Bad Tempered female guppies beating up hubbie?

[littleme1969]

I am just in the slow set up state.. 2 months down the line I have ..
3 neon tetras
7 glow lights.
2 catfish
2 honey gouramis
and an assortment of bonking snails.. I never bought them they just moved in with fish plants etc.
Just added 3 Guppies I adult young female i baby half grown female and one male.

Problem!! The famles are beating up on the male big time. He arrived with a beautiful red tale and a very outgoing nature.. 2 days later his tails is looking like its been through a hot wash on fast spin Poor lamb .. and he spends all his time hiding in the plants too scared to even come out for food. When they spot him they just go for him.. even the little female.. Whats the best way forward with this situation? I'm a newbie to all this tropical fish stuff but am loving it
My gourmais don't like each other either but as my tank is 3 small tanks joined by tudes they can have their own space.. but these just hunt him down.. I'm at a loss.. I have just put them in a small holding/breeding pen to give him a break and a chance to get something to eat.

Please help .. Any advice would be helpfull

 

[Wisperian]

Is the male harasing the females?? if this continues, seperate em

 

[littleme1969]

No.. its the other way round.. hes never even bothered them.. they started attacking him as soon as I put them in the tank.. but don't bother any if the other fish..

Any help?

 

[MAM]

simplest advice: either get rid of the mean females or get rid of the male......

i had three female mollies that literally slapped a male regularly. he became so stressed out by that he spent most of his time under one plant or wedged up behind the filter. i eventually spared him further stress and misery by moving him to antoher tank (with all fry, he was king for a while), and eventually took him to a lfs. if i hadn't, the stress could have killed him.

 

[littleme1969]

Thanks for that.. I was affraid that people would say that .. I guess I'll have to ring the shop and see what they suggest as far as who goes where.. I only have the one set up at the mo.. so puting them/him in another tank is not an option.

Thanks for the super quick replys anyhow

 

[Wisperian]

lecture him lol! hi mam *waves*

 

[littleme1969]

Having just read through alll the stuff on breeding etc. and looked at example pictures I think my 2 females are already pregnant Could this be the reason for the aggression to the male?. The fish were kept in seperate tanks males/females.. or so they said..lol But they deff look pregnant .. distinctive dark area at back of fish just above anal opening.. .. Maybe I should take a pic and leave it to the experts to decide for me?..lol B)

I have seperated them anyhow.. and the male already looks much happier and is eating well again

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

ive never seen a female guppy be aggressive ever and ive seen a lot

 

[littleme1969]

We I was shocked myself having done a fair amount of research into the breed. But they are both nasty pieces of work I can tell you.. But happily they just have each other .. oh and the bad tempered gourami to beat up on.. and they seem happy together in the end tank.. so peace has desended apon my little tank thank goodness

 

[GuppyDude]

well its all about picking fish to match the other fishes personality. b4 u buy watch the fish for a while. my male wen i got him was very mean, i new if i got a nice shy female ( which most guppy females r ) that he would pick them to death, so i watched the lfs tanks for a while and found the meanest female guppy they had. now they keep each other in check and rarely get on each others nerves.

 

[Sasha]

One of my female guppies was aggressive when she was pregnant! She constantly chased after my female swordtail, but it stopped after she delivered her fry.

 

[plysha]

My New Female guppy chased my male all around the tank but I think it was love lol .......he's dead now from fin rot/Ick... but he got her a few times before he died ...