FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Lookin for ideas for a 40g. I'm lookin for the largest fish I could put into a 40g that is aggressive. it would be in the tank all alone. well possibly a small or mid size pleco for cleaning

Tank is standard 36x18x16.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

What's your idea of aggressive? Are you wanting something that just will not live with anything else? Or those that are aggressive towards only those of it's own kind?

Are you wanting something that is carnivorous in nature in that it will feed on anything smaller than itself?

There are numerous species of fish that could be defined as aggressive that would fit into this tank, however if it is the sole occupant of the tank, then how will it display it's aggressiveness.

Jim

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Want something feisty and with LOTS of personality for a 40 gallon?

Hmm. Quite a few choices here.

However, if you're prepared to live with the fireworks, one fish I could recommend - and mind you, your 40 would end up being a species aquarium if you chose this fish - is Neetroplus nematopus. This fish is a Central American Cichlid that likes slightly alkaline water conditions and will tolerate hard water well if you happen to have a water hardness problem. On the other hand, you could set the tank up to make the water relatively hard if your water is soft.

This fish is known colloquially as the "Poor Man's Tropheus duboisi" because it has a colour scheme that is highly reminiscent of that Tanganyikan species - and is also a LOT less expensive! Don't let the subdued juvenile colours fool you, once this fish settles in and approaches sexual maturity, it's a beauty. Here is a photo]http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?s=221[/link] that shows you just how closely it resembles an adult Tropheus duboisi - [link=here is a photo of an adult Tropheus duboisi for comparison (the juveniles are spotted and undergo a radical change as they age) but you would probably pay five times as much for a Tropheus duboisi as you would for Neetroplus nematopus!

Now, the details. Neetroplus nematopus (colloquially referred to among experienced Cichlid keepers as the "Neet" is a little demon of a fish. It is capable of fending off far larger Cichlids than itself, and a mated pair will basically take over part of the tank for spawning, draw a line in the substrate, and tell every other fish in there that to cross that line means death. in a 40 gallon, you would be able to keep a mated pair, but you'd have a VERY hard job finding anything else that could live with this species and its utterly pyroclastic temperament!

The reasons why this fish is such a demon are as follows:

[1] A mated pair operates co-operatively in attacks upon intruders, with the male making a frontal assault, whilst the female swims under the belly of the opponent and launches her own attack. The fishes use the manouevreability afforded by their smaller size to make their attacks very effective;

[2] Once eggs are laid, the pair set off on 'search and destroy' missions to deal with intruders, hunting down anything that they consider to be a threat and subjecting the victim to a harrowing degree of violence. Combined with their co-operative attack mode, their propensity to hunt down other fishes and beat seven bells out of them means that even in a very large Cichlid community, they wreak havoc once they start spawning, and they're quite capable of taking over half of the floor area of a 200 gallon for themselves against much bigger opposition. Believe me, once they start breeding, they are EVIL.

However, if you can live with this aquarium terrorist, it's immensely rewarding. Parents are SUPERB guardians of eggs and fry, and the tender care that they lavish upon their young is a striking contrast to the brutality they inflict upon other Cichlids. It's safe to say that they are never boring!

I do warn you, before you contemplate this fish, that is IS a complete headbanger, a berserker of epic proportions that will, when tending young, try to take chunks out of your hands during maintenance, and you had better take this fish on with your eyes WELL AND TULY OPEN, because to say that this fish is feisty is a bit like saying that an M1 Abrams main battle tank is a bit on the hard side. Moreover, if you make the mistake of putting this species in a Cichlid community that is too small volume wise, it will demonstrate with sadistic glee that it packs a LOT of firepower into a small body. It may only be 14 cm in length fully grown, but its 14 cm of nuclear firepower with fins. Moreover, when it decides that action is required, it doesn't take prisoners, it goes straight to DEFCON 1 and inflicts devastating damage upon anything unfortunate enough to get in the way. Consider yourself duly warned that this is NOT a docile fish.



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

true.. but basicly something that will take down anybody who comes within striking distance regardless of its size.

thought about pirahana, but i'm already sure tanks to small

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Pssst ... look above you ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

yea i seen it, but i was answering his question too.

5 inches? hhmmm i'll have to think about them. was lookin for something larger but being the size, obviously, i can only go so big.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

" but basicly something that will take down anybody who comes within striking distance regardless of its size."


such a boy thing to say





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

yea and?? lol... we i've done the happy friendly kissy touch fish. time for some manly fishes lol

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

I'd go with either a male Firemouth, or any type of male Zebra, or a breeding pair of Convicts, or a Bichir, or a Congo Puffer Fish.

There's definitely a lot more options, but I can't think of them at the moment.

Puffer. I like that idea. how big to the Congo Puffer Fish get?

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Congo Puffers get around 6" also Arrowhead Puffers are mean too, they get to be the same length as the Congo's. My friend had a congo puffer in his 33 gallon and it was crazy mean. He used to use Mollies as feeders, but also fed him shrimp, prawns, etc....

the puffers.... are they brackish or full salt water fish?

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Brackish. Remember to have lots of sand in the tank as they like to burrow in the sand and wait for food. Also some plants and maybe a cave.

Get a Green Sunfish. They are awesome fish... Sort of like Cichlids in terms of personality, but they are native to North America which automatically makes them better. Actually, based on the sunfish I own now and my experience with Cichlids in the past, I would say that my sunfish has even more personality than any Cichlid I've seen.

They normally grow to about 6-7", which would be perfect for a 40 gallon tank. And they are uncommon in the hobby as well. Green Terrors, Convict Cichlids, and all those guys are boring because everyone has them (and there are way more interesting fish out there to begin with anyway).

---

I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Oh you want a reason to run with the Neets apart from the fact that they're little demons?

Try this.

Juvenile Neets have been observed engaging in cleaning behaviour with other Cichlids, both in the wild and at the Steinhardt Aquarium (until someone popped in a Parachromis dovii and it ate the Neets). Apparently the captive bred Neets had forgotten that Parachromis dovii feeds upon Neets in the wild ... and unfortunately the captive bred Neets tried 'cleaning' the dovii, only to end up as lunch.

Don't take my word for it, go check out Dr Paul Loiselle's piece in The Cichlid Room.

A pair of Neets in a 40 will provide you with endless displays of fiery personality (you want manly? Don't come much harder than this for the size my friend ), plus give you superb parenting displays, and the added attraction of having some people think you've got the hideously expensive Tropheus duboisi instead.

You KNOW you have a 'hard' fish when, at just 14 cm tops, it takes a Parachromis dovii to deal with it.

No need for brackish water either.

Go on, you know you want to really ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002