Added The Girls Today....fighting !

[Faythee]

I started my sorority tank today by adding 7 girls. They are all fighting !!! 2 got into a lip lock and wouldn't let go so I had to stick my net in there to seperate them. Plenty of hiding spaces (30 gal.), but they don't seem to care....just keep flaring and fighting. Is this normal at first and they will stop......or am I in trouble

 

[blue_betta]

try to post some pics up. possible you have a sneaky PK male or two in there rousing things up. fighting will be normal at first while they establish a pecking order. so long as no damage is being done, leave them to it.

 

[liz2]

You might have a young male in there, or could be one or 2 really feisty girls. They might calm down but post some piccies please...

 

[Faythee]

Okay.......going to get pics !

 

[Faythee]

I am terrible at getting fish pics. Not sure if this is even all of them. If you can see the white egg thingy on their underside they are female correct ?

I took all I could find from 5 different stores. Some are pretty ratty looking. Hopefully I can pretty them up with some care !

 

[bronzecat]

Pretty little things
Difficult to tell from the pics if ther are any males lurking, but some of the anal fins look suspiciously long??

P.S. An ovi spot is not an idication of it being a female, young males can also have one

 

[constantine03]

VT females should have that really long pointy anal fin. It's hard to tell from the pictures though. When they're flaring, does it look like any of them have a beard as opposed to just sticking their gill flaps out?

 

[devon_charm]

I'm not sure but i think i see a couple of males in there. The last 2 pic look like they could be so jus keep a close eye on them for full flaring

 

[Faythee]

Oh no

Will keep my eye on them. They seem to have calmed down a bit. One of the blue ones I noticed while flaring. It seemed to have bigger, longer gills while doing it.

The pretty pink one from the last pic seems to be in many of the rumbles.

This particular tank has been a nightmare since day one.........Everything you can think of. Was hoping this sorority idea would be the answer. Can't I get a break about over it !

 

[constantine03]

Sororities are tough unless you have siblings in them. Here's a great article about the myths of sorority tanks.

Sorority Myths

 

[modaz]

its only a natural thing for females to fight through the pecking order for a few days, give them time, if it doesnt settle on day 3 then take out the fiesty ones and things should calm down, you could be there for ages determing what is a young male, simply take out the trouble makers and grow them on to see what they turn into

 

[Faythee]

Thank you for the replies everyone. They have all calmed down and become comfy in their new home. Some of them even nap together. Will still keep a close eye on them.....but so far so good ! *fingers crossed*

 

[blue_betta]

both cambodians (white body with coloured fins) look suspiciously male, particualrly the pink one. the greenish one in the second last pic looks like a young VT male, or a young roundtail male.

 

[Faythee]

The greenish one hasn't bothered anybody but the pink one was one of the ones involved in the lip lock. You may be right. I will park my butt in front of the tank again tonite and watch. I have a 5 gal. to move one to if needed. Thanks.

 

[azulfire24]

young plackets will often have a ''eggespot'' just a sticky out poopie hole and they have short fins, female vt have long triangel pointed fins male plkts have shorter squarer ones. i have a male ct / placket cross,, his name is rupaul.. he was in my ladies tank for 3 days till i noticed exactly who was causing all the problems. a male will have gill flapes that make a beard form,, all the way up the sides of its head < where human ears are> to down underneath it s chin and they ither meet togather or are alomst toughing from each side.. it was actually my female who were starting the fights then he just womped their butss once they bit him,, was very hard to see who was the aggressor. good luck