Strange interspecies aggression!

[juliethegr8t]

Tonight I finally added the last of the fish from the quarantine tank back into the 6 gallon - my dwarf gourami female, and my sparkling gourami. Anyways, an hour or two later I went to check on them, and what do I find, but my largest female platy BITING my dwarf female!!! I mean nasty too - she was sidled up next to her, and nipping pretty strongly and heavily at the gourami's sides.

This is not good!! Finally the gourami started to stand up for herself... I was surprised how long it took though, because she used to be the Queen of that tank. Anyways, it still is going on though - and they are now trying to be cichlids and mouth fighting!!


I dunno what I'm gonna do if this doesn't stop... move the platy I suppose. Anyone have any other suggestions, or ideas of why the platy would do this?! They're supposed to be peaceful fishies, grr....

 

[jams.alaskan]

Julie, my only guess is that perhaps the platty senses a weakness in your dwarf gourami.... Hope they sort it out and peace returns.

ALASKA

 

[freshmike]

Once you rearrange a tank and remove the existing fish....replace other fish and replace the other fish after the tank no longer belongs to whoever owned it before...it is a tried and true factor even in cichlid tanks...if you have a bully, remove him for a few hours to days, rearrange the tank and put him back in....chances are, he won't remember that this is his/her tank and the fight will break to decide or not...things should calm down after a bit....as I have seen in my 180...Mr. Polit used to be the boss in the 50 gallon...but the saulosi from the 90 is sure trying to make his point right now in the 180....Good luck baby.