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Thanks, Helen. It is certainly the dithers that did it. I had
about a dozen tetras in there before but I didn't want to add any more because I
wanted to keep the population density low and the water clean. The number
of dithers obviously didn't make them feel very secure before. There
appears to be a security threshold that the addition of more dithers helped
cross. Now, with about 20 dithers, the fish are not shy!! They still
scoot away when I approach the tank quickly but they dont scoot too far away and
come out into the open right away. They're also begging for food more
vigorously.
I'm relearning a lot of things about fishkeeping. :-) I think the
'quality' of dithers is important too. Having a dozen sedentary
tetras like Crenuchus spilurus (which I also remember seeing along with the
thayeri) in the tank is not the same as a dozen Triportheus (Giant
hatchets). The key qualifications for dithers should be 'active'
and 'tight-schooling. ' I cant find a name for the tetras I just added to
the tank. They are shaped like Iguanodectes but with a brownish cream body
and a red tail like in Prionobrama filigera...Randy are you out there? I
couldn't find a picture of them in Baensch atlases 1-4...may be 5 has it.
Whatever they are, they work!
Vinny
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