Bit of a bullying Endlers problem

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Even if you get fry, thr other fish would probably eat them so it wouldn't really be a problem.

Also please let my adult fish know that they should be eating fry. None seem to bother. If I didn't interfere with my female only 15 gallon, it would have a batch of 38 young adult fish in there right now, along with four new batches of fry plus the adults already in there.

Not everyone has stores near them willing to take fry either, so telling people it'll be okay if they add seven females (ech popping out 30-40 fry per month, those fry needing 2-3 months to grow out before they can be sold on... ) wowsers! That's a lot of fry, very quickly.

 

[Naughts]

How about moving the victim into a hospital/ quarantine tank to regain his strength (is he more guppy than endler?) and see how the rest behave? If you don't have a hospital tank, now would be a good time to sort something.
Mine just chase and display, no damage.
I agree, no females
@emeraldking will be able to offer advise when he's on.

 

[AilyNC]

I can move him to the cooler tank a few days and see if it helps. I don't think he's sick as this behaviour has been going on for months & months.

I'll try him in the 22 C tank for a few days. It's about 127 litres and got lots of space & plants

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I can move him to the cooler tank a few days and see if it helps. I don't think he's sick as this behaviour has been going on for months & months.

I'll try him in the 22 C tank for a few days. It's about 127 litres and got lots of space & plants View attachment 130603

He'll be alright in the 22 for a bit. They're pretty cold tolerant. When my heater broke in the middle of winter overnight, tank dropped to 63 F /17 C... guppies didn't love it, they were a bit clamped and stressed, but they all survived it!

 

[Le Fishê]

Also please let my adult fish know that they should be eating fry. None seem to bother. If I didn't interfere with my female only 15 gallon, it would have a batch of 38 young adult fish in there right now, along with four new batches of fry plus the adults already in there.

Not everyone has stores near them willing to take fry either, so telling people it'll be okay if they add seven females (ech popping out 30-40 fry per month, those fry needing 2-3 months to grow out before they can be sold on... ) wowsers! That's a lot of fry, very quickly.

Well yeah but you should have thought of that before buying guppies at all!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Well yeah but you should have thought of that before buying guppies at all!

I did think of that. I checked my LFS was happy to accept the fry once I'd grown them large enough before I purchased a single guppy. I also have three tanks so I have one for males, one for females, and one to grow out fry/quarantine.

But you're the one suggesting that she get seven female Endlers, and that if she gets fry (with female livebearers, it's not an if, only a when) that they'll get eaten, so not be a problem. I'm telling you that that's poor advice, since it's not always true, and that most people would soon be overwhelmed with that quantity of fry.

You seem to think that male only tanks can't work, but others here as well as myself disagree, that's all.

 

[Le Fishê]

I did think of that. I checked my LFS was happy to accept the fry once I'd grown them large enough before I purchased a single guppy. I also have three tanks so I have one for males, one for females, and one to grow out fry/quarantine.

But you're the one suggesting that she get seven female Endlers, and that if she gets fry (with female livebearers, it's not an if, only a when) that they'll get eaten, so not be a problem. I'm telling you that that's poor advice, since it's not always true, and that most people would soon be overwhelmed with that quantity of fry.

You seem to think that male only tanks can't work, but others here as well as myself disagree, that's all.

No, look, I know what you're saying but the thing is that I tried to have a malle guppies only tank and did not work. At the end of the day, fish are unpredictable so it really depends on the fish.

 

[CassCats]

The fish being bullied looks full guppy instead of endler, that may play a part in why they're targeting him.

I agree, separate him from the rest and see how it goes.

Would not add any females. Especially since they need a ratio of 2 females per every male. That's too much and you will get run down by fry. Endlers are one that don't eat their fry as much as others do.

If one isn't set up or willing to breed, they shouldn't put themselves in that situation

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

No, look, I know what you're saying but the thing is that I tried to have a malle guppies only tank and did not work. At the end of the day, fish are unpredictable so it really depends on the fish.

Sorry, didn't mean to be harsh!

Yeah, there's definitely some personality differences that play into whether it works or not.
Was just telling a friend about the time I had 30 odd young guppy males growing out in the same tank before going to the store, and all of them were fine together, except one. He was an unholy terror who bullied every other fish he could. That individual fish wouldn't have been happy except with a bevvy of females around, and wouldn't work in a male only tank. Then in my LFS recently, there was a male guppy alone, the guy was telling me about what a bully he was, so he had to be put in time out Luckily in all the batches I've raised, I've only had one of those terror fish so far *touch wood*.

It's not always easy, having tanks heavily planted and with lots of hiding spaces and items that block line of sight helps. Often when people have problems in a male only tank, it's a big, clear open tank where the fish can see each other at all times. Not the case here with @AilyNC , but often.

The fact this one is larger and is probably a full or half guppy might well be the problem. I'm banking on it settling down once he's removed and rehomed!

 

[AilyNC]

Yeah he's much bigger than the others. I'll try moving him and see if his happy with the big tank & the cherry barbs & WCMMs.

 

[AilyNC]

So I've moved the bigger guy into the bigger tank. It's been about 4 hours but so far so good.

I think you guys are right that he's a guppy/Endler mix. He's bigger than Endlers but it's more noticable now with him beside cherry Barbs & WCMMs. He seems fine - will he be ok on his own though?

In the smaller tank the Endlers are playing in water stream and no bullying.

Thank you all so much. Seems a better fit.

 

[Naughts]

He'll be fine alone, guppies/endlers do mix in a group but are not reliant on a shoal for security like tetra etc.

If it's an endler it might be chilly at 22 but if it's a guppy it will be happy. As before @emeraldking is best with livebearers. Hopefully he'll have a look.

 

[emeraldking]

Wether they're guppies or endlers, a hierarchy can always be developed within a group. Alphas are the mean ones and can bully the lower ranked ones. When dominance appears, most of the time it's a matter of time before it stops. In general, it means that they all know where they stand within the group.
Well, the one you're concerned about looks like a hybrid. But the chili endler and the blonde endler are also belonging to a hybrid strain.
Both endlers and guppies will do well at 22°C. Endlers do even have a better temperature tolerance than common guppies. Endlers will even do fine at temps of 17- 20°C.
Endlers don't mind to be kept solitair. So, I wouldn't be worried about him.

 

[AilyNC]

Wether they're guppies or endlers, a hierarchy can always be developed within a group. Alphas are the mean ones and can bully the lower ranked ones. When dominance appears, most of the time it's a matter of time before it stops. In general, it means that they all know where they stand within the group.
Well, the one you're concerned about looks like a hybrid. But the chili endler and the blonde endler are also belonging to a hybrid strain.
Both endlers and guppies will do well at 22°C. Endlers do even have a better temperature tolerance than common guppies. Endlers will even do fine at temps of 17- 20°C.
Endlers don't mind to be kept solitair. So, I wouldn't be worried about him.

Cool, he's look settled enough in new tank hanging out with cherry barbs & WCMMs. The Endlers are all more playful now, some chasing but bit targeting one fish like they had done.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Cool, he's look settled enough in new tank hanging out with cherry barbs & WCMMs. The Endlers are all more playful now, some chasing but bit targeting one fish like they had done.

Great news! Nice that they've settled down and you didn't need to rehome any fish