Aggressive tank question....
 

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.

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.

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!

10 gallons is about as small as it gets. Aggressive fish need space, so you see the problem....

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Yes, I agree. It wouldn't take much to be aggressive in a 10g.

Yes, that's about what I was thinking. Thank you.

A paradise fish is an aggressive guy who could live in a ten. But only by himself!

It's not for me. It sounds like trouble with never ending problems. I'm trying to understand what it is so I can better help a newbie make an informed decision.( With me being a newbie myself.)

Yes, it sounds like a bad idea.