Male Guppy Just Ripped To Bits By Females!

[soybean]

I have two female guppies and one male born in the tank and now full grown. He's never bothered the females that much and they all spend most of the time apart.

Earlier I noticed the yellow female chasing him a bit, thought it was a bit odd but ignored it. Just been watching the tank for a few mins and saw both the yellow and other blue female chase and corner the male and then proceed to rip his tail off! A huge chunk was floating through the water, the poor thing. By the time I got a net to get him away from them, the whole tail has been ripped off, and when I found him he'd plastered himself to the underside of a leaf and looked pretty shocked. He's in a breeding net full of java moss now, just kind of sitting there.

Never seen anything like it before, seemed totally unprovoked. Weird.

 

[Akasha72]

omg! That's sounds a wee bit barbaric! With my guppies it's the other way round with the chasing and tail nipping (never that bad as you describe though)

What will you do with him if he survives? If you put him back to the tank will they do the same again?

 

[soybean]

I haven't thought that far ahead really, I'll wait and see if he's alright first. He can't really swim without a tail and I'm not setting up another tank for one guppy, he can stay in the net for now.

Still really shocked at how quickly and out of the blue they turned on him. They barely pay any attention to each other normally.

 

[waggy1]

i had 6 guppies but only got three left im fairly new to keeping fish so they have now put me of guppys for life they seem quiet nasty little fish . hope he gets better

 

[Akasha72]

well if he survives the shock and gets through the night I guess you just gotta hope his tail starts to grow back. Poor wee man, I can't believe the females would be that vicious!

hope he's okay

 

[soybean]

Well he's dead. Which is sort of a relief that I don't have to try and nurse it back to health.

I hope the ladies are pleased with themselves.

 

[Akasha72]

aww that's sad sorry for your loss hun x

 

[soybean]

Ah it's alright, can't get emotional over a guppy! Still just mystified why they did it.

 

[scotty]

women!!!

 

[Baccus]

I have read before that a short curcuiting heater can make fish behave out of character, might pay to just double check that everything in the tank is in fine working order.

Can't say I have had my females turn on the males ,I wouldn't blame them if they did though... the males are randy little fellas. I know generally its advised to keep more females than males, ideally trios of 1 male per 2 females, but maybe your girls need a couple of fully adult males that can hold their own against some stroppy girls.

Sorry your little boy died.

 

[KISSfn]

Sorry for your loss... Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

 

[swanseastilo]

i had 6 guppies but only got three left im fairly new to keeping fish so they have now put me of guppys for life they seem quiet nasty little fish . hope he gets better

They are not nasty fish!


Sorry about your loss.

 

[soybean]

I have read before that a short curcuiting heater can make fish behave out of character, might pay to just double check that everything in the tank is in fine working order.

Can't say I have had my females turn on the males ,I wouldn't blame them if they did though... the males are randy little fellas. I know generally its advised to keep more females than males, ideally trios of 1 male per 2 females, but maybe your girls need a couple of fully adult males that can hold their own against some stroppy girls.

Sorry your little boy died.

Thanks.

Heater seems in full working order, really can't come up with a reason for it! He wasn't even particularly randy...

Maybe it was their hormones.

Oh well.

 

[swanseastilo]

Maby he wasnt giving it good enough so they decided he had to go

 

[soybean]

Maby he wasnt giving it good enough so they decided he had to go

Quite rightly so.