*+*evil Mollies*+*

[JellyPi3]

Ok, so i got paid last week and decided to add some fish to my fighters tank. He's on his own in a 55L (11Gal) tank, and i decided to go for platies.

So i go to Swallows Aquatics (one of the LFS near me) and i fell in love with two white mollies and two black mollies, along with my already wanted platies. I bought them and brought them home.

Well while they were acclimatising, Apollon (the fighter) was obviously interested, he's been on his own for about 3 months now. Well i released the fish, and within a minute it was pandamonium. He was going absolutly mental at the black mollies, flaring, striking, and wall clearly unhappy. They weren;t backing off either, they were flaring their dorsal fin and swimming in his path. I instantly bagged them up and took them away, and he calmed right down, and now seems peacefully happy with the white mollies and the platies.

I don't know if it was their colour, or maybe becasue they had slightly longer fins than the white mollies, but he definatly didn't like them.

Any ideas as to why my fighter went terminator on the mollies? And why the mollies went beserk, they didn't back down like the platies or white mollies?

Thanks x

 

[Shrimper]

I think your right, it was probably their colour and slightly longer fins. If the Betta thinks it looks like another betta he won't like it and will want to fight.

Do you know what sex the black mollies were? I'm thinking they were males which could also be why they were more aggressive than the others.

If they don't work out i would recommend getting some corys for the tank. I had 3 in my 7 Gal when it was a Betta tank and they didn't bother each other. I've just got some Harlequin Rasbora as well in the big tank with my betta, they have only been in a few days but are fine so far, they are probably too active for an 11gal though.

 

[helterskelter]

long fins and bright colors do trigger Betta's to flare and attack, it looks like you male though is a bolcky boy and you should just keep this in mind when getting fish in the feature.