Carnivorous are meat eaters, generally require live foods. They have large mouth with sharp pointed teeth that allow them to grasp their prey and tear off large chunks of flesh, which is swallowed whole rather than ground or chewed first. Eg. Piranah, Arowana, Discus.
Carnivores have a short intestinal tract, and relatively large stomach designed to hold an entire fish. Their digestive tract is unable to digest vegetable matter, so even if they eat plants, they are unable to derive nutrients from them as other fishes do. As they will chase down and eat other fish in the aquarium, carnivores are not suitable for a community tank.
Dietary types of popular aquarium fish for Carnivores
- Acara - Accepts all types of meaty foods
- Apistogramma - Apistos prefer live foods, but will eat beef heart and even pellets
- Banjo catfish - Prefers live foods, but can be trained to accept freeze dried tablets.
- Bettas - Prefers live foods but will accept flakes and freeze dried.
- Electric catfish - Prefer live foods, but can be trained to accept freeze dried tablets.
- Frontosa - Accepts all types of meaty foods.
- Halfbeak - Prefers live foods, but will eat flakes.
- Hatchetfish - Prefers live foods but will accept freeze dried and flake foods.
- Killifish - Eats small live foods, can be trained to accept flakes.
- Knifefish - Eats live foods exclusively
- Oscar - Accepts all types of meaty foods.
- Pencilfish - Feed small live foods.
- Piranha - eats live foods, but can be trained to accept meat scraps.
- Weather Loach - Live foods preferred, should be fed in the evening.