Can anyone recommend a vicious and carnivorous freshwater fish?

Question

I am looking for something with teeth that can be fed live fish to entertain customers. I am looking for something aside from an oscar. It should also be something that would work as a legitimate pet... after all you can't really keep a musky/pike as a pet you know?

Answer 1

ummm knife fish, datnoids, clown loaches arowana pacu frontosas piranha ancient fish alot more goodies

Answer 2

Depends where you live.

Im in Australia, and we have a big 8 foot tank set up with a Saratoga Leichardti which is massive and beautiful.

If you want to really impress people, convert it to marine a throw a few Pterios Volitans - Absolutely stunning - and poisonous.

Speaking of which - Aqua One did a set up to advertise one of their tanks - and it had the top half of a scuba suit/ mask to look like a diver was reaching into the tank and had a Volitans in it. It looked great.

And to the guy below me - The Saratoga IS in the Arowana family.

Answer 3

Um im not sure if anyone has mentioned this fish yet but you could get an Australian arowana or maybe a South American arowana. both r pretty agressive if u train them to eat live fish. they cost a hefty sum but they can "leap" above the water a couple of inches to capture their food. and they do get pretty big (around 3 to 4 feet). Btw a little heads, up it is illegal to own ASIAN arowanas in the US cause they're an endangered species but you should be fine with Australian and South American ones. They seem to be available in local stores (like mom 'n' pop stores) not the big retailers though. (like petsmart and such)

Here's a pic of the Australian one: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pf...

Answer 4

While you can't easily (or all that safely) keep a pike, there are several species of Dwarf Pike Cichlids (Crenicichla species) that look very similar, but with more color and the same behavior.  The species you choose will be dictated by the size of the tank you're working with.  For the really impressive, foot+ fish, you should be looking at a 100+ gallon tank in this case, but for the 4-5" C. compressiceps, you could get away with a 40 gallon tank, though it'd only be able to go after Guppies.  Maybe a smaller predator tank?  A Ctenopoma, C. compressiceps, and several Pictus Catfish (very cool looking) in a 55 gallon tank?  I would recommend Guppies rather than Goldfish, both for size and dietary reasons (Goldfish aren't that healthy).  Also, be sure to quarantine the food for upwards of 2 weeks before feeding, or you run a real risk of introducing pathogens (especially internal parasites) into the show tank.

EDIT: Clown Loaches, Pacu, and Frontosas (and most other common African Cichlids) would never eat other fish, and Arowana will develop very abnormal behavior if fed live fish, including droop eye (instead of looking towards the surface).

Answer 5

oh siamise fighting fish a rly good but dont ever get two cause they will kill eacother and piranas are kinda vitios but they acctually arnt like gonna eat u if u put ur fingers in da tank (but dont put ur fingers in da tank anyway haha)

Answer 6

African Cichlids.

Jack Dempsey. My buddy has one in his 38 gal tank and he's awesome. I have a Green Texas (new world) cichlid in my 55 gal. I feed him crickets, beef heart, other fish! What a show!!!