Fighting Guppies

[soybean]

I have 3 males in my 180l. I've has them 2 months, taken from someone getting rid of their tank. They've always been kept together.

They bicker and display constantly. Constantly. I haven't seen any nipping but they are always in a Ball of Guppy Fury, as my friend calls it. It's exhausting just watching them. It's not like they don't have space to avoid each other, there's plenty of plants and decor. They seek each other out.

I have had all male guppies together in the past with no issues at all. A bit of displaying, that's it.

Is the solution really only to add females? I'm reluctant to add 6-9 extra fish and really don't want babies again (been there, done that when 3 platys turned into 60).

Any chance they'll settle down eventually? Would adding more males make it worse? Might have to rehome them otherwise, it's driving me nuts.

 

[amandalsmlns]

more females is the only answer just dont leave any cover for the fry and you wont have any problems or tetras can help u out with eating the fry but they only breed to the size of the tank and are beautiful fish especially if u add some leopard tux and fancy gupps or swordtails, i have had leopoard tux liretail sword guppies sold them to pet store for 10 us dollars each lost the two i kept to a roommate who thought my fish would like vodka am now breeding black tux liretail guppies and they are beautiful will post pics as son as babies are big enough to say cheese lol

 

[soybean]

Good luck with the breeding. I really don't want babies again, the tank is well planted for fry and like I said, been there done that with platys. Plus 6-9 fish is a lot to add just to stop 3 males bickering. Hence hoping for another suggestion! Guess I might have to find them another home with females.

 

[soybean]

If I add 2 more males, will this make the problem worse, or dilute the aggression a bit?

 

[OldMan47]

If you have adult male guppies displaying to impress each other, let them be. Each male guppy is driven to show himself to be the most desirable male in the tank. Whether or not a female is present, the displays will go on without a let up. One of the reasons that guppies are so popular is that the males will almost continuously show their best colors and finnage. Adding females will not reduce the competition but will give the males someone else to help judge who is the dominant male. That poor female will be the subject of all the displays you are already seeing.

 

[soybean]

If you have adult male guppies displaying to impress each other, let them be. Each male guppy is driven to show himself to be the most desirable male in the tank. Whether or not a female is present, the displays will go on without a let up. One of the reasons that guppies are so popular is that the males will almost continuously show their best colors and finnage. Adding females will not reduce the competition but will give the males someone else to help judge who is the dominant male. That poor female will be the subject of all the displays you are already seeing.

Thanks. Like I said, I don't want to add females anyway so that's not an issue.

I've had all males before and never experienced this level of displaying. They just did it when they came across each other, flared a bit, and swam away.

I also witnessed some nipping this afternoon. It really is relentless harassment between the 3 of them. It's no fun to watch.

My only questions are a) will adding more males help (as I have read elsewhere), and b) if not, will it all calm down eventually?

 

[GuppyGoddess]

I've had bickering guppies and have returned a few of them to the pet store b/c of this!