Top 10 Most Aggressive Cichlids

Our Top 10 most aggressive cichlids! We have kept a wide variety of cichlids, and in today's video, we compiled a list of our current favorites when it comes to the most aggressive species. Most of the cichlids on this list are relatively going to be aggressive most of the time. All cichlids have their own personality though, so even the "aggressive" cichlids in this video can still have a docile individual.

A few tips to reduce risk of aggression with any cichlid: proper tank mates, larger tanks with more territory, ideal Male/Female ratios, and avoiding pairs breeding in the tank.

If you're interested in any of the products we use in our aquarium setups, feel free to check out the affiliate links below.

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Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next week!

[brandonodle]

You grouped yellow jacket and jaguar together! Always love the grouping that way you guys can cover more fish!

[TheFishCorner]

Awesome video guys! I agree with your list. I was waiting for y’all to get to number one ☝🏾 The Dovii is my Channel mascot and my favorite fish! I have quite the breeding project going on over here. 💪🏾💪🏾 My male Dovii bred with my female Festae and some of the fry are now 4in! They look amazing!

I respect y’all grind and really appreciate y’all contributions to the hobby! Keep it up!

[mcaquatics]

Ive had dovi for years and mines in a 310. Had tri mac, black nasty, texas, jaguar. And the dovi is by far the most aggressuve. Ive had to get stitches a few times from being bit by him.

[michaelbrown]

Of course there's always going to be the "what about this fish" comments. Your list is spot on imo. I would had added a johanni in with the uratus and demasoni. My two johannis are an absolute labor of love to try and keep in my community cichlid tank. The older one who's full grown and about 6 inches is the tank boss and responds well to time outs and whatnot, and has developed a more user-friendly type of temperament lately. Then I have about a 4 inch one thar came as a rehome about a month ago that is running my tank ragged, as well as a white tail acei that makes a run at tank boss about every 45-60.days. the new smaller johanni is in a breeder box in his first time out as we speak on day two. We'll see how he responds. Luckily I have a 180 coming tomorrow that I'm hoping will reduce aggression due to literally doubling their space. Great vid. Curious as to where you rank a vieja and electric blue jack? My firemouth is remarkably docile, but is only 3.5 inches, there's probably a storm coming. I really want a gold saum, electric blue and vieja to add to the tank.

[benvarley]

Green terror, jag, and oscars are my top 3 cichlids of all time, they all have very different personality's yet are so beautiful 😍

[rayskocaj]

Spot on with the list ! Had them all at one time or another! But my favorite is the peacock bass ! But need a big big tank I had mine in a 140 show tank and it eventually got too small. I had two of them !

[juliaheinritz]

Many of these fish are so beautiful. My personal tanks are all about relaxation for both myself and the fish:) Therefore, I'll just enjoy watching your videos. I admit I would love to have a beautiful Oscar😊

[tedtownsend]

IMI the Heterotilapia buttikoferi would be #2 on this list behind the Dovii. Buttikoferi are insanely mean and can back it up. I owned one for 7 years. Great fish!

[jasonsingh]

very nice cichlids bro's beautiful ❤👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[FathomAquatics]

You guys are coming in clutch I just brought home an aggressive cichlid

[Adonijah]

At 2:03, what's that white fish with black spots?

I used to fish keep a decade ago and now I'm getting back in the hobby, I used to have one of these badboys

[JosephGross]

I had a friend who had a bid Dempsey. The cat used to drink out the tank and one day the Dempsey straight latched onto it's nose and tried to drag it into the tank lol.

[thomasholden]

Not missing out on something like that zebra tilapia at your LFS or a show is another good reason to always have a quarantine tank running.

[JCAGLoftandAnimals]

Jaguar cichlids are my all time favorite

[PlainsPup]

Nice list! The “flowerhorn” hybrid is so aggressive because both of its parent species - the trimac and Midas cichlids - are aggressive. Another very aggressive cichlid is the five star general (Hemichromis elongatus), which can even overpower fish much bigger than itself. But it’s rare in the hobby, so an honorable mention might be good.

[reggie]

I had a butterkoferi and that fish was just a menace. It attacked anything and everything from the heater, filter intake tube, and any decor in the tank. It was so bad I had to give him back to the pet store. I do miss him though 😢.

[ChamindradeSilvaAbeyewickreme]

Ive had convict chelids and fire mouth which can be pretty darn aggressive for there tinny size. I have experienced them attack a human hand when protecting there brood and seen them go head on attack a full grown giant gurami, if it gets too close to the little ones. ITs s awesome site to see them tend to the little ones even putting there lives on the line.

[atah]

Thank you for the info. I'm not surprised that south American cichlids are mainly on this list. I was distracted by the tanks in the background. How many gallons are they?

[calebmcneil]

I liked the ranking of the flower horn and red devil /midas

[Iamapuzzle]

I want to a public aquarium and I saw a tank with buutterkofi tilapia Nile perch African tiger fish mbu puffer giraffe catfish and six banded distichodus and the butterkofi were 18 inches long