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Aggressive tank question....

2K views 19 replies 6 participants last post by  marshallsea 
#1 ·
Someone has asked me about setting up a 10g fresh water aggressive tank, and I know nothing about it. My first question is what is an aggressive tank? It has to be more than a tank with fish that fight each other. Is a 10g too small for such a tank? I'm waiting for him to bring me a water sample before asking stocking questions, but it's well water and I'm pretty sure it's soft. I'm also pretty sure he wants it because an aggressive tank sounds cool to him, with him knowing as much about it as I. Maybe it's not an advisable project for him or maybe it is, I don't know what to tell him. If someone could fill me in, I could keep him on the right track. Thank you.
 
#2 ·
I had an aggressive tank recently for a few days as Serpae tetras terrorized each other and my Cories. I can't say I can recommend it. A 10 gallon wouldn't be really enough space for a reasonable-sized shoal of these fish anyway. The same would then go for Tiger Barbs, also known to be boisterous and active.
 
#3 ·
Many cichlids are regarded as aggressive. (Many are not). There are many predatory fish (leaf fish, Pictus cats) and malcontents of other kinds (redtail sharks, blue gouramis) that might qualify.

You might be able to house a single cranky convict cichlid in such a tank (not recommended) but this is too small a tank in which to establish an aggressive community.

We are actually getting ahead of ourselves, here. What kinds of fish are you considering? And why the heck do you seek to set up an aggressive community? Most people who own so-called aggressive fish spend a significant part of their time trying to find ways to quell the aggression!
 
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#4 ·
10 gallons is about as small as it gets. Aggressive fish need space, so you see the problem....
 
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#14 ·
I'm going out on a limb here, but this person who wants an aggressive tank sounds like the sort of new aquarist that needs to be very well educated about fish. I've heard of such people wanting tanks where the fish are constantly tearing into each other--like piranha they think--and they sit back enjoying it. Bad.
 
#15 · (Edited)
The sheer quantity and sadistic graphic quality of videos of this kind on YouTube is truly disturbing. The argument is always that this is somehow "natural" despite the fact that a piranha will never encounter a goldfish in nature and that this is all nothing more than a thinly veiled excuse to satisfy adolescent blood lust.

I am always cautious, therefore, in trying to ascertain the reason a person might want this type of tank, and careful to mention that predatory fish like piranha are not easily kept. Omnivorous fish like Oscars which often are put in the service of this kind of fetish, are even harder to keep healthy and to house.

To be honest, Byron, although I hate these videos and really wish YouTube would take them all down, I often suggest that people who crave fish on fish violence go watch these videos or shark week on Animal Planet in leiu of setting up a tank . It's simpler and cheaper for them and at least no new fish are confined in aquaria where torture is the main thing on the menu. . .

In my perfect world, this kind of abuse is as actionable as any cruelty involving cats or dogs.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I'm in agreement and would get no enjoyment from my pets attacking each other. But I often read about someones aggressive tank and my main question remains, what is the definition of an aggressive tank? They appear somewhat popular and thus can't simply be a gladiator tank. P.S. I have no intention of setting this up, but he asked and I need to know about this so I can be educated in my response.
 
#18 ·
There's that James Bond film that has a scene near the start where the evil villain is getting two male Bettas to battle to the death.

Is it really true that these fish are sometimes especially bred for agression and fighting purposes? If true, how horrifying. Dog fights, cock fights.... fish fights? :(
 
#19 ·
10 is small for a paradise fish
 
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