Aggressive Males

[Lin]

Getting fed up with fish aggression, it always seems to be the males in my tank! I have had a few deaths from fish being bashed, but it has been okay for a little while, I have just finished treating for whitespot that came in with the 2 female mollies.

I had a few male platties but they just seemed to keep fighting each other, then I was down to two males and one of them got his tail bitten so I put him in a hospital tank for about 8 days and tonight put him back in the main tank and immediately the other male started to harass him again.

I also had two pairs of mollies and they seemed fine for a little while, then one male kept bashing the other and the bashed one kept hiding all the time. and tonight he was just floating while getting harassed and I have put him in the empty hospital tank but don't think he is going to recover.

Do you think I should have more of these little fish in my tank perhaps that will keep the aggression down!?

The hoplos and the plec and totally peaceful and all the females seem very laid back, it's just the darn males!

2 hoplosternums
1 plec
2 male platties and 4 females
1 male molly and 3 females
180lt tank

 

[WILDER]

No offense to livebearer keepers, but i find that they cause never ending problems, i no longer keep livebearers, just plenty of hiding spaces and plants, or rehome them, or see if the lfs will take them back.

 

[Lin]

What kind of probs did you have, the same as me....? It is fascinating watching for fry, my last tank had no livebearers and I just thought I would try it. Might just add a couple of gouramis, which I like too but first will keep my fingers crossed some of them survive for a while! Lin

 

[WILDER]

Males not getting along, bad breed livebearers from the lfs, always seem to be ill with something, gave up, and no longer keep them, one problem after another, good luck.

 

[Annastasia]

Hiya,

Sorry to hear about your problems with the fish. Livebearers are best kept 2-3 females per male, rather then pairs. That was probably the problem with your male Mollies. They each only had 1-2 females, and that would make them feel they had to fight over the females. Mollies also tend to be more aggressive then some other Livebearers. I'd take one male back to the store, should your other male recover.

For the Platies, the ratio seems pretty good there. Maybe try 2 more females, just to give them 3 females each. That should tame them down a bit. If it doesn't...I don't know what to say, you have an aggressive male. In which case, seperate them or take one back.

Adding hiding places and lots of decorations and plants is also helpful. It gives the females ways to get away from the males so they don't get too stressed, and it gives the males some "territories". Perhaps your best bet would be to re-arrange totally, so then the males will lose their long claimed territories which may make them less aggressive.

Also, make sure you are feeding enough. Aggression can get worse if the males feel they must compete for food too.

I wish you the best of luck! And don't give up on Livebearers yet. They really are great fish, they just aren't as easy as you might think.

*As a note for the Mollies, they usually do best in hard alkaline water, with a little salt. Now, your catfish can't handle that...but just watch out for your Mollies getting diseases or looking not quite so healthy. You can find more information in this thread. *

 

[Lin]

Thanks for the advice Annastasia have had a good look at the thread you recommended and will think about all this, have to say I think my black male molly has definitely succombed will have to bury him in the morning... as its the wee small hours here now, will go to bed... Lin