danger. Other large tetras or barbs would do much better like Colombian tetras or filament barbs. And unless you have a tank over 125 gallons I don't recommend tinfoil barbs. They get massive and are very messy fish.

 

[AQUAMONSTER]

i use jewel cichlids in my tank to draw out my grammodes pair, but in the past ive used silver dollars and hate them. I would use giant danios if your fish are small

 

[Jc1119]

I used tiger large tiger barbs. When my jack dempsey hit the 4" mark he ate all 11 of them in about 3 weeks.

Longterm in a larger system Silver dollars can work well, but I agree they can be skittish. I have 6 in one large system that are around the 4-5" mark. They are too big to get eaten, but I coulnt imagine keeping them in anything less than an 8' tank for life. They are pigs at chow time too.

 

[901MFKer]

If it's short term while they grow, get some columbian tetras or some giant danio. but +1 on the long term silver dollars. tinfoil barbs.

 

[Dilema]

It will depend on individual fish in my experience, i have used silver dollars and Giant danios with some fish and they worked fine. The same fish haven't lasted any longer than a day in with other fish.

I am growing out 5 Festae at the moment and they are hands down the most aggressive fish i have ever had. They have killed around 20 Giant danios, half a dozen silver dollars (They were all killed within 12 hours) and half a dozen tiger barbs. They are not 3" yet I don't know what i am ever going to be able to keep with them.