Swordtails And Platys

[bluostrich00]

ok this is kinda buggin me my two swordtails have been pickin on my platys since i brought them all home (1 sword male smaller side 1 sword female biggest fish in my tank right now) (1 male sunburst platy and 2 female sunbursts) now these two swords keep pickin on my females the most but when they pick on the male he wont just swim away and take it he kinda nips back i went down to my lfs and they told me to try changing the tank up a lil bit add some more plants so i added two big ones top to bottom on the other side of my tank soo now my tank has 5 big plants 1 medium plant and rock cave thingy but the swords still pick on my platys my females just basically chill one by my air stone and the other by the flow of my filter ...they just sit there all day like they are scared to move and when i feed em they hardly get any food (still talking about my female platys ) my swords and male platy just siwm all around my tank kinda playin a nip the fin game but it usually ends up the swords teamin up on him ne way what i want to know is how to make these agressive fish chill out a lil bit ??? maybe by adding another sword so they dont feel outnumberd???

 

[donna 123]

how bigs your tank?
we had a famale sword with platys in a 60ltr, she harassed my other fish all the time. They do love room to swim.

 

[twilight_angel]

actually, i think it depends on the tank they work with...

kindly put some pictures of your tank...

 

[omega59]

i have koi swordtail and they have never buged my platies or molies, infact they are very calm like my gourami.

 

[bluostrich00]

uhm right now i am using a 10 gal US. i did have alot of swimming room when i first got em but they seem to have mellowed down a lil bit after i added some more plants i will work on getting pics when i can my swordtails love to be together but my platys just would rather have there own spot in the tank ...i think one of them may be pregnat (will work on pics) because she doesnt eat as much as the rest and she doenst let any other fish get near her ....soo thanks for the help like i said i will work on pics when i get a chance

 

[bluostrich00]

ok heres a tank pic that was requested

 

[OldMan47]

Your stocking level is a bit heavy for a 10 gallon (figure 2 inches per fish and you are at 10). It may be contributing to the agressiveness of the swords but I find that in general swords are not as calm and peaceful as platies so it might be the same even with a somewhat larger tank.

 

[bluostrich00]

Your stocking level is a bit heavy for a 10 gallon (figure 2 inches per fish and you are at 10). It may be contributing to the agressiveness of the swords but I find that in general swords are not as calm and peaceful as platies so it might be the same even with a somewhat larger tank.

yeah i did think of that if i am overcrowdin them, would my female get nippy as well btw most of the time these are what my platys are doing one is chillin up under the filter box one usually chills by my air stone on the bottom and the other fatter one chills in the rock . (is this due to overcrowding i do belive the one platy that hides in the rock is prego because she doesnt let any other fish near her and she doesnt eat as much) i was also thinkin of getting another sword now this i know might be one to many fish but from what i have been reading it might help to calm my swordtails down by even the odd so they didnt feel outnumberd by my three platys??? but i am gonna have to stay up with regular water changes/or switch to an undergravel filter. i am not sure pretty new to this hobby so any type of insight helps.....