# aggressive platy?



## marjorie (Dec 9, 2009)

Hi all,

I am relatively new to fish keeping witha couple of questions about our new platys.

First, tank perameters:

12 g with

6 neon tetras
2 gold mickey mouse platys (sex? the store couldn't tell me and i couldn't tell)
3 pepper cory cats

last water check all seemed well except the nitrates were at 30...anything i can do about that?

ok, first of all, i know that is probably a bit too much for the tank....but the neons seemed sort of uncertain when i only had four and seem much more lively and cohesive with six...the corys are infinitely more energetic as three than they were as two....and my daughter REALLY wanted one more kind of fish so i got the platys...I wasn't sure it would be happy alone so i got two. I promise to change the water often and keep everything as clean as possible.

anyway, my three questions regarding the platys: one seems to pursue the other constantly. there doesn't seem to be any biting, just one always swimming away and the other constantly following very closely...is this one male aggressinga nother? a male trying to impregnate a female. the fish look exacgtly the same to me but that doesn't mean i'm not missing some anatomical difference. do i have to take the chaser back if he/she won't stop?

the platy doing all the chasing has a tiny hole in his top fin (noticed it right after i finally out him in our tank). unless it is just a clear spot in the middle of his color. he seems in all other ways completely happy. should i suspect trouble or is this just the way he was born?

also, the platys eat so MUCH so FAST and the neons won't go to the top for the food, i'm afraid they won't get any. suggestions?

sorry for all my dumb beginner questions

Thanks for any advice!


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

It is possible that you got 1 male and 1 female fish. It is usually recommended to get 3 females to every male to prevent exhaustion of the females. Although in your tank that is probably too many fish.

As for the food, get sinking food granules. I use Plecocaine, the stuff that Lohachata sells. The #02 size would be perfect for your fish.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

heres a link to sexing livebearers http://www.fishforums.com/forum/livebearers/5316-how-identify-male-female.html In a nutshell, look at the fin on the bottom of the fish in front of the tail and behind the belly. Females are triangles, males are pointy.


----------



## konstargirl (Dec 2, 2009)

I had this similar problem too when I used to have 3 platies. Hyper the dominant male platy was always chasing the other male platy before the chased platy died and he seems to be a little calmer now. But I reconmend get a least 2 more female platies So that he won't try to harass the female.


----------



## marjorie (Dec 9, 2009)

thanks for all the help. I really don't want one platy to chase the other to death....but there is definitely not room for more in the tank. Both the platys seem to keep that bottom fin tucked up so you can't see its shape....i'll have to go read some more (going to your link now emc7).

Today there seems to be much less chasing...maybe they are relaxing into the new environment...but if it continues i guess i will have to take mr. or ms. aggressive back to the store (if they will take it).


----------



## marjorie (Dec 9, 2009)

So, dumb question, but why did they tell me at the store that they couldn't tell the sex of the fish (doesn't seem THAT hard now that i have looked carefully at links and fins). I specifically asked to have either one female and one male or both female in the hopes of avoiding trouble....if i go get one more maybe i can point out a female....but is that dangerously overstocking the tank?


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

try returning one of the fish.
I like all female platies or female guppies in my tanks. They get along really well togehter whereas males are always chasing the females or each other.
The strongest male can really harass any smaller/ weaker males to the point they will die.


----------



## marjorie (Dec 9, 2009)

thanks Mousey, i will try and return the fish....


----------

