Guppy bullied rainbow now it's dead....

[Ellio]

Hi all,

Yesterday we added some new fish to our tank and one of our female guppies started bullying some of them right away (pecking at their heads and chasing them). We've woken up today to find one dead and she's still going after some of the others, please help!

Tank size: 120L
Current fish: 7 khuli loaches, 2 female mollies, 1 male platy, 3 female guppies, 1 bristlenose pleco.
New fish added: 2 dwarf honey gouramis (no issues with them at all), 3 signifier rainbows (these are the problem fish, one now dead)
Ph: 7.8
Ammonia just under: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20ppm
Temperature: 26°C

She's bothered the other female guppies but nothing like this. The rainbow fish are just try to get away, whereas the other guppies stand up for themselves and everyone gets on with life. She is now not bothering the other two rainbows as much this morning.

Tank is planted with live plants.

Side question, the fish store man said 3 rainbows was fine, we've subsequently read they should be in groups of 6 or more, is that right?

Photos, wide of whole tank, problematic guppy, rainbow fish minus dead one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Colin_T]

livebearers are territorial and the guppy considers the rainbowfish to be intruders.

add some salt to the tank to reduce stress. Use 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres of water. keep the salt in the water for 2-4 weeks. Then do small water changes to dilute it out.

rainbowfish need to be kept in groups of at least 6 or preferably more.

on a side note, your fish look like they have gill flukes and worms. You can use levamisole and praziquantel or flubendazole to treat them.

 

[Naughts]

Can we see another photo of your problem guppy? I think she is a he which would explain why it is being a pest!

 

[Ellio]

livebearers are territorial and the guppy considers the rainbowfish to be intruders.

add some salt to the tank to reduce stress. Use 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres of water. keep the salt in the water for 2-4 weeks. Then do small water changes to dilute it out.

rainbowfish need to be kept in groups of at least 6 or preferably more.

on a side note, your fish look like they have gill flukes and worms. You can use levamisole and praziquantel or flubendazole to treat them.

Hi!

Thanks for this!! I worry about salt in there because it's known to burn khuli loaches!!!! I would be devastated if that happened.

We've since gone out and got more rainbows, that seen a lot happier, she isn't bothering them now.

Thanks for the side advice!! We'll get that sorted asap.

 

[Ellio]

Can we see another photo of your problem guppy? I think she is a he which would explain why it is being a pest!

Photo was attached, it's 100% a female.