More Platy Help!

[Alexis]

OK, for anyone who read my last post about my platies fighting over females, I thought we had the problem fixed. My fiance bought me my own tank last night (as an early birthday present) to separate our 2 female platies from all the males who were fighting over them. Anyway, the females got separated successfully. The tank was set up with a transplant of water and gravel from the other tank, and all is good.

ANYWAY, that didn't stop the males from fighting. It's like even though the females were gone, one still held a grudge against the other. So they continued to fight. So, since I have 2 females in my tank, I took the victimised male and have put him in with the females, because we were really worried about him. He was really stressed out from the bullying of the other males.

BUT now, he's causing more problem in the new tank. I think he wants to mate with one of the females, but they are clearly not ready and are now becoming stressed themselves! WHAT DO WE DO?!!! Either way, we have stressed fish, and it's really sad to watch! Anyone, please help!!!

(BTW, I'm hoping to get another female sometime soon, if that helps anything.)

 

[Morquinn]

I dont think that the females sit around and wait to be mated with... it just happens, the platies will fallow each other around, and the male will "jab" the female with his gonopodium or whatever its called, and it happens in a split second, and its usually continuous, cuz we all know how males are LOL j/k guys... anyways, sometimes I have caught my fish in the "act" where they got stuck together for a few seconds, other than that, the females dont just gurgle "hey big boy, come on over here" Adding another female will allow the male to try and court other ones at different times, thus relieving some stress on just one female.

 

[Alexis]

But I think he's stressing the females out. So should I still leave him in there, even though they're stressed? Or should I put him back in the other tank where HE'LL be stressed?

 

[Xavier]

But I think he's stressing the females out. So should I still leave him in there, even though they're stressed? Or should I put him back in the other tank where HE'LL be stressed?

maybe you're overacting. when you say "females stressed out" when he tries to hit that do you mean they're chasing him away or do you mean they seem to tired too fight. or do you mean when the females know he's coming they immediately chase him away, because it's normal for the female to take a little shot at him once in a while

 

[Alexis]

But I think he's stressing the females out. So should I still leave him in there, even though they're stressed? Or should I put him back in the other tank where HE'LL be stressed?

maybe you're overacting. when you say "females stressed out" when he tries to hit that do you mean they're chasing him away or do you mean they seem to tired too fight. or do you mean when the females know he's coming they immediately chase him away, because it's normal for the female to take a little shot at him once in a while

OK, I don't know whether this makes any difference, but the females are younger and half the size. When he chases them, their fins all get pressed against their bodies and they try to swim away ASAP. I don't know how else to describe it, but they just look freaked out. >_< Sorry, I'm kinda a beginner when it comes to mating stuff, but yeah. They don't fight him. They just try to get away.

Should I just leave him in there? I was thinking of transferring him back to the tank he came from, in the hopes he'd get on with the other male there tonight.

 

[Xavier]

But I think he's stressing the females out. So should I still leave him in there, even though they're stressed? Or should I put him back in the other tank where HE'LL be stressed?

maybe you're overacting. when you say "females stressed out" when he tries to hit that do you mean they're chasing him away or do you mean they seem to tired too fight. or do you mean when the females know he's coming they immediately chase him away, because it's normal for the female to take a little shot at him once in a while

OK, I don't know whether this makes any difference, but the females are younger and half the size. When he chases them, their fins all get pressed against their bodies and they try to swim away ASAP. I don't know how else to describe it, but they just look freaked out. >_< Sorry, I'm kinda a beginner when it comes to mating stuff, but yeah. They don't fight him. They just try to get away.

Should I just leave him in there? I was thinking of transferring him back to the tank he came from, in the hopes he'd get on with the other male there tonight.

hmmm...the reason the female aren't so receptive is cuz you're right, they're young, but your situation is difficult and i feel for you. i wouldn't put him back in but what'd i do is move a female more his age in there with him because the fact is the young females sex drives arent as high as his but in time they most likely will warm up to it

 

[Alexis]

hmmm...the reason the female aren't so receptive is cuz you're right, they're young, but your situation is difficult and i feel for you. i wouldn't put him back in but what'd i do is move a female more his age in there with him because the fact is the young females sex drives arent as high as his but in time they most likely will warm up to it

OK, thanks. I was thinking of getting a couple more females. But I don't think I'd be prepared to have fry right now. I haven't had fish for very long, and I'm only just starting to learn about breeding. I think I'd freak if one of them got pregnant, not to mention, I only have a small tank, so separating the mother and/or fry would be difficult. So if I was more prepared to have fry, then I would seriously consider getting an older female. But right now, I'm not sure.

Thanks heaps for your help, though!

 

[Xavier]

from what you just told me thought it doesnt seem tooooo bad buuuut i think the best thing to dofor right now is just leave him there

 

[Alexis]

So I should leave him there, even if the two females are a little stressed?

Sorry, I probably sound so dense to you. >_<

 

[Xavier]

are they males picking at him in the other tank?

 

[Alexis]

are they males picking at him in the other tank?

There is mainly one that picks on him the most, and the others sorta just tag along. When he gets chased, he retreats and stays in a corner for a while, then continues to get chased.

Do fish hold grudges? LOL. I really thought they'd be OK once we'd taken the females out of there. But they weren't.

 

[Xavier]

So I should leave him there, even if the two females are a little stressed?

Sorry, I probably sound so dense to you. >_<

for now i would, anytime someone tries to put something in your butt someone gonna get stressed so i think the females just need to suck it up or you can give them some extra cover from the other tank to hid them from him

 

[Alexis]

OK... well I hope the females are OK, and I don't end up with fry soon!

Thanks heaps for your help!