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The Meanest Native Fish?


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#1 Sean Phillips

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 05:03 PM

In your guys' opinions and/or experience(s), what're some of the meanest, most aggressive, most "wet-pet" like native fish out there that can realistically be kept in home aquariums (so nothing over let's say 30-36")? I got wondering after seeing all these big wet pet cichlid tanks that whether or not there's some type of Centrarchid that would be the native equivalent since they're so close related, or any very "personable" yet aggressive natives for that matter. I know my female green sunfish has a mean side but nothing comparable to a fish that tears at your arm during a water change. So what are some of the meanest native fish out there out of all of them (hybrids count) other than ones that get ridiculously huge?
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage

#2 mattknepley

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 05:10 PM

It never got ridiculously huge, but my p-seed I had way back when I was 'bout your age kicked the living snot out of anything that went in the tank with him, except for one madtom/stonecat.
Matt Knepley
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#3 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 07:03 PM

Hybrid striped bass are very aggressive at feeding time. The only other things that come to mind are Flathead catfish, and Bowfin.

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#4 Kanus

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 07:25 PM

Mud sunfish are not "mean" per se, but are aggressive feeders akin to other sunfish, and become very personable and often stare at you from the front of the tank begging for food. Plus, unlike other sunfish, they have forward-facing eyes, so they are actually looking AT you while they do this. I've always found it strange how they are so shy/secretive/cover oriented in the wild, but you can put them in a fish tank and they act like Oscars.


Derek Wheaton

On a mountain overlooking the North Fork Roanoke River on one side, the New River Valley on the other, and a few minutes away from the James River watershed...the good life...

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#5 don212

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 10:26 PM

rio grande cichlid

#6 FirstChAoS

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 10:45 PM

Fish I found prone to bullying, harrassing, and killing others are lepomis sunfish (especially dollars in my experience, but I heard greens are nasty too), and banded killifish (agression reports on them seem fifty fifty on group members). I heard mosquitofish and sticklebacks can be mean too.

#7 Kanus

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Posted 28 February 2015 - 11:54 PM

I will second that Gambusia and sticklebacks are terrors in a fish tank. They'll chew the fins off of anything they can, just for the hell of it it seems.

 

I've never seen the phenomenon personally, but I've heard plenty of stories of Exoglossum species eating the eyes of other fishes. If that isn't mean, I don't know what is...


Derek Wheaton

On a mountain overlooking the North Fork Roanoke River on one side, the New River Valley on the other, and a few minutes away from the James River watershed...the good life...

Enchanting Ectotherms

My Personal Facebook (mostly fish related, if you'd like to add me)


#8 Markart

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 08:38 AM

Male 3-Spine Sticklebacks can be horrendous but, in my experience only during the breeding season. They go from placid to psychopathic. Unless in a large enough tank other fish have to be removed. I've always said that if they were sized-up they would beat up anything.


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#9 littlen

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 11:50 AM

SMB, Dollar sunfish, and SMB.

And in a close 4th place, Dollar sunfish.


Nick L.

#10 mattknepley

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 01:41 PM

Forgot about gambusia, for their size they're nasty, too. Lepomis sp. would kick its butt any day, though...
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#11 Sean Phillips

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 01:43 PM

Interesting responses. Out of this list I've kept banded killies, which in my experience so far are extremely peaceful as well as gambusia affinis which oddly enough are some of the most timid fish I've ever kept and have never touched a tankmate (tankmates being male Johnny darters).
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage

#12 Josh Blaylock

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 07:31 PM

My Coosa Bass is extremely aggressive.


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#13 Josh Blaylock

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 07:34 PM

My Coosa Bass is extremely aggressive.

 

Sorry, didn't see the original instructions, not over 30gal.  I've had some very mean Studfish in the past.  Once they get big, they'll fight Cyprinella. 


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#14 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 12:51 AM

Oh, missed the 30 limit too. I have to concur on both studfish and brook sticklebacks.

No nevermind. Josh I assumed you read it wrong and I as well. But nothing over three feet. That is a big fish Sean!

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#15 Sean Phillips

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 06:40 AM

Sorry, didn't see the original instructions, not over 30gal.  I've had some very mean Studfish in the past.  Once they get big, they'll fight Cyprinella.


No gallon limit, just not over 30-36".
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage

#16 butch

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 11:33 AM

Gambusia and brook stickleback are mean as heck! They will put most lepomis species in shame. Green sunfish are much worse than any lepomis species.

#17 NotCousteau

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 07:22 PM

My banded killifish were always nice to other fish, but I noticed that the biggest one did pick on the smaller ones of its own kind until he was the only banded killifish left. Maybe it's because I only had a small number -- three or four.



#18 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 04 March 2015 - 12:07 AM

This is a tough question. I initially thought toughest most bad @$$ fish. So I thought about feeding agression first (Hybrid striped bass), then a couple of really hardcore fish(bowfin and flathead). I have put my finger in a bowfin mouth, I wish I had a picture. Though it just clamped down and released, it was a pretty nasty bloody wound. Had there been any head shaking I would have really regretted it.
Anyway, those fish are not what I would call mean. Grass pickerel for example are amazing predators and will cut your finger(also from experience), but they are not "mean". Now a Lepomis may not bite you and hurt you, but they might be "mean". Anyway, I think everyone who has mentioned sticklebacks have chosen the fish that would most closely fit the definition of mean. Sure is not a river monster, and not going to tear at your arm, but if you chucked one in a bowl with a betta, I might bet on the stickleback.

The member formerly known as Skipjack


#19 Sean Phillips

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Posted 14 March 2015 - 10:28 PM

Anyone have experience with hybrid Lepomis? I've heard they grow faster and larger than pure ones so wondering if added aggression comes with that.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage

#20 shaft6977

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Posted 15 March 2015 - 05:08 PM

A buddy of mine stocked his pond with those. No one dares swim in the pond because they attack like starving piranhas. Don't know if they're aggressive with each other, but they sure are with people.




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