New Betta Male And Young Adult Male Platy - Emergency Mix

[Mamashack]

Not sure if this is an emergency yet, but would appreciate someone else's opinion before I head off to work at 12.30!
Yesterday I got a male plakat betta in my newly cycled 30L tank. No problem there - he seems to be settling in slowly.
 
About ½hr ago I noticed in the 60L tank that there was a serious tussle going on between the 4 month old male fry and both his parents - the female looked like she was seriously distressed. After several minutes I managed to net the young platy male and did something I know I shouldn't, but I panicked a bit and plopped him straight into the 30L with the new betta male. No acclimatisation or anything. Wahh!
 
They eyed each other up for a few minutes and then the young platy male seemed to retreat to the back of the tank behind the plants. 20 mins later have just seen the betta male flare his gill covers, but no other aggressive action as yet>
This is going to sound callous - I don't really mind about the platy, but I don't want any harm to come to the betta. Obviously I hope they will get on. Have I made a recipe for disaster??
Am tempted to turn the light off so that they can adjust to each other without the added stimulation of light - does that sound feasible?
Is 28° too warm for the platy? (temperate and came from tank @ 23°) Feel bad about that, but didn't know what else to do to stop the aggressive tussle in the platy tank.

 

[Shelster]

Hmmmm, any chance you can pop to lfs and get a breeding tank to keep Eragon safe in until you get home to monitor the situation?

Platy will be able to get away quick enough but like you said we don't want nipped fins

 

[Mamashack]

Thanks for replying Shel - unfortunately I haven't time now - I'll be setting off for work in about ½hr and I'm getting a lift so can't make it there and back in time.
I'll turn the light out before I go altho the timer will switch it off at 4pm anyway, but I want to remove any external stimulus whilst I'm not here to watch. So far they've been ok apart from the one early episode of gill-cover flaring.
This couldn't have happened yeasterday when I was day off, could it?? Wahhh! lol

 

[Shelster]

Sod's law!

If I lived round the corner you could have borrowed mine!!

Keep me updated when you get home, hope all will be well xx

 

[Mamashack]

Will do Shel!
Have turned the light out already and the plants will just have to manage til tonight.
If I put the light back on when I get home is it likely to confuse the fish? i.e. 2 x 4 hr sessions instead of 1 x 8 hr?

 

[Shelster]

No, I am considering setting my 180 litre to go off for a few hours during the day, they don't really care for lights, just the plants.

Fingers crossed all is well.

 

[Wildbetta]

I think you are going to be ok in this situation.   If you had a betta with a huge tail (HM) or a long flowing one (VT) then it might be a different story.  The fact that you have a plakat means that you have a betta with a more streamlined body which makes him faster.  This enables him to get away from fast smaller fish that might nip his fins.  This also means that he can catch some fast nippy fish that normally would be too fast to get away.

 

[RCA]

Mamashack, I agree with Widlbetta.
 
For future reference if you suddenly need to isolate a fish you can float him/her in a food grade container within their original tank for a period of time.  Of course with this option you must regularly change the water before it goes stale.  I would recommend you get a "Breeder Net/Basket" that clips onto the side of the aquarium, these are great for isolating a fish as the water can still flow through.  Both of these would have been good options for you until you returned from work and could think straight.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

For future, you could also make a breeding net by using a 2 litre soft drink bottle, cut off the top and bottom to make a tube, file the edges, cover the bottom with clean pantyhose and make a hook out of wire or whatnot to hang it on the inside of the tank.

 

[Mamashack]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone - I wish I'd had the gumption to think of some of them in the heat of the moment! There's never a breeder net to hand when you need one is there? I just had to get him out quickly - it was like a ball of (3) fish rolling about the tank with the female getting more and more distressed. Luckily she settled down once laddo had been removed! He must have matured sexually suddenly as there was no sign of this first thing this morning! (Fancy wanting to mate with your own mum! lol)
I got back from work tonight and thankfully, no shredded fins in sight! They seem to be keeping a respectful distance from each other and when Eragon does approach the young male platy (whom I shall call Buck from now on! lol) Buck backs down and swims away. So I think I may have got away with it! Phew!!!
This morning I'd had to put something in between the 2 tanks as Buck could see the other platies and was getting quite distressed up against that side wall of Eragon's tank. He seemed much more settled when I'd blocked his view - out of sight out of mind?? lol
Water params are still ok this evening so that's a relief! Big sigh!