Types of Fish for Large Aquariums

Large aquariums make it easy to keep and care for several types of large fish in your home. Careful planning and selection of the right species is important when choosing a large fish for your aquarium. Large fish are often aggressive toward smaller fish and can easy injure or kill other fish in your aquarium. Several types of large fish make for in impressive sight for indoor living environments.

  1. Cichlids

    • Several types of large cichlids are readily available in the pet trade. South American species have a distinct temperament and will interact with aquarium keepers. Cichlids are often aggressive fish, but the larger species, such as discus and angelfish, are more tolerant of other aquarium inhabitants and can be kept with other fish in large aquariums. Wolf cichlids and peacock cichlids are some of the largest species available, and can grow to over two feet long in large aquariums.

    Pacus

    • Pacus are the slower, larger relative of piranhas. Pacus are a diverse group of fish that grow from six inches to over two feet, in home aquariums. The fish should be kept in groups when young; however, mature specimens are more solitary and can be kept alone. Despite their size, pacus are shy fish and require plenty of cover in the aquarium in order to remain healthy.

    Catfish

    • Several species of catfish reach an impressive size in large aquariums. Redtail catfish need ample space to swim, in order to develop well. Redtail catfish can grow over five feet long in their native Amazon river basin habitat, and the fish will eat anything they can fit into their mouths, making them a poor choice for community tanks. Channel catfish are a more social species of catfish for large aquariums and tolerate the presence of other fish slightly better.

    Algae Eating Varieties

    • Several types of algae eating fish grow to a large size when provided with enough space in home aquariums. The lyretail plecostomus is commonly sold as a small fish in pet stores, but it can quickly grow to be several feet long in large aquariums. The fish have a thick skin that helps protect them from aggressive fish in the same aquarium, and they provide many environmental services in aquariums. Clown loaches feed on a wide variety of food items in the aquarium and will commonly sift the gravel for scraps of vegetation and algae. Clown loaches can easily grow to over 15 inches long.