Platy Alone?

[xFlx]

The other day I purchased a pair of platies, both female. But when I got home, I saw one of them was a much longer, streamlined shape than the other and was much more aggressive. I think she's actually a sword tail female. Anyways, she mercilessly chased the female platy around and stressed her out, so I took her out and she's currently in another tank. I was wondering if it was okay to keep them alone for the time being, or if I'd have to get them each companions of their own species..

 

[Harlequins]

i know it may be a daft thing to say...but are you sure the swordtail if female??

 

[xFlx]

Pretty sure...lack of sword on it's tail and no gonopodium...the anal fin is round.

 

[kizno1]

they will live fine on there own to you have a pic of the one you think might be a sowrdtail?

 

[Truck]

if the swordtail is a female...it will more than likely turn into a male

 

[OldMan47]

Why would you expect it to turn Truck? I have had plenty of female swords that were rather aggressive compared to a platy that did not change to showing male characteristics.

 

[Truck]

Why would you expect it to turn Truck? I have had plenty of female swords that were rather aggressive compared to a platy that did not change to showing male characteristics.

IME whenever a lone female has been in the tank they have changed into a male...and i know they werent late bloomers as they were about 2 years old

 

[xFlx]

=) thanks for all the help, I'll keep them alone for now, then. Here is the one I suspect might be a sword tail. she's about two inches long..and the picture doesnt show it, but she has a faint green/blue-ish iridescent stripe running from her head to her tail. Sorry for the pic quality..

 

[kizno1]

yh that dose look like a swordtail.

 

[xFlx]

Glad to know I was right haha. She was actually supposed to be food for the crayfish at the lfs, but silly me, I thought she was so pretty. They let me have her for 50 cents. Are sword tails on average more aggressive than platies?

 

[OldMan47]

The X helleri that domestic swordtails were developed from are more aggressive than the typical platy. They are related but not identical cross bred fish. Both the platies and swordtails result from crosses between the two fish but just as the shape differs, so does the average temperament.