Harassing

[aquamad]

Hi Everyone. I usually dont post but read everyones posts. Im no good at attaching pics etc.
I shall paint a brief picture. Our tanks is a 260L fully cycled. Nitrites, ammonia, ph etc all spot on.
We have never separated our fish when gravid as we always believe let nature take its course and always provide enough hiding places ie grass for the fry to hide. My question is, one of our male guppies is chasing the heavily gravid female, due any time as she has the white spot and she looks fit to pop. I know males do sometimes chase when the females are due to drop as they are trying to claim the female etc BUT im frightened she is going to become too stressed and even more so if i pop her into a net/box (which we do have but don't use.
I have never had to ask this question before BUT what would you personally do?
Thanks in advance
P.S our tank is a community tank.

 

[VaegaVic]

Hi there,
welcome to the realm of the posters

It's perfectly natural for males to chase females in that way.
You're valid in your worrying, but it's highly unlikely she would abort the fry just because of a male in the tank. If this were common place, there would be no guppies in the world at all!

You're welcome to remove her if you want to, or even remove him, but, I would personally leave them to it. The female will give birth as soon as she feels she is in a safe place, normally at night.

In a community tank however, I would be more worried on balance on whether or not the babies will survive, that is of course you want them to.

When I breed my guppy hybrids, I move the female to a 1 gallon tank, let her get impregnated there and then remove the male.
The female give birth in this tank, the babies hide between the plants and then the female is removed.
The babies grow on in that tank until they are big enough to leave and go join mum and dad in the larger tank.

Hope this helps.

 

[elisew]

Hi

Although pretty normal for the males to harass the female, do you have just the one female? IF so then I would suggest another 2 or 3 females to keep the male happy and stop just one female being so harassed.
You`re obviously concerned at the harassment this female is getting so I personally would add some more females, either that or rehome the female and add some more males?

 

[aquamad]

Hi

Although pretty normal for the males to harass the female, do you have just the one female? IF so then I would suggest another 2 or 3 females to keep the male happy and stop just one female being so harassed.
You`re obviously concerned at the harassment this female is getting so I personally would add some more females, either that or rehome the female and add some more males?

Hi many thanks for your replies. We have 3 males and 9 female guppies. I have been watching them all closely this last hour and it's not just the female guppies hes having issues with,but all of the other fish. Very strange behaviour for my tank,he's even attacking the plants and rocks whilst displaying his fins with his dancing.

 

[elisew]

Ok so it`s obviously not a case of not enough females then

He sounds like he`s just a typical male who may be having a few dominance issues. I think to be honest that you have one of 3 choices, either accept that this is just the way the male is and leave him to it, put him in a small trap for a couple of days to shift the dominance levels between the males OR look at the possibility of rehoming him but bear in mind that if you rehome this male, another one might just end up taking his place in relation to being the dominant one and act in the same way.
IF you do rehome this particular male the other 2 males would still be enough for the 9 females, in fact those 2 males would possibly think their Christmas` had all come at once!

 

[aquamad]

Ok so it`s obviously not a case of not enough females then

He sounds like he`s just a typical male who may be having a few dominance issues. I think to be honest that you have one of 3 choices, either accept that this is just the way the male is and leave him to it, put him in a small trap for a couple of days to shift the dominance levels between the males OR look at the possibility of rehoming him but bear in mind that if you rehome this male, another one might just end up taking his place in relation to being the dominant one and act in the same way.
IF you do rehome this particular male the other 2 males would still be enough for the 9 females, in fact those 2 males would possibly think their Christmas` had all come at once!

Thank you yes, i see what you are meaning. Hummm, i think i will give him the rest of the day as im not out today so will keep observing his behaviour. If there's no change by tonight i may just section him (against my true feelings) I think my female is extremely close and my just have her fry this evening so it will give her chance to drop in a little peace. If she has i will release him in the morning. Hope this is making sense.
I dont want to rehome him as he has produced some lovely fry in the past.
Thanks again.