Angelfish are generally quiet and peaceful fish. However, they are cichlids and some will nip fins. Though, aggressive and semi-aggressive tank mates will do more damage to angelfish fins and tails, than angelfish will do to each other. This list includes aggressive and semi-aggressive fish that aren’t usually suitable to keep with angelfish.
A general rule includes avoiding all African cichlids that come from three African lakes, Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria. There are several different species that live in these three lakes. Some South American cichlids, such as Oscars are too aggressive for any community tank.
This is a list of semi-aggressive and aggressive fish often too aggressive for an angelfish community tank. It isn’t complete, but a starting guide for choosing what freshwater fish to put with your angelfish.
Semi-Aggressive Freshwater Fish
These are fish that can be aggressive, but some individuals may be very peaceful. Some are only aggressive during breeding. Use caution when adding fish from this list to your angelfish tank. When choosing fish at the store, watch for aggressive behavior and pick individuals that are not chasing others around. Also, the bigger your tank, the less aggression you will have from your fish overall.
Seven-spotted Archer Fish Toxotes chatareus
Black Widow Tetra, photo by akshaydewan at Flickr
Black Widow or Black Skirt Tetra Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Moonlight Gourami Trichogaster microlepis
Pearl Gourami Trichogaster leeri
Giant gourami Colisa fasciata
Buenos Aires Tetra Hemigrammus caudovittatus
Bumblebee Catfish Batrochoglanis raninus
Firemouth Cichlasoma meeki
Flying Fox Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus
Freshwater Puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis
Clown loach Botia macracantha
Green Tiger Barb Barbus tetrazona
Gold Gourami Trichogaster trichopterus
Kissing Gourami Helostoma temminckii
Flickr: brian.gratwicke
Red-tailed Shark Epalzeorhynchos bicolor
Rosy Barb Puntius conchonius
Silver Dollar Metynnis argenteus
Severum Heros severus
Swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii
Tiger Barb Puntius tetazona
Tinfoil Barb Barbonymus schwanenfeldii
Chinese algae eater Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
Aggressive Freshwater Fish
Black Paradise fish Macropodus spechti
Green Terror, photo by ulfhams_vikingur at Flickr
Butterfly Fish Pantodon buchholzi
Convict cichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata
Green Terror Andinoacara rivulatus
Jack Dempsey Cichlasoma octofasciatum
Knife Livebearer Alfaro cultratus
Red Belly Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri
Red Oscar Astronotus ocellatus