Suitable Tank Mates?

[smegforbrains]

OK, so due to tank warfare, i've removed my two male Mollies and a male Platy. All three are now back at the LFS.


One female Platy and both female Mollys are in isolation. The Platy I suspect has been over-sexed and has a bit of fin damage (although since isolation has developed a tiny bit of white fluffy fungus on her offside under her dorsal). The darker Molly seems to be disabled in that her swimming has been very laboured. She was pregnant when I got her and seemed to be struggling, using her whole body in what looked like over-exaggerated flapping for very little actual progress in the water. Since dropping the fry, she hasn't improved. She has been feeding almost gannetly but her stomach has started to shrink and she now has a rather sunken tummy. I'm suspecting dropsy hence the reason for isolation. The lighter Molly has flicked a few times so I isolated her immediately. No other tank dwellers have shown any signs of being affected.

My question is, now that I have only one pair of Platys in the main tank along with 9 Pygmy Corys, 4 Adolfoi Corys and 2 BN Plecs, would a suitable candidate for long term tank mate be the Siamese Fighter i have somehow returned home with this afternoon?


Slippy has been in the tank for about 60 minutes so far. At first he was very inquisitive of his tank mates. The Pygmys were his first target of curiosity but they were way too fast for him to get even close. Same goes for the fry he has so far encountered. The Platy pair took an interest in him and he just flared up at them. He seems to dislike the female but the male doesn't seem to bother him nearly as much (the female is heavily pregnant and ready to drop). The female was a bit stupid in that she kept coming back for a second look and just kept freezing every time he flared up, not moving away until he lunged. However, they seem to be keeping their distance now. The Adolfois and BNs he hasn't even raised an eyelid to, a quick look and off he went elsewhere.

Looking over now, he seems to have chilled out quite a bit and is hanging around the Camboba. The male Platy has just been warned off but he scooted pretty quickly. I raided the temperature from 24 to 25.5 which has brought the Adolfois to life even moe. they are now shoaling up and down the front of the tank - something Slippy is finding quite amusing, he's just hovering there staring at them.


So, do you think I may encounter any problems?

I do have facility (wife's permission pending) to set up another tank which I can put the Platys in to, with the fry, if necessary.

 

[Colin_T]

I was going to say the main ones to watch out for would be the pygmy cories. They might get attacked by the male fighter. He might eat the baby platies when they are born but everyone else should be fine with him.

 

[smegforbrains]

He has seemed to chill out amazingly quickly since my original post. he is completely unbothered by the Pygmys, just sails past over them.

I'm guessing he may have just been a little stressed and intimidated with the move. I suppose having a big fat bright orange Platy staring at you in your transport bag doesn't help matters.

 

[ThePiggy]

Cories are fine with Bettas. But the fry may get eaten. Since those two sick fish were in that tank originally, you should keep a close eye on the rest of the fish for anything suspicious. And you could raise your temperature another degree or two. Remember that Bettas are tropical fish. 25.5 isn't bad, it's just on the low end of the safe range.

 

[Colin_T]

I'm guessing he may have just been a little stressed and intimidated with the move. I suppose having a big fat bright orange Platy staring at you in your transport bag doesn't help matters.

Maybe he thought it was his own reflection, "Oh my god, I'm fat and orange"

 

[AJ Tudor]

her stomach has started to shrink and she now has a rather sunken tummy. I'm suspecting dropsy hence the reason for isolation. The lighter Molly has flicked a few times so I isolated her immediately. No other tank dwellers have shown any signs of being affected.

I was under the impression that dropsy is signified by swelling of the fish, not shrinking. Can't really shed any light on what it could be but I'm fairly sure it's not dropsy.

 

[naomilovesherfish]

hi i have a beautiful male fighter fish ahd him two weeks now, he lives with his fish mates which consist of platies,guppies,a molly,neons,zebra danios,a silver shark and a few others. he does not bully or attack other fish whatsoever and the other fish do not bother him. he seems happy enough and swims around my tank freely, just be careful if you do have male guppies that they are not overly fancy tailed as they sometimes think its another male fighter fish luckily mine are not really fancy so they are fine. so goes well in a community tank.
if you have got one did it come from a tankin which it was mixed with other fish or was it kept by itself in a cup, if it has already been mixed it is likely to be a better comunity fish.

naomi
xxx

 

[Netty]

But....how do you know that the Betta got on with the fish it was with in the pet shop. Just because it was housed with them doesn't mean he got on with them so doesn't necessarily mean that he will get on with the fish you put him with.

 

[smegforbrains]

Slippy has settled in nicely. He rarely goes near the 3 Platys now. Just swims off doing his own thing. He likes chasing fry, but they are way to quick for him - he darts a few inches then has to rest for a few minutes before another strike. It's quite amusing to watch. He also likes to have stare out competitions with the Marimo moss balls, but he never wins