# Toughest Cichlid????



## gnuisance

I am just curious as to what everyones opinion is on this. From what I have read it sounds like the convict (pound for pound). Let me know what you think...

GNU


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## emc7

tough how? against other fish? against bad water? for eating?


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## Betta1

toughest to keep? Well I've heard Tropheus are tough to keep, in fact I've had two small tropheus that died within a few days (was a bad idea in my tank anyways) but then again my friend who works at the store I got them from got a few for his tanganyikan tank and they died as well, from not eating so my experience may be biased from a bad batch.

As far as ass kicking... well oscars are mean SOB's


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## Gourami Swami

If he was saying pound per pound convict, usually means for fighting. I hate these threads as you often see peopleposting their "results". But anyway, It all depends on how mean the fish is. Dovii is them toughest breed usually


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## ttman

toughest to keep alive for me is angelfish ;-) toughest to eat... well I've only had talapia ;-)


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## gnuisance

I should have specified. I meant most aggressive without considering size. I am intrigued by cichlids and I was curious as to which ones are the most dominating. Swami, if you don't like the thread post somewhere else.


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## Laura Ann

gnuisance said:


> I should have specified. I meant most aggressive without considering size. I am intrigued by cichlids and I was curious as to which ones are the most dominating. Swami, if you don't like the thread post somewhere else.


Sorry bub, it's a public forum, he can post where he wants 

Africans, while being small, are very agressive guys... I have a 55 gal full of 'em, and they are all [email protected]!


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## gnuisance

I would never tell someone they can't post where they want to. The point I was trying to make was if he "hates these threads" why doesn't he visit another one?


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## redpaulhus

"toughest" is so hard to define.
Who's tougher - the bully that pushed everybody around in highschool (and probably beats his wife) or the polite black belt who never gets into fights (or the monk who sweeps the path ahead of him so he won't step on ants, but is a kung fu master) ?
The lady who is protecting her kids, or the junkie looking for a fix ? Either could be dangerous in the wrong situation - but might not be "tougher" than anybody else 98% of the time...

Is a 3" jewel or convict that is constant defending its space - attacking fish much bigger than itself, but not really killing any fish that have enough room to get out of the breeding zone - "tougher" than the large predator that simply sweelps in and swallows the jewel or convict whole ? 
There are many large open water fish that would happily dine on small "agressive" fish in a large lake or river - they can swoop in and be gone before the cichlids can react - but if you put the same fish in a small tank with a jewel or convict, the constant reproductive fury of the cichlid will mean that the "baracuda" (dorado, pirahana, etc) will be a battered finless mess...
Its hard to argue with the pure power of a _Nandopsis dovii_ or even _Boulengerochromis microlepsis - _never mind all of the other big nasty guapote's etc.

There's a great discussion of this over at :
http://www.cichlidmadness.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=581
many of these fish include comments like :


> At only 14 inches, a large male could quite easily take up more than 200g for itself


On the other hand - if you mean "fearless" - ie the fish mostly likely to attack the cichlid that turns around and swallows it whole - I'd go with jewels, convicts, and young midas cichlids. But I really don't see that as tough as much as "macho" - picking a fight is very different from winning a fight, and I've seen these fish get in over their heads (literally).

Of course, nothing beats the stories I've heard of trimac's taking food from the mouths of 'gators.


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## OhioOilMan

I believe the Oscar is darn near the toughest in my book by far!!!!


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## Countryguy

Hmmmm.... for fiesty fighter, convicts...

As for water conditions, a guy I knew once had a Dempsey and a large pleco in a 75 and told the gonk to fill five five gallon buckets with water, fill each with declorinator( a real bad problem at the shop the fish were at, you couldn't drink the tap) and let it set the day.... Nope, he just dumped all five buckets without the declorinator and did a real bad water change. the Dempsey was belly up, but the pleco survived!!!


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## Blue Cray

Wolf cichlid?


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## Gump

Blue Cray: wolfs are Parachromis dovii, big nasty fish that should be kept in a very large tank for a single male. And i know of a few people who gladly put a 500 gallon aside for a single fish. 

gnuisance: the reason GS doesn't like these types of threads is because they pop up all over the place by people new to the fish world and usually looking to keep aggressive fish for the wrong reasons. Everyone can debate what species is the most bad a**ed when put in with another fish and i've seen it talked about a few hundred times, but when you get people who have owned all said bad a**ed fish you get a pretty consistent list. 

If you want to get to a level of properly keeping these impressive and aggressive fish than you will need to set aside a large tank for a single fish or if your lucky a pair of the same species. If would like to know of some fish that will chase you around as you walk by the tank biting at the glass, or will turn water changes in to a c**************** by attacking the syphon tube and busting up your hands when you try to put them in the tank than these are the type of fish for you. 

Parachromis dovii very beautiful fish that as they get around a foot in size will turn into total monsters and the males get a wonderful blue/green tent to them. 

Amphilophus citrinellus- my personal favorite as i used to breed them. If you can find a true (non hybrid) male then you are in for a treat and some bloody knuckles. 

Caquetaia umbriferus- I personally like this fish more than the dovii and they are getting more common now a days but they require a tank around the size of the dovii and can be just as aggressive. 

Amphilophus festae- not as aggressive as the rest but the females of this species are one of the most beautiful fish in the hobby. The males are a drab color and only look worse next to a female, and are also known for being wife beaters so take much caution if you try to breed these two. 

Nandopsis haitiensis- rare monster, see dovii/umbri 

Pound for pound is not relevant with fish unless your feeding your one pound dovii 36 half ounce convicts. Compared to these fish oscars might as well be goldfish with bigger mouths. I would say get a 75-135 and put one or two smaller less aggressive cichlids in and see if they are your kind of fish before trying one of these and please don't go by one of these and put it in a 55 gallon and say your going to upgrade soon because that happens only a hand full of times. 

If you have any specific questions I'm always down to talk some big cichlids.


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## Eraserhead

"the glass, or will turn water changes in to a c**************** by attacking the syphon tube and busting up your hands when you try to put them in the tank than these are the type of fish for you. "

Welcome to life with my wonderful Midas, Rojo  He even attacks the magnetic cleaner when I move it around a little. Such a ba$tard!


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## shade2dope

Would have to say melanochromis dialptus (auratus) Mean liltle guys I have seen them mess up a lab twice there size at my lfs.


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## Gourami Swami

Labs are small fry man

For sheer aggression and "ass-whoopage", specimens of Midas/red devil, festae, flowerhorns, Haitensis, dovii, etc. take the cake


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## Phantom_Cichlid

Hmm, I would say Convict. But then again thats me.


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## Gourami Swami

Mark! Your alive!


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## Phantom_Cichlid

Yep, been busy, but made some to come back. ;-)


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## deogan

I would say kribensis. I have only one albino that is about 1.2 inch. He keeps all the other big ones including oscar (5 inch),texas, parrots, sevrams on the other side of the my 125 gal tank. He has occupied one cave. No one dare move even half a feet near that cave vertically or horizontally.


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## Gourami Swami

Deogan: If thats true, wait untill your texas gets some size. The krib will be dead.


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## Eraserhead

Personally I have to side with GS on this one. My Midas is an evil beast. He even tries to take me on when I put my arm in his tank. A friend of mine didn't believe me when I said he would come after her- She ended up with some nice teeth marks on her hand!






Gourami Swami said:


> Deogan: If thats true, wait untill your texas gets some size. The krib will be dead.


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## xerxeswasachump

I think a Flowerhorn is probably the most badass fish I've ever owned. The thing tries to pick fights with me through the glass. When my roomates go to take a look he really goes ballistic. 
He's gotten used to me and will let me pet him and hold him, but if he is in a bad mood he can tear chunks out of my fingers. I should take a picture next time he tried to eat my hand.


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## Gourami Swami

Sounds like a nice fish. Get him in a big enough tank and he'll grow to be a monster!


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