Top 21 most aggressive Cichlids

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Aquaticfan said:
I've kept africans including butti before and while most africans are more aggressive and territorial they aren't as able to inflict the damage the big fish of ca/sa are. Of course the butti is all in its own class.

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I do not think I agree with most African cichlid being more aggressive that Central and South American cichlids. Of course this is a little biased though because many of these become considerably larger than Africans, and this alone tends to be enough to intimidate most African cichlids, whether they are more aggressive or not as aggressive. There is a reason why a person can have large overly crowded African tanks and if a person tried the same scenario with most adolescent or adult South and Central American cichlids, the fish would obliterate each other until perhaps there was a pair or single victor (nicknamed the Conqueror lol). Of course there are exceptions to everything, I just mean typically. :)



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GreenTerror3003 said:
I do not think I agree with most African cichlid being more aggressive that Central and South American cichlids. Of course this is a little biased though because many of these become considerably larger than Africans, and this alone tends to be enough to intimidate most African cichlids, whether they are more aggressive or not as aggressive. There is a reason why a person can have large overly crowded African tanks and if a person tried the same scenario with most adolescent or adult South and Central American cichlids, the fish would obliterate each other until perhaps there was a pair or single victor (nicknamed the Conqueror lol). Of course there are exceptions to everything, I just mean typically. :)



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Being agressive and being able to inflict max damage are 2 different things. Most as in the Majority of Africans are quite aggressive and territorial. Over crowding works by not allowing fish to have enough space to claim as a territory and distributes the aggression around to more fish then specific individuals. It can and also does work with CA/SA fish as well.

Ive seen in tanks where Africans have been mixed with fish much larger that are SA/CA fish and never back down. Does it mean they could win the fight. No. Just means their level of pure stubborn aggression and territory is strong. Ive also seen very large Butti be extremely violent and sneaky. Thus why a lot of Butti end up in their own tank with no friends to share it with. They rival most any SA fish when they are full grown.

Really its interesting as individual fish can have that extra wacko/crazy/violent streak in them and some do not even in the same species. While I agree with comments earlier about the thoughts of this being highly objective there is that handful of fish that have that extra something that push them over the edge.
 
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I always keep large, relatively peaceful CA/SA (Vieja, Chocolate and GT) with relatively peaceful African Haps. Whenever I introduce new CA/SA to the mixed tank, I have to watch out the Haps, as they will harass the new comer even if it is different in kind and twice as big. I don’t have to worry about the CA/SA as they don’t bother the new comer as long as it is smaller. So from my experience, Africans are more aggressive than CA/SA, pound for pound. I can’t speak for the more aggressive RD, festas or Jacquar though as I have never kept them with Africans.

Also, the fighting style of CA/SA and Africans are different. CA/SA contest for dominance by jaw locking, sort like Sumo wrestling. Africans haps fight in fast motion by attacking the body and fins, sort like kung fu fighter. Mbuna make quick circling and attack from below, so they “dance like a butterfly, and sting like a bee”. When a CA/SA faces off an African, it’s a mis-matched fighting style contest.
 
I'm not sure how to compare aggression, like many people here have said. Each fish has its own personality. But I have owned many fish on that list, and while I agree that grammodes are mean little sob's and very tough. NOTHING is as aggressive as a big male dovii...... NOTHING.
I guarantee you, that anybody who has owned a large male dovii will tell you the same, they hit a tank harder and with more aggression than any fish you will ever see, as well as food. They hit so fast and hard that they splash more water out than any other fish I have seen as well.

Regarding the debate of more aggressive central american or south american

IMO nothing compares to central americans. Parichromis are from central america and that seals the deal for me. Many more peacefull african, and south american fish than central american.
 
pckts said:
IMO nothing compares to central americans. Parichromis are from central america and that seals the deal for me. Many more peacefull african, and south american fish than central american.
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I agree that the most aggressive and powerful cichlids are CAs as few outside CA have the attitude measurable to Dovii, Trimac or Midas. Pound for pound, Africans may be the most aggressive. But even the most aggressive Africans don't have the power or demeanor to bang glass. There is a long list of peaceful SAs: Festivum, Chocolate, Geophagus, Uaru, Severum, Discus, Angels and so on, but I do not know of any Africans or CAs belong to the super peaceful league.
 
snapper101 said:
I have to be honest, I don't understand people who get a kick out of keeping aggressive fish, I keep fish for their beauty.
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I like AGGRESSIVE CICHLIDS, so what the world is full of aggressive animals its part of life. If you are so non aggressive why post or even read a post about the most aggressive cichlids. The world is becoming crazy aggressive predators are here for a reason,and serve just as much a part if not a bigger part than non aggressive animals and people will always admire them. If everything was peacefull the world would overpopulate and die off. Seems like everyone wants to be a peta spokesman now. U dont like aggressive fine but dont keep bugging people that do. How would you like if everytime someone posted about beautifull cichlids someone posted keep saltwater they look better. People on this board are really getting annoying with this crap.
 
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