Is Hemichromis Fasciatus the most aggressive cichlid?

[Cichlid_Guy]

I am very interested in large and aggressive cichlids and Hemichromis Fasciatus seems to be the most furious out of them all. I don't currently have the opportunity to own any big cichlids so I can just speculate. I don't have any personal experience with them either.

I know aggression usually varies quite significantly inside species, but I have gotten the impression that all Faciatus are complete psychos. They are relentless fighters, and I think their fighting tactics are superior to Central American cichlids (and other big Africans like the Buttikoferi). I haven't seen any other cichlids of their size to combine lip-locking and agile fin biting in such a deadly manner. They are almost like super sized Mbunas with Dovii jaws.

Has anyone ever seen a Fasciatus to lose a scrap with another cichlid, or that one has lived in submission to a cichlid of different species? I know they are a super rare species, but I would appreciate any information about the aggression of this amazing cichlid! I dream of owning them one day (not with other fish of course), but it seems like next to impossible to get them to Finland.

 

[Mr geophagus]

No. Dovii is by far the meanest cichlid you can find relatively easily in this hobby.

 

[Bertie07]

I think pound for pound they are the meanest and best fighters but one wouldn’t stand a chance against an adult dovii. If you want meanest I would go for them but if you want strength and size I would go for a dovii.

 

[Cichlid_Guy]

I know dovii are built like tanks, but are they agile enough? Fasciatus can also get preatty muscular and bulky while still being very fast. Just look at Zeus (Faciatus x Frempongi) swimming circles around a flowerhorn and shredding it apart in this video

(it's at the end of the video). In the video Zeus also fights and wins a dovii, but I don't give it much credit, because the dovii is much younger. Every dovii fight video on Youtube I have seen the dovii only lip lock and never attack other fishes sides or fins.

 

[ryansmith83]

Honestly, what’s the point of this video? It’s just animal cruelty. Improper mix of cichlids, in a too-small tank, fought for sport and views on YouTube. That crap doesn’t belong in this hobby.

 

[Cichlid_Guy]

Honestly, what’s the point of this video? It’s just animal cruelty. Improper mix of cichlids, in a too-small tank, fought for sport and views on YouTube. That crap doesn’t belong in this hobby.

I don't support that either, I just tought it illustrated my point about the aggressivenes of the fish.

 

[Tobiassorensen]

No. Dovii is by far the meanest cichlid you can find relatively easily in this hobby.

I agree to dissagree. Dovii is nasty but there is some other cichlids thats quite nasty to. I have a pair of paratilapia polleni and they beat the living **** out of everything from time to time.

Same goes with my tapajos red pikes. The male is a comlete psycho with some nasty teeth. Same goes with caquetaia spectabilis.

 

[TheFishDodo]

Same goes with my tapajos red pikes. The male is a comlete psycho with some nasty teeth. Same goes with caquetaia spectabilis.

Do you got any pictures of your C. spectabilis they are one of my dreams

 

[Tobiassorensen]

Do you got any pictures of your C. spectabilis they are one of my dreams

Here you go. This particular one is dead now. But i have one more thats slighly larger then this thats on timeout in a 1000L sipaxtank with my ahole walking cats so its hard to get a decent photo of it.

 

[TheFishDodo]

Here you go. This particular one is dead now. But i have one more thats slighly larger then this thats on timeout in a 1000L sipaxtank with my ahole walking cats so its hard to get a decent photo of it.

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Thank you so much! They really are a beautiful species.