What Behavior Is This?

[minobetta]

So I have a blue mickey mouse platy and she's a young girl but she's pregnant. She's showing signs of dropping but she is doing this behavior that I haven't read up on when reading about platies being pregnant. If any of the other platies come to close to her, she will use her tail and back up into them and flick them as if she's saying get away from me. That's what i'm taking it as, but I haven't read up on anything about this so I'm just curious! Thank you!

 

[Animal Lover 2000]

i think she flirting

 

[KrystaK]

It's a normal behaviour in Platys. I find it's especially common in younger ones, it's nothing to worry about. I haven't decided if it's flirting or a dominance/submission type of behaviour.

 

[basboi85]

I know its not same species but my mollies when I had them males and females did this I took it as a dominance thing, but as you say she is showing signs of dropping it could be her telling the others to get lost

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Baffled me the first time my first platy did that.... my smallest one is most prone to tail poking.

 

[Chad]

That's a dominance behavior exhibited by many fish. I think it reaches it's pinnacle with the tangs and their scalpels but I've seen many fish do it. The reason I place it as a dominance behavior rather than a mating behavior is because I've seen it exhibited between unrelated species. My McCosker's wrasse do it to the yellow tail blue damsels and of course my yellow tang does it to everyone.

 

[Skal]

If you want to get the fry may I recommend a breeding basket. You can get these at local fish stores. The basket is first put in the water and attached to the side of the tank. Then you put your pregnant almost ready to drop female in the basket temporarily. The female evenually drops all of her babies in the basket ( this can take a day or sometimes a week). Make sure you feed her normally. If you see the female not eat any food it might mean she is ready drop. The benefit is you get all of your fry in a safe area a way from the other fish which will eat the babies. Sounds like she is close to dropping Good Luck!