I've read that platys should be kept in the ratio of like 3 females to 1 male but for some reason if I go over a group of 3 platys they all pick one and attack it. The first time I thought it was because the males were being competitive and the weaker one was eventually picked on till it died. However this time I added one of the baby females to the group and now the others are picking on a different female platy. Anyone ever experienced this or have any suggestions?
Aggressive Platys
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theotheragentm
Aquarium Advice Addict
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I know that pregnant Platies will sometimes want their space and chase other fish away, but I've never heard anything like this. I have five Platies right now and I've never seen anything like this. I'm interested to hear if anyone else has any input.
physicsdude
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yers, I have. I have some platies that are somwhat aggressive to some of the smaller congo tetras. The mollies are terrible though; they are always trying to nip the other fish!
coldmachineUK
Aquarium Advice FINatic
:? 
I'm really surprised m_e23. Platies are usually one of the more placid species, even though they can occasionally chase each other and other fish. It's never on the scale of cichlids.
I've a group of 9 in one tank that have been there, well, eons it seems. They all get along just fine, so it's definitely not numbers that are the issue.
What size tank do you have? It could be that if it's a small tank (we'd have to be talking less than 10G here for a group size of 3 to be causing problems... :S) then the fish are feeling hemmed in and stressed and are taking it out on each other.
The one and only time, in many years, I've seen a platy get aggressive was when I relocated a tank: a male blue platy, previously submissive to the dominant red coral group, took it upon himself to become 'boss' and harassed my other fish so badly I actually ended up moving him out of the tank (a platy, who'd have thought?!).
You've got the ratio of m:f right, so it's not that either. My only thinking is: tank size, and/or lack of hiding places/vegetation.
I'm really surprised m_e23. Platies are usually one of the more placid species, even though they can occasionally chase each other and other fish. It's never on the scale of cichlids.I've a group of 9 in one tank that have been there, well, eons it seems. They all get along just fine, so it's definitely not numbers that are the issue.
What size tank do you have? It could be that if it's a small tank (we'd have to be talking less than 10G here for a group size of 3 to be causing problems... :S) then the fish are feeling hemmed in and stressed and are taking it out on each other.
The one and only time, in many years, I've seen a platy get aggressive was when I relocated a tank: a male blue platy, previously submissive to the dominant red coral group, took it upon himself to become 'boss' and harassed my other fish so badly I actually ended up moving him out of the tank (a platy, who'd have thought?!).
You've got the ratio of m:f right, so it's not that either. My only thinking is: tank size, and/or lack of hiding places/vegetation.
shayfish
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I have never had a molly that bothered other fish.physicsdude said:
Its a 20 gallon but is divided (a little over half to the platys) because of my dwarf puffer. There is also a red clawed crab in the tank (when not living in my filter) and a borneo sucker.
So I just captured a video of my 2 female platys fighting. The aggression seems to be getting worse. It went from the occasional chasing away to flat out fights. I'll post the video when I get a chance.
So I just captured a video of my 2 female platys fighting. The aggression seems to be getting worse. It went from the occasional chasing away to flat out fights. I'll post the video when I get a chance.
I've never considered platies placid. They are nippers and they like to eat the slime coat off other fish. I had one beat the snot out of a 3" comet this weekend. The comet's being put down. This was a healthy comet.
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