Theoretical question

[jgentry]

Depends upon the fish.

Most will usually just swim away from you. My Xilo pair, Escondido pair, and a couple others (even convicts and little crypto's) will all bite me if they are defending a spawn though. There are a few rare fish that will come up and bite you anyway. I wouldn't trust a Dovii or chancho. Most others I wouldn't be concerned unless they are breeding.

 

[Aquanero]

I swam in lakes with Musky, Pike and Pickerel and never got attacked.

 

[TrikkyMakk]

Thanks for the thoughts fishkeepers.

 

[Toby_H]

If one were to have an aquarium or pool or pond big enough and stable enough to maintain say umbees and \ or jaguars and \ or doviis what is the consensus regarding swimming in said aquarium \ pool \ pond?

Do you think they would bite and attack you or would it just be cool to swim with your fish?

I had a 300 gal 6' round rubbermaid set up for several years...

I had a similar idea and climbed in...

Just so ya know, 80F is VERY COLD to the human body...

Basically I laid underwater freezing, struggling to regulate my breathing through a snorkle, while all my fish all hid... I felt very silly afterwards...

 

[TrikkyMakk]

I had a 300 gal 6' round rubbermaid set up for several years...

I had a similar idea and climbed in...

Just so ya know, 80F is VERY COLD to the human body...

Basically I laid underwater freezing, struggling to regulate my breathing through a snorkle, while all my fish all hid... I felt very silly afterwards...

Supposedly 80 - 84 is standard pool temperature. Interesting story tho!

 

[BigPic]

I swam with HUNDREDS of Dovii (up to 20") in some Florida ponds, the only attacks were in the air, as they tried to evade the seine nets

 

[Danger_Chicken]

They would bolt at the first sign of someone getting in. Spawning or not. Fish behavior changes dramatically when housed in a natural setting. I haven't swam with cichlids but I have waded in ponds full of them, they disappear fast.

People swim in the rivers with these fish all of the time. We are much larger then them so there first thought is were are going to eat them. That being said I wouldn't swim with dovi just because of their teeth. To a 24" fish with an attitude you leg or arm might not be as scary; it probably wouldn't be a problem but I'm chicken. My dream tank is one large enough to swim in (interestingly enough I want a dovi in there - but only one that I can keep my eye on).