What large fish wont eat small fish such as tetras

Question

besides plecos and catfish

Answer 1

There are numerous fish that will try to do this, and a large number of fish that won't actually.  There are factors which are not being addressed which tend to influence this, and no one has taken the time to acknowledge this either.

The fact is, that just because a fish is large, does not mean this will occur.  It's not a rule in any way shape or form.  There might be tendancies, but it's not a rule.

Case in point.  I keep a 100 gallon tank, which is home to my Malaysian Golden Jardini, until he's ready to go in the 180.  It's also my African cichlid fry grow out tank too.  When I move my Africans to this tank, they are under 1 inch in size.  They get moved to this tank when I have a large number of fish in the holding tank their mothers spit them out in, a 15 gallon tank.

Now this also goes to a point in case about larger fish eating smaller fish.  I cannot put them in the main tank with the adults as the males will tend to eat them if they can.  Mothers however do not.  But to the main point, that Jardini is in the Arowana family, and will grow very large.  I've currently got in there a large number of fish that jardini could eat, and I suspect he might take one or two from time to time.  But what makes me think it's not a problem or the case, is that Arowana tend to pick a diet and stick to it.  Changing their foods is very difficult to do.  I feed them bloodworm cubes.  If this Jardini has a taste for other fish, it would completely ignore the cubes put in.

Oscars however are a good example of a fish that follows the case as they are advantageous eaters, and predator types too.  I have an Irian Jaya Datinoid in my 75 which is a true predator.  They will feed readily on feeder fish, but if I put juvenile sized Africans in with him, he seems to ignore them, though they could fit in his mouth.  How does anyone explain this?  I don't have a direct answer, but I think that fish that eat other fish have a way to determine which are fish to eat and which to ignore.

I think the point here is that there is a difference between eating small fish as a food source, and just happening to eat a smaller fish because it will fit in it's mouth.  There's always some risk factor when you keep smaller fish with bigger fish they could get eaten, but if you also keep a larger tank, I'm a firm believer that fish have natural instincts, and smaller fish, in a large tank that offers cover, will seek that cover if they feel threatend.

Answer 2

If you're an easy going person, my only suggestion is silver dollar. Being herbivorous and spend more time grazing on aquatic plants and algae, they won't eat any of your tetras(they grow to 8 inches), provided that they are fed really well. If you're more advanced and can handle the most pristine and most stable environment in an aquarium, then the discus, king of all tropical fish is the right choice. Be really sure you know what you're doing when it's about discus, because they won't forgive any mistake that you make and could risk their lives. The best strategy for having big fish with small fish is to raise the big but non aggressive fish(e.g. angelfish) as juveniles while nothing can eat the other. This way the fish when it grows big will be used to the other fish in the tank and won't regard them as food.  

Answer 3

umm, none. And plecos will eventually eat your other fish, as well. As they get bigger, they become more carnivorous. And catfish are very fish aggressive and the bigger species will eat any small fish that comes near them.

The only calm catfish are small species, such as corys and upside down cats.

The rule of thumb with fish, if it can fit in the mouth and be eaten, it will fit in the mouth and be eaten. Its how they survive in the wild. Eat WHATEVER you can, be it bugs or other fish

Answer 4

Uhh... That's a tough one. It depends what you call large. Its really hard to get large fish that won't eat little fish. Even if they're extemely peacful the large fish will usually still eat them. If you're looking at getting big fish then you're going to have to lose the tetras.

Answer 5

silver dollars  they get huge and won't eat anything living as they are herbivores  they will rip up and shred up any live plants though