Aggressive fish you've had to remove...

I've also had a plain old false perc. (he's where my name comes from) that killed 5 other percs. and who bully just about anything else I put in the tank w/ him.
he even repeatedly butted a dwarf lion to death ( I watched and couldn't catch the lion).
He would frequently leap out of the tank to nip me if my hands where over the water and if my hands were in the tank then it was truly on!
Vicious little punk. Had him for 4 years before he passed.
 
I have had very good citizens so far except for a Purple Tang I had. He was fine with every fish in the 280 but for some reason he hated my Yellow Pyramid Butterflies. He didn't kill them or anything but would chase them away in an aggressive way at least several times per hour.

I sold him when I moved and took the tank down. There was no way he could have been kept with the Butterflies in a smaller tank even if it was temporary. It's a shame. He was less than 3 inches when I got him and quickly grew to 4.5" and was very thick, such a beautiful fish.
 
Removed a small Purple Tang after is started tearing the fins of a similar size Black Tang that I introduced. He would not leave the Black alone and continually rushed at him, even from across the other side of the tank (72x18x24). I waited 5 days to remove him and had to remove 3/4 of my live rock to get him out.

Also had a Red Sea Tang in there that was bigger than both, didn't bother either one.
 
Had a green chromis that killed about 8 of its brethren; it jumped out about a month ago. Blue hippo tang and yellow tang - took out and gave to LFS. Mantis shrimp - sold that sucker, took me weeks to catch it. Falco hawkfish - ate all of my snails and crabs.
 
I had six line wrasse get fight with my other fish and kill them. I had it for about a year then I killed it. She used to eat a lot of food which not allowed other fish to get enough food.
 
Updated list...

Updated list...

Once again, I took the time to compile and update the lists. I think this would be very helpful for those who are considering certain species of fish to know what others have gone through. As was mentioned in this thread, each fish's behavior can vary, which is true. But look at how many times the names have been mentioned for aggressiveness and decide for yourself if it's worth the risk.

[Disclaimer: I did my best to categorize the species mentioned under the proper list as well as added additional notes when needed. I hope it's clear for all to understand.]


Aggressive fish/inverts already removed & # of times mentioned
Allardi Clown (Female)
Arrow Crab
Bi-Color Dottyback
Blue (Devil) Damsel (x4) (1 = moved into separate tank)
Blue Neon Goby
Blue Velvet Damsel (moved into separate tank)
Brittle Star
Clarki Clowns (moved/separate tank from Citron Clown Goby and McCoskers Wrasse)
Clown Trigger (moved to sump, then back into main tank, no more aggression)
Coral Beauty (x2)
Cuban Hog
Damsels (Unspecified) (x5)
Diadema Pseudochromis
Domino Damsel (x2)
Dusky Damsel (x3)
Emerald Crab
Eunice Worm
Falco Hawkfish (x2)
False Percula (not removed, but died)
Flame Angel (x2)
Green Brittle Star (x2)
Green Chromis (x2) (1 = not removed, but died)
Green Wrasse (moved into separate tank)
Hawkfish (Unspecified)
Hippo Tang (x3)
Huma Huma Trigger (x2)
Indigo Dottyback (moved to sump)
Klein's Butterfly
Kole Tang
Lawnmower (Algae) Blenny
Lunar Wrasse (x3) (1 = moved into separate tank)
Mantis Shrimp
Maroon Clown (x6) (2 = mated pair)
Midnight Pygmy Angel
Neon Damsel
Neon Dottyback
Neon Pseudochromis
Niger Trigger (x2)
Pinfish
Purple Lobster
Purple Psuedo (x4) (1 = moved into separate tank)
Purple Tang (x3)
Red Flasher Wrasse
Red Reef Lobster (moved into own LOWLR tank, "œlobster" only w/ LR)
Royal Gramma (x2)
Sailfin Tang
Six-Line Wrasse (x3) (1 = moved to another tank and became lunch) (1 = removed/killed)
Sohal (x2)
Talibot's Damsel
Three-Stripe Damsel (moved into separate tank)
Tiger Shrimp
Tomato Clown (x3)
Yellow Damsel (moved into separate tank)
Yellow-Tail Damsel
Yellow Eye Kole Tang
Yellow Tang (x2)
Whip-Fin Wrasse
White-Stripe Maroon Clown
Wrasse (Unspecified) (x2)


Aggressive fish not yet removed (but considering it)
3-Stripe Damsel (x2)
Blue-Throat Trigger (Male)
Clarkii Clown (Mated Pair)
Clown Tang
Domino Damsel (x2)
Firefish (mentioned; unsure)
False Percula (Mated Pair)
Flame Angel (x2)
Gaimards Wrasse, Yellowtail
Maroon Clown (x2)
Neon Dottyback
Purple Psuedo (mentioned; unsure) (x2)
Purple Tang (x3)
Queen Angel (caught in trap; unsure)
Yellow Wrasse


Fish/Inverts/Corals (missing, injured or dead)
Acans Coral
Anthias
Bi-color Blenny
Black & White Clowns
Black Sailfin Blenny
Black Tang
Blenny (Unspecified)
Blood Shrimp
Blue Spot Jaw
Canary Blenny
Chromis (Unspecified) (x2) (Unknown # in school)
Cleaner Shrimp (x2)
Clown Goby
Coco Worm
Crabs (Unspecified) (multiple #s)
Dog Face Puffer
Dwarf Lion
False Percula (x5)
Firefish (x7)
Foxface (x2)
French Angel
Green Chromis (x8)
Green Goby
Hippo Tangs (x6)
Kole Tang
Lawnmower Blenny
Lemon Tang
Maroon Gold Banded Clown
McCosker's Wrasse
Melanurus Wrasse
Neon Goby
Open Brain Coral (x3)
Orange Spot Blenny
Orange Stripe Goby
Palys (Unspecified)
Peppermint Shrimp (x3)
Pistol Shrimp
Pocillopora
Puffer (Unspecified)
Purple Basslet
Purple Firefish (x2)
Rainford Goby
Regal Tang
Royal Gramma
Scissortail Goby
Scooter Blenny
Scopas Tang
Snails (Unspecified) (multiple #s)
Sohal Tang
SPS (Unspecified)
Tomini Tang
Triggers (Unspecified) (x5)
Watchman Goby (x2)
Wrasse (Unspecified) (x2)
Yellow Pyramid Butterflies
Yellow Tang
Yellow Watchman Goby
Zoas (Unspecified)


# of people who removed LR to catch fish: 8

# of people who used bait, hooks and/or traps:
6
 
Psuedochromis spp. are typically called dottybacks. So your "neon dottyback" and "neon pseduochromis" are the same fish. Your "diadema pseduochromis" and "bicolor dottyback" may be the same fish, as some stores will call them that when they run out of the species w/ the half and half color.
 
two gorilla crabs - finally caught after killing several fish and both met the fate of the giant swirl.

Combined they took the following:

Peppermint Shrimp
Many snails and scarlet hermits
Diamond watchman goby
blue spot goby
yellow head jawfish
algea blenny
chromis
purple psuedo
 
Psuedochromis spp. are typically called dottybacks. So your "neon dottyback" and "neon pseduochromis" are the same fish. Your "diadema pseduochromis" and "bicolor dottyback" may be the same fish, as some stores will call them that when they run out of the species w/ the half and half color.

I think it's too late for me to edit the list. But I'll make the changes if I update the list again later on. Thanks for catching these corrections.
 
I can't believe no one has said Sergeant Major yet. These are definitely the meanest fish I have ever seen. They will kill anything they come across. I think they enjoy it!
 
blue and pink spotted watchman, ate $200 + worth of shrimp. Didnt figure it out till i saw one sticking out of his mouth. I always assumed my water was s*** even though the tests came out clean. Banished to the pump he is as well as a yellow damsel and of course, purple psudo-the third. First one was a baby, the last one would go on a march checking every nook and cranny for something to harras.
 
blue and pink spotted watchman, ate $200 + worth of shrimp. Didnt figure it out till i saw one sticking out of his mouth. I always assumed my water was s*** even though the tests came out clean. Banished to the pump he is as well as a yellow damsel and of course, purple psudo-the third. First one was a baby, the last one would go on a march checking every nook and cranny for something to harras.

Yeah, I believe several people here either trade-in their aggressive fish at LFS or they banish them to their sump. I guess they're undecided if they're gonna get rid of them or not.
 
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Tomato. Removed for my safety!

I know what you mean. I currently have a 10 yr old False Perc sent to sump-prison. She's aggressive towards my Maroon and even towards me...made my hand bleed a few times while doing maintenance in the main display.
 
removed:
sixline - too aggressive (caught with trap)
queen angel - too aggressive (caught with trap)
damsel caught in the keys (don't know what species) - very aggressive (caught with nets, wouldn't go in the trap)

thinking about removing
hippo tang - eating favias

Really, really wish I could catch!
sunrise dottyback - very aggressive
 
Lunar wrasse

It attacked my favorite fish I ever had, a porcupine puffer, broke the puffers jaw or something like that. The puffer was never able to open his mouth again, he swam around fine, would touch the food with his lips, but he just couldnt get the food in. He eventually died from starvation I assume.
 
A Picaso Trigger fish that was the size of a fifty cent piece, had all my fish locked down to one corner of the tank.
 
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