How To Stop A Bullying Platy?

[Starletta]

I know this may sound silly, but here it goes.
 
I had three female Platys who lived in a nice peaceful group. 2 Bumblebee and 1 Gold Platy.
 
The LEADER Platy passed away a few weeks ago and the remaining 2 looked lost without a leader or maybe living in a small group of 2.
 
Bought in a beautiful Red female Platy, but now, the Bumblebee Platy will not accept her. Constantly chases her and the Red Platy stays to herself, although, I can see she wants to be part of the group.
 
Went and bought another platy. Sorry, cannot remember the name, but a Goldish color with a brighter tail.    Total of 4 female platys.   The new girl is neutral to the 3 Platys, but the instigator, is still chasing my Red Platy off.
 
Is it territorial? Or the different color?  If it is territorial, would changing the decorations in the tank help?  I could put the instigator in another tank for awhile, but it contains a male Platy.  I put her in the tank with the male yesterday for about a 1/2 hour, which also contains 2 Glowfish, and he didn't bother the female Platy at all.
 
I just feel so bad for the newer girl. She approaches the group and the little Bumblebee Platy simply chases her away.      
 
Advice or opinions?   Thank you...

 

[Daveo026]

I had a bully platy that kept attacking my female dwarf gourami believe it or not. I moved the platy into a breed net for a few days that stopped the bullying for about a week but it started happening again so I rehomed her

 

[Scates11]

Funny i thought I had the only bully platty...mine gives my mickey mouse molly hell but i have enough places for her to get away and hide now.

 

[Starletta]

I had a bully platy that kept attacking my female dwarf gourami believe it or not. I moved the platy into a breed net for a few days that stopped the bullying for about a week but it started happening again so I rehomed her

I was thinking the same thing. If I move her for a bit, will she forget about bothering the newer Platy? I've had her since a fry, and couldn't part with her.
 
 

Funny i thought I had the only bully platty...mine gives my mickey mouse molly hell but i have enough places for her to get away and hide now.

There is enough room to get away and hide, I just feel sorry for the newer Platy. It seems like she wants to be part of the group, as she'll swim over to the group, only to get chased back... 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Had this just recently. I tried the route of adding new platy but it didn't help. In the end I moved my grumpy miss platy into my community tank (of guppies and neons) and she is perfectly happy there. The one she picked on also now lives happily with the new buddies I had bought in my platy tank.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

What are the dmensions of the tank? Platties tend to be far less fiesty in good sized tanks, a 90cm long might just about suffice, but a 120cm+ would be better.
 
Even "peaceful" fish can become fiesty in cramped conditions, take my 6 Beckford Pencilfish for example. In their quarantine 620T (62x39x55cm), the alpha male would chase the submissive male and the females relentlessly, since moving them to my 120x30x37cm and then my 120x45x55cm the whole group is much happier (plus there is far more room to find a "quiet corner.")

 

[Gilli]

I dont think the size of the tank matters much - I have a 4 foot extra deep tank some playts are just bullies! I had a group of them and one was an absolute nightmare not only to the other platys but to my teras as well! So much so that I had to house him in my shrimp tank for the rest of his days!!

 

[GouramiJay]

I am having this problem with one of my platy's. It keeps bullying one of the other platy's.

Is the only option to rehome it?

 

[Starletta]

  Gilli, you have such a beautiful tank!

I dont think the size of the tank matters much - I have a 4 foot extra deep tank some playts are just bullies! I had a group of them and one was an absolute nightmare not only to the other platys but to my teras as well! So much so that I had to house him in my shrimp tank for the rest of his days!!

 
 

I am having this problem with one of my platy's. It keeps bullying one of the other platy's.

Is the only option to rehome it?

  The problem seems to be lessening.  I moved the plants from one side of the tank to the others, in case it was a territory issue. And perhaps maybe "changing things up" the bully would concentrate on the change and  forget about chasing the other.  Plus the newest Platy, (not the one getting picked on) seems to have calmed things down.

 

[Daveo026]

I'm happy you managed to sort it i never thought of giving that a try.
At the mo I'm trying to aqua scap altho I would call it a mess at the minute

 

[Gilli]

Thank you Starletta!

 

[Starletta]

Gilli,
You're very welcome. It looks so natural...   How/where did you get the tall stone *wall* at the back of the tank? Is it one piece? I really love the look.  Thank you.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Gilli,
You're very welcome. It looks so natural...   How/where did you get the tall stone *wall* at the back of the tank? Is it one piece? I really love the look.  Thank you.

Me too, I wouldn't mind one of those! I still can't decide on a background for my tank.

 

[Starletta]

Gilli,
You're very welcome. It looks so natural...   How/where did you get the tall stone *wall* at the back of the tank? Is it one piece? I really love the look.  Thank you.

Me too, I wouldn't mind one of those! I still can't decide on a background for my tank.

  Hopefully Gilli will come back and let us know.  I've never seen a background like that around here, and I really like it.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Online I've seen 3D panels that go inside the tank, but they all appear to be solid grey/black, not so realistic as that one.