Urgent! Betta/platy

[mrstwalker]

Hi all, 
 
Let me sort of start from the beginning. Around 6-7 months ago, my gorgeous blood red male crowntail betta (Mistletoe - got him as a christmas gift) passed away. He was a BIG boy, but had such a gentle nature to him. He was housed with a few platys (of all colors and variety) and 3 cory cats in a 10gal aquarium.
 
After he passed, I got rid of the other fish (mainly to focus on my North Carolina native tank) and took a break from the betta thing for these past 6-7 months. Well.... as you fish aquarium addicts know, you cant stay away from something you love for long. I got my 10gal out, put my cycled media in and started her up again. 1 week ago exactly I made the trip to my LFS to pick out my new betta, when I got there I found that they were having a buy 1 get 1 sale on ALL of the fish (seriously a fish addicts dream right? - I REALLY had to contain myself) I purchased 1 crowntail male betta (royal blue/red color, his name is La), 1 veil tail male betta (white with magenta/plum colors -- almost like koi markings named Tui). I also purchased 4 platys to go with my bettas since I have had such good luck housing them together before. 
 
Got home, put a divider in my tank and put La on one side, Tui on the other. And decided to put 2 platys on one side and 2 on the other. La straight away showed me that he had no fear. period. I put him in the tank and he acted like he lived there his whole life (most fish sort of swim around, getting a feel of their new home, not La.) He straight away started bullying the crap out of the platys so I moved them over to Tui's side.
 
Ok. So now to the part that matters: without even giving it a second thought I purchased 3 platys that are black/white and one platy that is yellow/orange. Tui has been hammering her. He just really goes after her and has torn her tail to shreds. I think it may be because she resembles a female betta possibly?  He leaves the black/white platys alone. Unfortunately I do not have another tank to put the platys in because I am getting ready to move. I have put her in a plastic breeding box that floats at the top of the tank for now.  Should I section the tank off again to make a space for the platys only? And how do I heal up her fins? Usual salt treatment? She is pretty badly beaten up. Any advice is appreciated! (And my LFS doesnt take fish back)

 

[Byron]

This illustrates why I and many others will not advise betta in community set-ups.  While it may have worked previously with a particular Betta, what you are seeing now is "normal" behaviour for a Betta and thus more likely than not if the fish are healthy and true to form.  And the brightly-coloured platy is often more likely to enrage a Betta, whatever the species.
 
It is not really humane to keep these fish together.  I'm sorry I can't offer any solutions beyond removing the platys, but that is what is needed.  The stress a fish undergoes when it is being targeted like this is severe and the fish cannot escape the consequences.
 
Any LFS that sells fish in this manner when they should know it is not advisable, and then refuses to take them back, is not one I would like to frequent, though I understand many are like this.  Selling fish with no knowledge of how each species behaves is a sad state of affairs.
 
Byron.

 

[mrstwalker]

This illustrates why I and many others will not advise betta in community set-ups.  While it may have worked previously with a particular Betta, what you are seeing now is "normal" behaviour for a Betta and thus more likely than not if the fish are healthy and true to form.  And the brightly-coloured platy is often more likely to enrage a Betta, whatever the species.
 
It is not really humane to keep these fish together.  I'm sorry I can't offer any solutions beyond removing the platys, but that is what is needed.  The stress a fish undergoes when it is being targeted like this is severe and the fish cannot escape the consequences.
 
Any LFS that sells fish in this manner when they should know it is not advisable, and then refuses to take them back, is not one I would like to frequent, though I understand many are like this.  Selling fish with no knowledge of how each species behaves is a sad state of affairs.
 
Byron.

 
You are totally right, I suppose my experience before with Mistletoe was pure luck, he was really healthy after all. It was age that took him. Its really saddening because when they do all live peacefully together, it makes for a gorgeous display. But, as my 2 new betta's arent mistletoe, its time for a change. Im going to call the LFS and beg them to take the 3 ok platys back. I have sold them platy fry before to raise and resell, so maybe they will take that into consideration. I may have to put the beat up one to sleep, or feed her to my Green sun fish sad but no different than a feeder guppy. I feel horrible because I have been in the hobby for a good while now, I should have known better and just didnt even think about putting them together based off of my experience before hand. I will know next time. What surprised me most was that they were selling the bettas as buy 1 get 1 that day. I live in a college town and there have been TONS of students (mainly fraternity's) that have gotten in trouble for fighting bettas. 

 

[mrstwalker]

UPDATE: I ended up going to the LFS and purchasing another 10 gal tank. I am going to fill with 50% water from my established 20gal. and 50% new water. I am also going to throw some substrate in that has been in the 20gal. and I have some cycled filter media that I can take from the 20 gal. as well and start a new colonization on the new filter pads for the new 10 gal. 
 
Another tank was the last thing I wanted before I move, but keeping the platys healthy is important. The bettas seem much happier now that they dont have any "intruders" in their home. And the platy's are over the moon to have their own home. Especially the beat up gal. She still isnt out of the woods yet, but her spirits have improved majorly. 
 
Thank you for the input!!