Platy varieties

Hello

I’m brand new to the group and came to view all the useful threads already on this subject

I’ve had my aquarium set up for 3 months and introduced a school of 6 small platys after 2 weeks to ensure the aquarium had cylcled and all water test strips were good to go

The problems started when I introduced a larger more colourful type of platy to the tank - all males again 4 of them in a 40L tank

Instant bullish behaviour but to my surprise all towards the largest fish from the new additions

I’ve always followed good water and introduction techniques and for the last month or so have seemed to found their pecking order so I thought all was ok

The bullying was still going on and I’ve been researching what to do - remove the bullies or the victim

Anyway after a 25% water change today - which I always have a bucket of tap water sat for at least 24 hours with aqua safe added and test that for levels before commencing the change - things went drastically wrong

My bullied fish looked exhausted so I made the decision to remove the 2 aggressive fish (of the same variety) to give victim fish time to recover

His behaviour changed instantly started swimming erratically and attacking surface reflection jumping out of water

Now looks like he has swim bladder?

I’ve fed peas as per the guidance and he’s settled but I’m scared to wake up to a dead fish in the am

The other platy of same variety has gone very quiet and in hiding since the removal of his other 2 partners

I’m now thinking I should have removed the bullied fish but can’t bare to stress them
Out anymore today

Any tips x

can you send photos of the "larger fish?"
platy/swordtail females get larger than males...
and the ratio of male to female needs to have more females


edit: or the big ones are actually males but other ones think they are females becasuse they are large

I think you are right - we have. Tank full of males and thet take it in turns to traumatise the big one

Is the answer to introduce a female? I know that means more hard work looking after but prepared to get a new aquarium set up

shell_lou said:

Is the answer to introduce a female? I know that means more hard work looking after but prepared to get a new aquarium set up

Click to expand...

no, i would just set up a new tank and seperate
if you were to get females you will have to get like 12 more

In the wild, female livebearers hang out in large groups consisting of between 20 & 50 (but sometimes up to 100 or more) females. These groups have a pecking order with the biggest most dominant female ruling the group and she has a group of girlfriends who back her up. All the other females live in the group but are lower down the pecking order.

The groups of females move around rivers and waterways looking for food and places to hang out. As the groups move around a few males follow the group and try to breed with any females. The groups of males have a pecking order too and the biggest male will bully his smaller mates.

In the confines of an aquarium, the males will constantly harass the females and try to breed with them. This puts undue stress on the females and if there are too many males constantly pestering the females, the females can get sick and die.

It is preferable to keep livebearers in single sex tanks (either male or female but not both sexes together). If you want a group of males and females then have 1 male and at least 6 females (preferably 10 or more females per male).

Female livebearers can carry up to 6 sperm packets from breeding with males and they use 1 sperm packet to fertilise each batch of eggs. The gestation period (from the time she fertilises the eggs to when she gives birth to free swimming babies) is about 1 month. After which she will fertilise another batch of eggs using another sperm packet. This allows female livebearers to produce young about once a month for up to 6 months without any males being present.

If you want to breed livebearers for specific colours, then have a tank with females and let them give birth and use up all the sperm packets they are carrying in their body. Give them a few months without being pregnant and then add a male to the tank for a week before moving him out, or move the female/s into a tank with a male for a week and let them breed. Then move the females back into their own tank.

-------------------
If you want a group of livebearers, try and buy them all at the same time and introduce them into the aquarium at the same time. This gives them a more equal footing and they can normally establish a pecking order within a few days. If a group is constantly picking on one or two fish, and it continues for a w eek, remove the individuals that are being bullied.