Five Aggressive Fish for Your Home Aquarium

Most people who have home aquariums want pleasant groups of fish of varying types. This is called a community aquarium. Others want specimen tanks with only a few types of fish. Others keep just one variety. Aggressive fish for your home aquarium are great for a single species fish tank.

Aggressive Aquarium Fish - Red Belly Piranha

The red-bellied piranha is the classic aggressive fish. Piranhas come from South American rivers and are notoriously predatory. They are dark grey to silver with an orange red belly. They eat live food and will go after fingers if hungry or aggravated.

Aggressive Aquarium Fish - Tiger Barb

While the tiger barb is usually a good community aquarium fish, it has a reputation as a fin nipper if not content. Tiger barbs have wide golden bodies with bold black tiger stripes and reddish fins and tail. They prefer to be in a school with a lot of space. Since they are prone to nipping fins, they should not be kept with angelfish or other long-finned fish.

Aggressive Aquarium Fish - Giant Danio

The giant danio is a silvery-blue fish from southern Asia. It has a long narrow body and can reach up to four inches in length. This fish is very active and likes to school. Due to its size and activity level, it is likely to either eat or crowd out all other fish in a tank. It is best kept in a species tank.

Aggressive Aquarium Fish - Red Tailed Black Shark

Despite its name and its very shark-like appearance, this fish eats mostly plant life. It is velvety black with a bright orange red tail. It can grow up to six inches long and needs a lot of space, including hiding spots. If it does not have sufficient cover, it will harass other tank inhabitants. It is aggressive toward its own species.

Aggressive Aquarium Fish - Many Cichlids

Many cichlid varieties are aggressive and should only be kept in one species tanks. Many of these fish grow to very large sizes. Some examples include the popular Red or Tiger Oscar, the Green Terror, a Jewel Cichlid, and the Convict Cichlid.