Bullied Paradise Fish

[DanioDan]

I got a couple of red Paradise fish a few weeks ago now, there were 4 in the tank that I bought them from, sold in pairs 2 for £7. Two of them were quite brightly coloured and two were much paler. I asked the guy in the shop if the paler ones were females and he said yes, so I came home with a bright one and pale one.

Now I suspect that the paler ones were just showing submissive colours and I've actually got two males, one of whom is thriving and bullying the other one at every opportunity, to the point now that the pale submissive one isn't looking very happy at all. It did for a short while have a little hiding place behind a tall plastic plant that I have near to my filter but the agressor soon figured this hiding place out and kept coming looking for the poor fella. So he decided to hide behind the filter for most of his time - not a very happy existence.

I've rigged up a plastic tub suspended at the surface of the water and transferred the bullied fish into it, just to give it a break and to see if I can get it to eat anything as it's lost interest in food.

I fear the worst.

I wanted to get some females (the same shop had quite a few Blue Paradise fish as well) but I didn't have any confidence in the guy in the shop being able to sex them.

What to do??

 

[england]

what size tank do you have and is there any other fish in the tank?

What about plants and decor?

Males have longer, more brightly colored fins. so shop was half correct as males are much more brightly coloured,its difficult to sex fish sometimes,but also sometimes they loose colour through stress like being bullied, they are aggressive fish anyhow even as a pair,

 

[england]

oh yes what is the temp of your tank,i find keeping these without a heater is much better for them..mine would go much more aggessive when temp raised...

 

[DanioDan]

The tank is 2'6" x 12" x 15"

3 plants in there, large piece of bogwood, sunken broken barrel ornament.

13 Danios, 4 American Flag fish & 1 Shubunkin (which I'm trying to re-home without much luck so far) and 2 Bristlenose cats.

Temp is around 21 degrees as I was concerned about the bristlenose cats being too cold. Once the Shubunkin is gone I was planning to raise the temp a bit more.

When you say they're aggressive fish, even as a pair, I take it you mean a male and a female? Well I guess that could be the case here, either way more females would be good I'm guessing but how do you know they're female? (unless they're carrying eggs of course).

 

[DanioDan]

Is it worth just getting more Paradise fish (regardless of sex) so that there isn't just a pair in the tank? Will this help, just the fact that's there's a few of them? I mean when they're all in the tank together in the LFS and they're not showing aggression....