Pound for Pound toughest fish?

[guppy]

Kevin, if you have an afterthought a couple minutes after making a post just use the edit button to add on rather than make a new post please

[rumblesushi]

Gee wiz stotty, that reminds me, it's ten to twelve - I better tuck myself into bed and ask mommy if I can stay up till 5 tomorrow for Oscar - Mayorga :D

I look forward to the dovii video tomorrow with the dovii ripping a similar sized fish in half :D

[Scottfree]

Once again to think a Cichlid (any cichlid), has a chance against a flat out carnivore like a Snakehead is foolsih.....

[Scottfree]

Last point, Snakeheads are illegal in the states, is there even a concern about a cichlid doing any damage? By the way look at my avatar, courtesy of a Snakehead, neve seen a Dovii, doing anything like that....

[rumblesushi]

Scott - you got that right. As I and many others have stated, a dovii maybe vicious but a channa is capable of flat out ripping another fish in half, a dovii isn't. Snakeheads are born to kill.

If I remember correctly the micro that did that was only about 9 inches long.

[Scottfree]

Scott - you got that right. As I and many others have stated, a dovii maybe vicious but a channa is capable of flat out ripping another fish in half, a dovii isn't. Snakeheads are born to kill.

If I remember correctly the micro that did that was only about 9 inches long.


Yep just a baby....When I had a Red I fed him 5-6" Blue gill and it was only 9-10 inches, of course he grew like a mofo after that......:clap

[guppy]

Last point, Snakeheads are illegal in the states, is there even a concern about a cichlid doing any damage? By the way look at my avatar, courtesy of a Snakehead, neve seen a Dovii, doing anything like that....
Not that I am arguing one fish or another (I still think it is a silly argument) but the main thing that got snakeheads banned was the same reason they were going to ban clarias cats for a while, they have a reputation for traveling overland. As far as the generalization that true carnivores are tougher than fish like cichlids I feel the need to point out that many true carnivores (while deadly) are relatively delicate and easily damaged like needlefish and payara.

[rumblesushi]

Guppy, snakeheads have devestated rivers in the US, clarias haven't :)

I can see more reason for a channa being banned than clarias.

[michael]

puffers. Don't know if anyone said this yet but I know out of all my monsters my sumatra puffer is the most aggressive

[rumblesushi]

michael - puffers are aggressive, well most of them, and they have a pretty hardcore beak and fangs but I'm not sure of their fighting capability against a fast agile fish.

They look too slow and ponderous to be able to tackle a vicious channa or wolf fish, or asian river catfish etc which are very quick and agile fish. But I am no expert on puffers, I could be wrong.

[kevin714]

Guppy, snakeheads have devestated rivers in the US, clarias haven't :)

I can see more reason for a channa being banned than clarias.


Huh? What rivers would that be? This statment is utterly false. Its this type of exegeration and ignorance that got the snakehead banned over here.

[kevin714]

Once again to think a Cichlid (any cichlid), has a chance against a flat out carnivore like a Snakehead is foolsih.....


So let me get this straight you are saying a Dovii is not a carnivore? Or to be more correct a Piscivore(spl?). I assure you they don't eat veggies or fruit in lake Nicaraugua.

[kevin714]

Scott - you got that right. As I and many others have stated, a dovii maybe vicious but a channa is capable of flat out ripping another fish in half, a dovii isn't. Snakeheads are born to kill.

If I remember correctly the micro that did that was only about 9 inches long.

How can you possibly state that a Dovii could not ever rip a fish in two? Of course they could. Even my synspilum ripped a crayfish in two yesterday and only ate the tail. And they are omnivores more than a Piscivore. Dovii have a nice set of teeth and are open water hunters of fish in central america. Sorry but it appears you are starting to show boat a few rounds to early and are starting to get caught with left hooks.:grinyes:

[kevin714]

Not that I am arguing one fish or another (I still think it is a silly argument) but the main thing that got snakeheads banned was the same reason they were going to ban clarias cats for a while, they have a reputation for traveling overland. As far as the generalization that true carnivores are tougher than fish like cichlids I feel the need to point out that many true carnivores (while deadly) are relatively delicate and easily damaged like needlefish and payara.


Thanks guppy finally some sanity. I agree this is a silly argument thats why I asked for video in the first place. I knew it would drive the macho snakehead guys crazy. And as predicted they fell right into it:thumbsup:

[rumblesushi]

I would actually say I am winning every minute of every round, just sticking and moving, haven't even got caught flush. Almost all the fans see it the same way :D

Show me a dovii ripping a similar sized fish clean in 2, I'll believe it when I see it.

Wolves and channas are capable of that, not much else. Piranhas and ATFs are but chunk by chunk, not 1 big bite.

[kevin714]

I would actually say I am winning every minute of every round, just sticking and moving, haven't even got caught flush. Almost all the fans see it the same way :D

Show me a dovii ripping a similar sized fish clean in 2, I'll believe it when I see it.

Wolves and channas are capable of that, not much else. Piranhas and ATFs are but chunk by chunk, not 1 big bite.


Yea sure and snakeheads are devastating rivers in the U.S. :ROFL:

Down goes Frazier. Ding Ding

[rumblesushi]

didn't they have to resort to drastic measures to kill the snakeheads in the potomac river? Someone posted something on here a while ago. I know the reports are exaggerated, I find it hilarious they are banned in the US, and scotland of all places. Still, they breed prolifically and are more capable of devastating a river than pretty much any other fish.

I got my right hand glued to my chin buddy, the blows are just glancing off - and didn't you know Frazier retired over 25 years ago old timer? :D

[guppy]

Okay, I am tired of this. This type thread keeps coming up and keeps degenerating into this bull every time. Argueing hypotheticals no one ever wins.
As far a snakeheads devastating rivers in the US, never happened Even the couple places like the Potamic that they have managed to get established it is far to early to tell if they will have a signifigant impact, I am pretty sure that most of the young are making great food for channel cats and striped bass. The one lake that was seriously effected was not because the few snakeheads they found ate too many fish but rather because the F+W people saw a potential problem and it was politically hot so they poisoned everything in the lake. The transplanted fish here that have devastated native populations are trout, bass, and bluegill.
As far as clarias go back in the 70s they were big news and they did clear a coulpe areas in Florida of speckled and snail bullhead and at least one madtom, and made a slight dent in the replacement rate of LMBs in a couple areas.
Like the snakeheads the problem was not well based in science but rather due to media hype.
Back to the problem with this thread, all that is being argued (ad nauseum) is opinion and ego. Enough.
This thread is closed.

[Miles]

BUMP

:)

[gar b3ar]

wolf fish

[X24]

if going pound for pound tuffest, then i'd say pea puffers. these guys are pretty damn aggressive and only get to 1". i'd say with such a high aggression level devided out to 1" they take the cake. i mean sh's might be more aggressive but because of their size they can't win it pound for pound ;)

[Nabbig2]

maybe feeder guppies? They are so small, they eat brine shrimp over half their size. Remember, this is pound for pound.

[TCZeli]

GREAT WHITE SHARK

[ermgravy]

siamese flying fox or plec... in a tank, either would pound any fish to death against the side of a tank just takes either to get in a bad mood n over teritorial... i have a 3" flying fox that owns my 9" p.bass (pbass cant cant it to eat it so it just spends 2hrs a day pickin on the bass and head butting him, they are now seperated..! and a 4" albino common plec that owns my 6" oscar... pound for pound toughest fish... can take a beating n just swim off like nout happened too, lol...

[snakeheadjr]

For attitude I would go with a Convict, If they got big and had teeth watch out. I've had big Snakeheads and big Wolfs. Both mean as hell. Both would try to bite you through the glass. I never put them together. I was thinking if put together, What fish bites first the Snakehead would bite and spin or shake a piece out of the other. If the wolf bites first it usually hold on till the fish is dead or he can turn it around to swallow it. I seen a Giant Wolf the other day and was very impressed.

[nolapete]

I've read through most of this thread and have to laugh. Convicts and oscars? Please, a wussy bifasciatum or black belt have more bite. While I agree with the Dovii and SH, there's a cichlid that unless I missed it has not been mentioned.

Festae, particularly females, are much more brutal than dovii. I watched my friend's 10 inch female festae beat his male 16" dovii constantly into submission. The male festae in my avatar pic was probably the most docile fish you've ever seen until you added something else in the tank.

I thought I'd use an oscar, seemingly tough, as a dither fish with the pair. Expecting that the female would be the one to brutalize it, I was sadly mistaken. Within a few minutes of walking out of the room after introducing the oscar to the tank, I could hear CRUNCH like someone swinging a bat against a hollow door. I go back to find the docile male taking chunks out of the oscar.

SH do have an advantage in regard to biting ability because of the teeth, but for sheer brutal power I'm going with the festae.

I'd like to see a SH vs. Black piranha though. I'm betting on the black piranha.

[black_monster]

Puffers don't really have the killing instinct that the other Predators do. If you were to put a large puffer in with a large dovii.. The Dovii would be much more quick and agile, and instantly lace into the puffer (and probably stun himself) but make him puff up immediately. Granted, Puffers have the biggest bite of any fish, pound for pound (FW), but they don't have that berzerk go out and attack anything mentality.

If you consider it a matter of weight, you have to look at the Snakeheads body shape in comparison to most other predators. He is going to weigh less but be just as viscious at maximum size. Red Devils, Dovii's, Umbee's will all weigh a considerable amount, in comparison to a slender bodied giant snakehead.

I would be more interested in the match verse snakeheads and perhaps a lungfish, but lungfish don't have that berzerk attitude either. Big difference between a 'large predator' and 'a crazy whacked out bite your face off predator'..

Just a few things to think about. I am sure we are not considering alot of factors, so I don't know exactly who would win. I heard Aba Aba knifes are quite nasty too, and as long and streamline as they are, they will not weigh as much.

I would go with Channa, Dovii, Aba Aba.. I guess ? :)

wrong! my fahaka was a few inches smaller than my 11" fh. i one day had to keep them together for one night w/ no divider. i was worried that the fahaka was going to get beat up the next morning but boy was i wrong. the fh wouldn't even go near the fahaka and the fh's tail was shredded!

[Bsixxx]

UMBEE hand down!!

followed by black nasty, Dovii, Red devil aba aba!

[X24]

again, i'd agree with the sh, umbees aba aba's ect. ect. if this was for the toughest fish period. but this is toughest fish for their size. still gotta go with dwarf puffers, only get an inch and can take on any fish not big enough to eat them.

[FISH-4LIFE]

a snakeheads mouth and teeth are made for ripping and a bowfin mouth and teeth are made for holding its prey snake head would wreck a bowfin

[killerfish]

snakehead or dorado they would beat the crap out of any cichlid the same size

[lunchladyland]

from my experience i think a dorado of equal size would win hands down. there so fast and hard hitting i think it could stirke 20 times before being struck back. all fish differ but i do know that my fahaka puffer is a wimp. i had him in a tank all buy himself so i introduced a male festea and it pounded on the fahaka so i removed him right away. then i tried a red devil and he also beat on the fahaka but not as bad so then i mixed the male festa with the rd and the first night the festea was kicking the crap out of him until the rd lost it and went bannanas on the festea so i had to remove the male festea. i also have a female festea that are supposedly meaner but still much smaller then most of my south americans. i like them all except for this little dumb shortbeak gar i have.. i think pretty soon hes going to meet my tank of cariba pirahna.:naughty:

[Nabbig2]

Pound for pound....maybe convicts?

[Opiate]

umbee/dovii hands down

[BIGS]

While I find this "which fish is tougher" mentality interesting and its somthing I used to do in choosing fish to a degree, what I really want is a predatory community tank not an aggressive one. With my rather inexperience even I know that to select tank mates for known aggressive fish you don't put them in one by one, you have a number of them so that its not constantly bullied. This post isn't targeted at anyone specifically but I'd say applies to a few out there. I don't think the way a fish kills its prey has to much impact on how it would do compared to another. Ok a piranha has surgical like teeth. A SH has ripping type teeth, duno what u wld class a Dovii's teeth as. Than you've got a jardini which can use its tongue to spear through a fish. Some fish bite some fish use their mass to clobber other fish. At the end of the day there is no definitive answer.

[airben23]

ok pound for pound not length id say a muskie or a pike those things could mess up a wolf fish/snakehead neither one of those fish have enough power to exploder out of the water.....

[Au Duong Phong]

As I said b4. The BETTAS.

[Fishes33]

Deep Sea Angler :D Destroy any fish if same length and weight :headbang2

[cookiemonster]

It's hard to make much of an argument against a snakehead... Those are big, mean fish.

[Onion01]

bowfin or exodon

[BIGS]

Found this pic of a Dovii, who says they have small teeth...

[gruntaz]

payara put dovii to shame with their teeth

[VVateverzYo]

of course dovii is more mean

[gruntaz]

havent ever kept payara i just wanted to make the point of how big there teeth are for freshwater fish. kno of any with bigger teeth?

also pound for pound id say maybe purple spotted gudgeon big mouths with an attitude but they can also be heaps docile.
out of cichlids i'd say a convict, umbee are agro but pound for pound convict.

[BIGS]

Payara put just about every other fish to shame to. I was just making a point about not underestimating the Doviis dentures as some seem to do.

[gruntaz]

oh ok i know they have some big ass teeth just cant go past the payara

[Fishes33]

Those teeth are nothing if compare to Deep Sea Angler :D

[gruntaz]

id have to say payara do compare

[MarlboroMan]

I think this is a Rock Sissors Paper game. There will be opinions, and probally some bending of the truth.

I think it would be a smaller fish that wins. If a tiny fish were blown up in porportion to the larger fish, it's teeth get larger, skin get thicker, while the larger fish shrinks to meet the smaller contender, all the while getting thinner skin, smaller teeth, etc.

I had a 4-5" elongatus that barely weighed much and killed everything as soon as I added him to the tank ( large pleco, guppies, and barbs). But most likely unique character, seen other elongs live with cichlids peacefully.

Dunno why, I secretly want snakehead to win. Seen the aftermath of a 14" redline with a 24" jardini. 2 pieces of jardini in ziplock in the freezer.

[EpiC]

Ocean fish own freshwater
Moray eel!
na but seriously Dovii hands down in my opinion

[gruntaz]

Dunno why, I secretly want snakehead to win. Seen the aftermath of a 14" redline with a 24" jardini. 2 pieces of jardini in ziplock in the freezer.
08-16-2007 11:41 PM

even if they have big teeth a cannot see a fish a good 25cm small beating a jardini, it would also be like less than half as robust.

[gruntaz]

25cm smaller* i meant

[cjack]

i dunno if it has been clearly separated to a freshwater only fight, but if not an Undulate Trigger:FIREdevil. Nothing in the world can be put with them. I've seen a 3" Undulate destroy anything that was put into its 75 gallon tank. While trying to clean the tank you couldnt put your hand in it without loosing some flesh and lots of blood. They are fast, agile, strong (as ***k), and meaner than anything ive ever seen.

Find me a fish that pound for pound can beat an Undulate trigger and i will be suprised.

[cookiemonster]

I'd have to say dovii. No other fish I've ever seen has the same "get the F**k out of here!" attitude as a po'd male dovii.

[vamptrev]

who cares which fish is the toughest when theyre never gonna fight???????
I think what relly matters is which one looks the toughest.....

[loki11]

what about red devil?

[hydro]

i woud say snake head.ive got 3 big red snakeheads and its the devil is inside these, fish ive tried to keep other fish with them,oscars,birchirs,pirhanas,gars most eaten or just ripped up
snakeheads are real monsters man

[cichlidinsomniac]

giant wolf hands down for fresh water i had a 26" one in with a giant sh around 3' they got along fine for a while, but one day the sh started flaring at the wolf and almost instantly the wolf grabbed it by the gills and it was good bye sh, I wonder how a scaled down mako would do agianst a trigger they've got extreme speed, those razor sharp teeth, and greet armor

[LMB guy]

I know it sounds really stupid but I had a NASTY and do I mean NASTY marbled goby that was about 11 inches that I had to decapitate. I paid 10 dollars for him and he ate about 250 dollars worth of fish. I couldnt keep anything with him. He would ambush everything and if he couldnt swallow it hole after ambushing it he would just rip it up.

ETA: Also I hear the crystal eyed catfish are complete terrors as well and will go after humans when trying to clean or feed.

[gruntaz]

i dont think it sounds stupid. ive had fish that are supposedly peaceful beat on fish like jaguar and red devil.

[X24]

tiger shark is suppose to have the most testosterone of any fish...therefore they should be most aggressive fish.....but it doesn't really seem that way considering there isn't constant tiget shark attacks.

i know ive stated opinion many times in here lol but i guess i change my mind with experience.

Wolf fish aren't to aggressive, but they are tough as hell! any fish tries to mess with them it almost always ends up with a dead fish in the grip of a pissed off wolf. Wolves rarely start the conflicts but i've heard very few stories of anything taking out a wolf of close to the same size....

[bikeguy33]

if we are talking weight.....i`d put any fish....fresh or salt against a jaguar cichlid....they are mean. I maintain aquariums by trade and i have more than a few scars from jaguars....

[santoury]

You would put a 10 foot shark against a jag... ?

[Scorponok]

A Mongrel Koi.

[VVateverzYo]

the heck is a mongrel koi

[Opiate]

i'd say for pure aggression umbee/dovii/Channa and for pure power Temensis...

[amehel0]

either mangrove jack or mangrove jack

[gruntaz]

it is NO way an umbee. and if they are the top of the cichlid list for aggression its not a cichlid.

[twhittle]

You would put a 10 foot shark against a jag... ?


The rules at the beginning said they have to be the same size as in pound for pound. I like the Jag, but my Red Terror, Blackbelt, Green Terror, and JD all win when they fight my 11 inch Jag.

[strapp]

Male Red Devils are hard to beat! My male has defeated evry Jag he has seen along with a persistent and tough female FH.

[Dovii dude]

I would say a tie between the Rhom and the Snakehead,they both are super aggressive and have the tools to get the job done!!!

[Nabbig2]

I would say a tie between the Rhom and the Snakehead,they both are super aggressive and have the tools to get the job done!!!

If convicts grew as big as a rhom or a snakehead....holy shoot! That would be the most aggressive fish ever. :nilly:

[bobVillanueva]

hey guys, how bout a nasty alligator gar? hehe! it's ancient and so it's gotta be tough! though i also like to share my days with my red snake head! Man i was like in 5th grade or lower (i'm just 19 btw) and i was able to grow it to about 23 inches then. Man i got sick and was hospitalized. when i got home just after 4 days. My Hi-fin Shark which was like 20 inches was turned in to a..... Half body severed shark! @_@ needless to say, the mark of the snakehead's jaws were very evident!

[BraveheartCalif]

Ive had the large rohm, had a red large snakehead, had an aimara. The Aimara hands down the meanest fish in the freshwater world. It will try to kill you- no joke

[Chooka]

who cares which fish is the toughest when theyre never gonna fight???????
I think what relly matters is which one looks the toughest.....

What is this fish??

Brett

[SawtoothGrin]

my lil 4 inch convict is toughest fish ive had,quite a jerk...but i think...Aimara looks meanest. eventhou im a snakehead fan for life...pound for pound...i say aimara is the meanest and toughest compare to giant snakehead.

[Flexxx]

From what I here, a Hoplias Aimara will kick a pit bulls ass if you throw one in the tank, but who wants to pay 1,000 bucks for an Aimara. Out of all the more affordable, realistic fish I would have to go with the Itslantum Cichlid. I had one that needed an exorcism to get the demons out of him :irked:LOL. I have owned snake heads, and to species of wolf fish and they dont bother a fish unless they are hungry or defending territory. Istlantum Cichlids attack for no reason. They dont care if the other fish does not fight back, or hides. The one I had was only interested in killing, and if the other fish was bigger than him he would just follow them around the tank until he figured out how to kill them.:banhim:

[mcsx]

mangrove jack, put anything in with one of them and its toast!

[bobVillanueva]

Aba-Aba

[Peter McFarlane]

Can i just say as a noob....

I find your fish fightclub great reading.... i don't know what half of the fish you guys mention are..so i'm looking them up on google images as i go...

I went to the pet store today to research what fish to get (i have tanks set up, but no occupants yet) and I saw these fish eating the hell out of 1 of their dead mates.... I was amazed so captured it on my phone... (if someone tells me how to upload online I'll gladly share)

Turns out the fish were oscars only small 3 inches or so, but bloody hell they were horrible little buggers.... I'm definetly gonna be buying two lol

[Rockbass6]

pound for pound..Round Goby! Those things are very agressive eaters. Ive had them hit plugs out fishing!

[E-Nyce]

Wolf Fish

[jordanlewis100]

any of the larger triggers,but freshwater i would say red SH or adult male umbee!

[Russy Pelican]

IMO for size the toughest fish are Western mosquito fish and Fairy Cichlids (brichardi). :headbang2

That's a brilliant guess. Here I've been thinking about undulated triggers, snakeheads, and such... then I remember these tiny terrors that will shred much larger fish.

[lostnight]

that dude loves turkey

[Chris006]

Definitely SNAKEHEAD!!!! it bit my tiger oscar in half!!!!!

[channarox]

i wouldnt say red SHs are very aggressive.
they just think they can devour anything.
pound for pund its gotta be the exodon.

[cichlidinsomniac]

neets make cons look like *****es

[flowerfan]

If convicts grew as big as a rhom or a snakehead....holy shoot! That would be the most aggressive fish ever. :nilly:
please, do you konw convict only get mean when it start breeding.

[flowerfan]

adult red devil would be the my vote. my had my red devil for 9 years and I had keep him with almost any fresh water fish before including fahaka. Mine never back off from a fight.

[Druu]

Candiru. A few grams of fish in your dong will show you a new world of pain.

[ChrisH]

Man I own soem mean animals but the meanest ive come across is my male convict easily taking chunks out of my fingers and beating anythign that rubs him the wrong way.

[kafiltafiisch]

ogre catfish(big ass mouth and strong jaws) or an african tigerfish

[Cichlid fanatic]

Red belly piranha. If they havent had any food for a week game over. I'd say a great white if this was a SW topic

[popcorn1]

calvus or compressiceps. first day in the tank and theyre not even hiding or being submissive. they just bend their bodies and let the fish bite their armor scales. crzy defense

[Aqua Sanctuary]

hoplias

[Shiroi Katsune]

My Archer attacked my G/F while she was sitting on the couch about 3 feet from the tank. He's about 3" long, so maybe a couple grams. Shes 9 months pregnant and about 130. That's a pretty aggressive fish if you ask me.

[Datnoid101]

I'd say Terapon jarbua or aba aba

[kif]

electric eel, otherwise i'd say an 18-24 inch rhom would decimate all contenders

[Lenn51]

I agree long live the "Hoplias"

[BlackwaterFL]

The common wolf fish imo. The one I use to own was the meanest damn thing I ever saw in my life, and he hit hard.
If not I would have to say a Rom

[RonTheRHOM]

1 fish that seems to have slipped the mind of every MFK'er......... HOPLIAS AIMARA...
no contest! as mean as a fish can get

[cepon3]

my brandtii.. i dare someone to put there 8" fish in with him.. you'll have no more fish.. remember its pound for pound, which means its by weight not by full grown potential..

[TheZman]

No question it would be a Wallagu Attu, otherwise known as a man eating catfish. At 6 feet I doubt any freshwater fish can take it, but even a 12" can kick some serious fish ass!!!

[catfish hippy man (dylan)]

this forum is based on peoples views so i doubt that there will be a clear winner. most fish people are saying are 1'+ so i wonder why no small fish have been said.
if you think about it most small fish would also be able to do alot of damage for example a congo tetra at 2' would have teeth about 3"long and would be able to do coniderable damage to most fish at that size.another small fish what would be dangerous would be canderu catfish, one a eposode of amazon abbays a shoal of canderu catfish demolishe a tiger shovel nose catfish.i would have to say this forum is also centerd on fish people like, so i consider it unfair and strange speculations are being made. overall the fish i would choose would be a nurse shark(massive bight force) or one of the 'people eater' catfish such as that of thee wallago genus.

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

if you look at it at pound for pound, you should consider smaller fish that would otherwise be overlooked, considering suggestions of huge fish being mentioned. Something small like Neets for example, have tons of aggression

[cichlidfish]

Red belly piranha. If they havent had any food for a week game over. I'd say a great white if this was a SW topic

i knew someone who had 4 RBP in w/ a larger SH and the the SH was stripped to the bone over night.
also i can't believe oscars mentioned then a lot of other cichlids. they should be near the bottom as killers. my 13'' oscar will try and bite me, but never stood a chance against my 5'' con and 7'' texas.
as far as cichlids that aren't listed on here i would say these are pretty damn agressive fish:
salvini
red terror
cuban
midas
trimac
texas
and a lot of african cichlids.
my texas is trying to bite me from the other side of the room as i type :ROFL:

what about cichlid breeding agression? i think that is pretty hard to match. you don't even need pairs for that.

[shamrock]

Yeah I don't why anyone would mention Oscar.

[sevendreamz]

As far as agressive Cichlids, Oscars rank pretty LOW....check out a territorial male Dovii, Umbee, or etc....TRUE MONSTERS....

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

As far as agressive Cichlids, Oscars rank pretty LOW....check out a territorial male Dovii, Umbee, or etc....TRUE MONSTERS....

Yeah, oscars are very low in the aggression totem pole. Even small Central American species like convicts are more aggressive. Definitely Buttis, Dovii, Umbies, Jags, etc would be among the most aggressive (excluding smaller species that are nontheless aggressive)

[channarox]

:iagree:

[ssjas]

I haven't kept many aggressive fish. I have a little (7cm) Sooty Grunter atm which will attack anything that goes in the tank ie my hand, floating bit of driftwood 1.5ft long, siphon etc. But from what i hear these are mild compared to a Mangrove Jack, so thats where my vote goes

[Moontanman]

No doubt about it a hagfish could eat any or all of those fish!

[Dudzy]

A full grown Murray Cod would do some damage to ALOT of fish.

[Dudzy]

Mangrove Jack aswell? yeah

[Azza]

I'll take a Fahaka.

[warmouth]

in a tournament of the best predatory fish around, all weighing the same - who would you fancy?

It's fairer to do it by weight, like boxing, for example a 12 inch rhom is gonna weigh significantly more than a 12 inch senegal bichir.

Also I know that fish are not robots, it does come down to the individual - just how aggressive, pugnacious and tough they are.

For example my red snakehead was extremely aggressive even for the species.

Not only would it attack your hand if you stroked the tank and go for your fingers if you went around the top of the tank, but I once tried mixing it with fish the same size to see if anything could live with it. I tried 2 fish of equal size and it ripped them to shreds as soon as they arrived (seperate occasions).

And it was not even hungry, it was very well fed on beefheart, shrimps, goldfish etc.

Yet my pirhanas were not aggressive at all. A goldfish could live for days in that tank, they seemed to prefer dead food. And if i put my hand in they would do nothing.

So let's say we take an average specimen of each fish, not one that's unusually aggresive or timid.

Who would your money be on? (excluding poisonous fish, has to be a fair fist fight (well mouth ;))

I guess the contenders are red snakeheads, wolf fish, african tiger, possibly a rhom? Lungfish?
Alligator gar will kill anything in its weight class.....anything, they eat bowfin, largemouth etc.

[gavigan1]

I dont know about most agressive but I had a big wolf fish that successfully killed anything I put with him, snakeheads , cichlids didnt matter he tried to eat them all...

[sevendreamz]

Yeah the wolves are def. at the top, with the number one spot held by an adult Aimara. The Alligator Gar is a BEAST but the only thing I could put in its category would be the Super Large Catfish or Arapima which dont seem aggressive their just so damn big they eat pretty much what they want. Its more of an eating drive not pure aggression. Not all but alot of the Larger species Wolves, Snakeheads, and Cichlids are simply tough and aggressive fish with attitudes and will kill outside of being hungry. Of course every individual fish is different...just my .02cents.....;)

[DarthRhom]

A full grown black piranha...extremely aggressive as they get older. When it all came down to it, there would probably be about 10 species that would probably come out on top during different encounters.

[DarthRhom]

First post...yay!! Im just a troll :confused:

[Ill take that mean one]

black pirahna

[doviiman]

After looking at that closeup of the snakeheads teeth, of course it would own any Cichlid. I mean what else can contend with that at the same weight?

Not so much, had a 12in dovii and a 15 in red SH, had to move when I bought new house so i had to down size the tanks ans put the two in a 125 gallon from the 300gal, and in a matter of 8 hours, the Dovii had taken plugs out of the SH, p--- me off something serious to. While SH are aggresive, really only when wanting you as food. Dovii' and umbee are tru;ly more aggressive becasue they are terrtorial to say the least jsut for the hell of it. You can get away with poutting a large Sh in a big tank say 400 gal with other fish and just keep him well fed, On the other hand the Dovii or UMbee will still try to own the whole tank.

[Bottomfeeder]

My Dad's friend is a fish owner, and thru my Dad, I've heard stories of Oscars pretty much killing everything in their tanks in one nigght, Sharks to other Cichlids. Not just killing them, DESIMATING them. He'd find them shredded, with no eyes or fins, not even eaten. just DISMANTLED.
><> ><> ><>

[sterling_mcdaniel]

I know this isnt really a fight..........but if you think about it i gulper catfish against anything close to its size becomes a meal = game over. but thats not really a fight :)

[Dudzy]

Mangrove Jack, these things literally have to be kept alone.

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

My Dad's friend is a fish owner, and thru my Dad, I've heard stories of Oscars pretty much killing everything in their tanks in one nigght, Sharks to other Cichlids. Not just killing them, DESIMATING them. He'd find them shredded, with no eyes or fins, not even eaten. just DISMANTLED.
><> ><> ><>

oscars are usually pansies, I'm surprised to hear that level of aggression

[shamrock]

Yeah I saw a 3 inch Beta own an 8 inch Oscar.

[sevendreamz]

Oscars rank really low....Alot of cichlids are very TERRITORIAL I will say that but only a few are TRUE KILLERS....a large DOVII or UMBEE is a powerful specimen. The larger Wolves are killers as well, Ive seen many that simply will not tolerate tankmates. The few that do are usually started at a young age with tankmates, which is the best way for any fish if you want it to accept tankmates. With enough hiding places and space just about any combination can work. Wolves, snakeheads, Dovii and Umbee, and Large Rhoms all possess the tools to tear fish in half. Oh yeah and Dorado's as well.....very quick fish. Oscars simply wouldn't stand a chance with any of these fish i just named...LOL.....they would simply be DINNER...;)

[guerilla 33]

wolffish are all around badass fast strong slender killer bite, thats my vote

[woodyoz]

a snakehead will kill anything

[a_c_arnold]

The thread says no poison, but didn't mention electricity. I'm going with an electric catfish. A human has to watch out for those.

[ALLafricancichlids]

my oscar killed my RD

[ALLafricancichlids]

for the size, betta

[Nicksplosion]

a giant snakehead because of its will to survive or a tarpon.
just my thoughts

[Perciformes]

I want to see a 2' bowfin vs a 2' snakehead, even money?
I want to see a 2ft sh vs 2ft marble goby would be intresting.Speed and teeth against anbush and mouth.

[Thedaniokeeper]

Is this FW or all water types? If all, than probably some type of shark.
If FW, then I would say bettas or SH.
70kg Betta vs. 70kg SH.
The SH. The betta would be to fat to move.

[voss345]

BLue fish, they are hella mean, imagine them pound for pound against a shark or a barrucuda, they would maul

islantum they stay fairly small and are nuts

[channarox]

I want to see a 2ft sh vs 2ft marble goby would be intresting.Speed and teeth against anbush and mouth.

a goby wouldnt even fight back...
or maybe flare abit.

[Perciformes]

a goby wouldnt even fight back...
or maybe flare abit.
Not a true goby its part Eleotridae family witch contain fish called sleepers.

[channarox]

Not a true goby its part Eleotridae family witch contain fish called sleepers.

i know that...

[tnnsman7]

I didn't read all 40 pages of this thread, so someone may have mentioned this fish already, but my pick would be an alligator gar. I'm not sure they are as aggressive as some of the other fish mentioned here, but they are armored plated. I'm not sure any of these fish with teeth that have been mentioned would do that much damage. My brother in law caught a 70 pounder while working in New Orleans on the levees this past summer. It took 6 of them (all drillers) with a razor sharp machete to clean him. It took all their strength to cut through the armor plating.
Here's a pic of one just a little bigger:
http://www.backwaterbowfishing.com/myweb/Texas%20May%202006%20075.jpg

[aggressor09]

I had a redsnakehead a long time ago that was fine with all the tankmates that were previously in before his addition, even the smaller ones, but would kill any new additions to the tank no matter what their size. would shred them up it was really horrific.
He lost the battle that led to his ultimate demise with a very, very large electric cat addition.
Also, anything wallago are normally very aggressive and terrifying looking (specifically the attu).

[gmachine19]

Id have to say that the hornet cichlid is by far the most aggresive fish for me. I had a 5" that killed 2 of my 12" adult oscars. (http://whozoo.org/fish/teleosts/Labroids/HornetCichlidFWZ12222000c23.JPG)

[gmachine19]

Id have to say that the hornet cichlid is by far the most aggresive fish for me. I had a 5" that killed 2 of my 12" adult oscars. (http://whozoo.org/fish/teleosts/Labroids/HornetCichlidFWZ12222000c23.JPG)

Just copy paste the link to your toolbar if link is not working. :irked:

[FLY MAN]

Dorado

[viridari]

Pound for pound, I think the winner is going to be a small fish, not a large one.

I've seen three inch long convicts beat the snot out of 10-12" jags (eggs of both species were present in the tank at the time and the convicts owned the tank while the big jags were stuck in the corner cowering).

I'm laughing at the oscar comments. Oscars are pretty docile as cichlids go.

I'd like to see how some of the popular suggestions here would hold up against a fahaka puffer.

[channarox]

Pound for pound, I think the winner is going to be a small fish, not a large one.

I've seen three inch long convicts beat the snot out of 10-12" jags (eggs of both species were present in the tank at the time and the convicts owned the tank while the big jags were stuck in the corner cowering).

I'm laughing at the oscar comments. Oscars are pretty docile as cichlids go.

I'd like to see how some of the popular suggestions here would hold up against a fahaka puffer.

convicts are mean.
but theres plenty of fish that can take them out.
as for oscars,i totally agree...
and the fahakas.
i dont think i know of any fish that could take them.

[ctoychik]

Go Esox Lucius - Northen Pike. It can fight in warm and cold environment. Pound for pound - go pike!

PS: hmmm snakehead's body seems to be more rigid though. i have never touched a Esox before from pix seems kinda soft ... Still GO ESOX!!!

[zorba4884]

EASY A AUSTRALIAN BARRAMUNDI anythig the same size(pound for pound) it would just gulp up in one bite, there reflexes are also fast as soon as someting come to attack it it would be swolled hole. these fish fit anything in.

a mangrove jack is a Austrailian salt water ocean fish but can be keept in fish water if caught young in a brackish water (the live when young) there are like a meaner, faster, bigger bite red devil.

bump

[channarox]

EASY A AUSTRALIAN BARRAMUNDI anythig the same size(pound for pound) it would just gulp up in one bite, there reflexes are also fast as soon as someting come to attack it it would be swolled hole. these fish fit anything in.

a mangrove jack is a Austrailian salt water ocean fish but can be keept in fish water if caught young in a brackish water (the live when young) there are like a meaner, faster, bigger bite red devil.

bump

barras arent overly aggressive.
but very predatory.
and we're looking for all out killers not all out eaters.:grinno::grinno::grinno:

[dagnor]

i would say a a spotted gar ?

[gigas12]

How about h.goliath they really have lethal weapons!

[bubblereef]

it's gotta be the piranha or the snakehead to be the tuffest. Pound for pound probably the convict.

[cl0wn knife]

electric eel can stun any fish n then take it down gotta b toughest fish pound 4 pound

[thingthing]

australian grunters. especially the barcoo, sooty and coal grunters. australian fish are extremely agressive, and no-one knows why.

[Chris006]

I'd like to see a mature snakehead vs a same size wolf fish. Speed VS POWER!:headbang2

[channarox]

I'd like to see a mature snakehead vs a same size wolf fish. Speed VS POWER!:headbang2

im pretty sure snakeheads have jaws that are just as powerful....

[Dudzy]

australian grunters. especially the barcoo, sooty and coal grunters. australian fish are extremely agressive, and no-one knows why.

Barcoo for sure, thats one angry fish.

[Chris006]

im pretty sure snakeheads have jaws that are just as powerful....

True... my Snakehead bit my fully grown oscar in half.:WHOA:

But snake heads have smaller teeth VS the Wolf Fish with massive and thick fang like teeth.

It would be awwwwsome if the Wolf fish had the saber tooth Payara's fangs!!!!:eek::eek::eek:

[channarox]

True... my Snakehead bit my fully grown oscar in half.:WHOA:

But snake heads have smaller teeth VS the Wolf Fish with massive and thick fang like teeth.

It would be awwwwsome if the Wolf fish had the saber tooth Payara's fangs!!!!:eek::eek::eek:

snakeheads have much sharper teeth,which is why they can make clean cuts.
wolffish tend to grab the fish and shake.

[IveGotTheBestTank]

any of u ever seen asian red tail cats?

my friends bro had 1 tht was about 8" - 9" in with four 14" oscars and it killed all of them

they wouldnt fit in its mouth so it just took chunks, nasty things they are with real nasty teeth. its gotta be a contender

i nearly bought it a couple of days later :D

[bitteraspects]

Exodon paradoxus (saw toothed tetra, bucktooth tetra) for the win!!!

When you're talking pound for pound, nothing else even comes close. These guys are already killing tankmates @ 1" or less. Put your favorite predator in there at the same size and my money is on the exo's

[channarox]

Exodon paradoxus (saw toothed tetra, bucktooth tetra) for the win!!!

When you're talking pound for pound, nothing else even comes close. These guys are already killing tankmates @ 1" or less. Put your favorite predator in there at the same size and my money is on the exo's

one exodon at 1 inch VS any aggressive cichlid at the same size.
exodon would definitely lose simply because THEY ARE SCHOOLING FISH and are only aggressive when they school.
its like putting one RBP in a tank alone.

[Ill take that mean one]

thai malaysian mixed plakat fighters

[HarlanAshmore]

check this out i reckon a arrow hed puffer http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg5D7uZv1Fs&feature=channel_page