dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
The filter in my Rena tank blew this afternoon, nicely timed so I wouldn't be able to make the shops (my local Pets@ having just shut). 
Some of you may remember that this is the 25 ltr hospital/retirement tank that houses 3 juvenile platies (1 deformed) and 1 guppy; the latter having been rehomed after she was aborting in the main tank and being bullied by my other adult female guppy. I thought then that the bullying was only due to Sarah being poorly and now that I've nursed her back to full health have been thinking for a long time that I ought to return her to main tank where she can have room to stretch her fins and company of her own kind.
Oh dear, it was not to be
I did everything I could, transferred them gently, acclimatised, distracted current residents with some food. Silverdot, permanent resident and bully, took one look and went straight for her, ignoring the other newcomers. She just would not leave the poor thing alone. I went down to supper; when I came back Sarah had a big chunk missing from her tail. She was pale and looked absolutely awful, as if she'd been ill for days. I lowered my netting jug and she shot straight into it, it was as if she understood that I'd come to take her away. Sarah is spending the night in an unfiltered tank (thankfully I did a big water change this afternoon). New water change tomorrow morning and then I'm off to get a replacement filter, and some more Melafix. Poor lass, but I really don't think she would have lasted the night with her old buddy. And those two used to be the best of friends.... 
The good news is, Sarah perked up as soon as she got "home" again. She is already at the surface looking for food. In a few days, I may put her platy friends back in as well, at least Bobbin, the deformed one.
But that's put paid to my plans of moving all the female livebearers in together when I get my big tank.
1
Oh, I do hate it when my children fight....
Some of you may remember that this is the 25 ltr hospital/retirement tank that houses 3 juvenile platies (1 deformed) and 1 guppy; the latter having been rehomed after she was aborting in the main tank and being bullied by my other adult female guppy. I thought then that the bullying was only due to Sarah being poorly and now that I've nursed her back to full health have been thinking for a long time that I ought to return her to main tank where she can have room to stretch her fins and company of her own kind.
Oh dear, it was not to be
I did everything I could, transferred them gently, acclimatised, distracted current residents with some food. Silverdot, permanent resident and bully, took one look and went straight for her, ignoring the other newcomers. She just would not leave the poor thing alone. I went down to supper; when I came back Sarah had a big chunk missing from her tail. She was pale and looked absolutely awful, as if she'd been ill for days. I lowered my netting jug and she shot straight into it, it was as if she understood that I'd come to take her away. Sarah is spending the night in an unfiltered tank (thankfully I did a big water change this afternoon). New water change tomorrow morning and then I'm off to get a replacement filter, and some more Melafix. Poor lass, but I really don't think she would have lasted the night with her old buddy. And those two used to be the best of friends.... The good news is, Sarah perked up as soon as she got "home" again. She is already at the surface looking for food. In a few days, I may put her platy friends back in as well, at least Bobbin, the deformed one.
But that's put paid to my plans of moving all the female livebearers in together when I get my big tank.
1Oh, I do hate it when my children fight....
