Neurotic Behavior In A Platy And Think She Is Prego

[Strawbeary]

I got my first Platy's two weeks ago and have been doing a lot of reading on them so I can take care of them the right way. I bought three to start with...all females....and the next day one died, . I was told to get several as they like to 'school' but one of my Platy's is very anti-social and quite frankly acts neurotic. She spends all of her time, day and night, at the bottom of the tank sitting on the rocks doing nothing. When she does swim she darts up and down the side of the tank at a frantic pace and then goes and sits on the bottom again and hides between some larger rocks I placed in there and some plants. She will try and wedge herself into the weirdest places, like between a rock and the tank wall, or try and bury her head and as much of her as possible between two other rocks. I noticed she was getting a bit chunky, and since I can't ever get a clear look at her in the tank for her attempts at hiding, I sort of scooped her out with a net and inspected her a bit. She has a black spot near her bottom fin so I'm guessing she is prego! lol, if she is prego is this why she is acting so anti-social and nutty?

Are Platy's fin nippers? My other Platy keeps missing chunks of fin from the top fin every time I see her! The only other tank mate is a Glofish...are they fin nippers?


Strawbeary

 

[Polenth]

Are Platy's fin nippers? My other Platy keeps missing chunks of fin from the top fin every time I see her! The only other tank mate is a Glofish...are they fin nippers?

I don't know about the platy behaviour, but glofish are genetically modified zebra danios. They need the same care as normal zebra danios, which includes being kept in groups of at least 5 or 6. They are prone to fin nipping and aggression when kept in small groups or alone. Getting some more glofish should stop any problems. It's possible that the glofish will group with normal zebra danios, but I've got no experience of trying that.

Obviously make sure you wouldn't overstock your tank by adding the extra glofish. It might be the glofish will need to go elsewhere if the tank is too small for a group of glofish and the platies.

 

[Strawbeary]

Thanks for the reply, the Glofish was a friends that didn't have a home to swim in anymore so I gave it a home, it has only been in there a few days but apparently does not get along well with others. It is so tiny I didn't think it would be aggressive, that is until my platy was missing a few chunks...