Top 10 must have predatory fish in your opinions?

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

First, I disappeared for a really long time cuz of studying at the university. Well, I had been offline from this site for months now and didn't reply to anyone who answered my 2-3 latest posts.

Anyways, what are some MUST-HAVE predatory fish in your opinions? Exclude those that can get too large and couldn't be kept in an aquarium such as Arapaima, RTC, Alligator gar, Goonch, Wels, Wallago and Wallagonia and will likely eat all the other fish that are its tank mates(tank mates such as peacock bass and oscars for examples). So give me your opinions, but the likes Silver Arowana, Payara, Vittatus(not goliath) are allowed since they're not as bad as the above in terms of sizes and 'How big of a fish can they eat' which makes these 3 are acceptable since they most likely couldn't eat all the other tank mates that are kept with them.

 

[M075]

I would love some boullengerella maculata with a gymnotus knife fish species but since they might get too big for my tank (100g) i went with 3 hujeta / rocket gars.

Fresh water pufferfish are pretty cool but i dont think they do well with other fish.

Ive thought about eels but most of them get way too big too, and i try keep my tank South American otherwise id have a fire eel already.

Piranhas look kinda cool but seem pretty boring, a group of bass could be fun maybe?

The one species thats a must have for me is definitely a gymnotus knifefish, but theyre hard to come by where im from.. some day...

 

[Bluefields Aquatics]

First, I disappeared for a really long time cuz of studying at the university. Well, I had been offline from this site for months now and didn't reply to anyone who answered my 2-3 latest posts.

Anyways, what are some MUST-HAVE predatory fish in your opinions? Exclude those that can get too large and couldn't be kept in an aquarium such as Arapaima, RTC, Alligator gar, Goonch, Wels, Wallago and Wallagonia and will likely eat all the other fish that are its tank mates(tank mates such as peacock bass and oscars for examples). So give me your opinions, but the likes Silver Arowana, Payara, Vittatus(not goliath) are allowed since they're not as bad as the above in terms of sizes and 'How big of a fish can they eat' which makes these 3 are acceptable since they most likely couldn't eat all the other tank mates that are kept with them.

Hey welcome back! I totally get how life and studies can pull you away from the hobby for a bit, good to see you back in it. As for must have predators that won’t outgrow the tank, here are a few fun ones that come to mind:

• Silver Arowana – You already mentioned it, but it’s a classic. Tons of personality, surface cruiser, and always a showpiece. Just make sure you’ve got a tight lid, because they will try to test your reflexes with those jumps.
• Payara (Hydrolycus) – Super cool look with those fang-like teeth. They’re not the easiest to keep long-term, but if you’re into predators, they’re definitely eye-catching.
• African Tiger Fish (Vittatus) – Insane speed and that crazy strike feeding style makes them fun to watch. They need some room to move, but they’re not in the “tank-busting giant” category like the goliath.
• Exodons (Bucktooth Tetras) – Not huge, but they’re one of the most underrated predatory schooling fish out there. They act like little piranhas with group aggression and are a blast in a species only setup.
• Smaller Datnoids (like Indo or NGT) – Gorgeous striping, steady predators, and they don’t get too massive compared to the monster dats.
• Smaller Peacock Bass (Cichla kelberi, for example) – Some of the peacock bass species stay on the smaller side compared to their giant cousins, and they can work in big enough tanks with other mid-sized predators.

If you’re mixing with things like oscars and peacock bass, I’d lean toward stuff that can hold their own without tipping into full “tank wrecker” mode. What size tank are you working with? That will really help narrow down which predators are realistic vs. which are just cool in theory.

 

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

Hey welcome back! I totally get how life and studies can pull you away from the hobby for a bit, good to see you back in it. As for must have predators that won’t outgrow the tank, here are a few fun ones that come to mind:

• Silver Arowana – You already mentioned it, but it’s a classic. Tons of personality, surface cruiser, and always a showpiece. Just make sure you’ve got a tight lid, because they will try to test your reflexes with those jumps.
• Payara (Hydrolycus) – Super cool look with those fang-like teeth. They’re not the easiest to keep long-term, but if you’re into predators, they’re definitely eye-catching.
• African Tiger Fish (Vittatus) – Insane speed and that crazy strike feeding style makes them fun to watch. They need some room to move, but they’re not in the “tank-busting giant” category like the goliath.
• Exodons (Bucktooth Tetras) – Not huge, but they’re one of the most underrated predatory schooling fish out there. They act like little piranhas with group aggression and are a blast in a species only setup.
• Smaller Datnoids (like Indo or NGT) – Gorgeous striping, steady predators, and they don’t get too massive compared to the monster dats.
• Smaller Peacock Bass (Cichla kelberi, for example) – Some of the peacock bass species stay on the smaller side compared to their giant cousins, and they can work in big enough tanks with other mid-sized predators.

If you’re mixing with things like oscars and peacock bass, I’d lean toward stuff that can hold their own without tipping into full “tank wrecker” mode. What size tank are you working with? That will really help narrow down which predators are realistic vs. which are just cool in theory.

I have a pond, but you get it, I don't really want anything that could swallow every other fish that I have. That's why I sold my wallago and wallagonia although they're very cool catfish.

 

[EricTheRed]

The number one predatory fish for aquarists IMO are Pike Cichlids. They are beautiful, hardy, will tolerate some other species of fish in their tanks (provided they don’t fit into their mouth), are voracious eaters, and many stay small enough to comfortably be housed in a 125G tank for life.

 

[Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic]

The number one predatory fish for aquarists IMO are Pike Cichlids. They are beautiful, hardy, will tolerate some other species of fish in their tanks (provided they don’t fit into their mouth), are voracious eaters, and many stay small enough to comfortably be housed in a 125G tank for life.

That's one of my dream fish, but they're kinda rare in my country and extremely expensive as well. So one day...

 

[REDTAILPUPPIES]

I must say, it has to be sunfish. No, not oceanic sunfish, but the freshwater sunfish as a group. they're basically nicer Oscars (not saying they're harmless, just they tolerate other fish more). not as colourful, but the personality is just so HUGE. In fact, they're personality may be about the size of a wels