Betta not playing nice

[PhillipC]

Hi i recently added 3 new platies to my 11 gallon tank today and now my betta is going beserk. Well first I removed the betta and put him to a quarantine tank. Drip acclimated the 3 platies and rearranged the ornaments. I waited 5 hours to let the platies settle and then put in the betta. My betta instantly flared his fins when he saw the platies. My betta started to chase and attack the smallest platy and i think he might have got some of the poor things tail. The platies seem scared and theres absolutely no aggression from them. What should i do with my angry betta? (Who is still trying to eat the platies that are bigger than him.)

 

[vance1013]

Hi i recently added 3 new platies to my 11 gallon tank today and now my betta is going beserk. Well first I removed the betta and put him to a quarantine tank. Drip acclimated the 3 platies and rearranged the ornaments. I waited 5 hours to let the platies settle and then put in the betta. My betta instantly flared his fins when he saw the platies. My betta started to chase and attack the smallest platy and i think he might have got some of the poor things tail. The platies seem scared and theres absolutely no aggression from them. What should i do with my angry betta? (Who is still trying to eat the platies that are bigger than him.)

Either find a new home for your betta or take out the platies and platies arent good tank mates for bettas

 

[shellieca]

Hi i recently added 3 new platies to my 11 gallon tank today and now my betta is going beserk. Well first I removed the betta and put him to a quarantine tank. Drip acclimated the 3 platies and rearranged the ornaments. I waited 5 hours to let the platies settle and then put in the betta. My betta instantly flared his fins when he saw the platies. My betta started to chase and attack the smallest platy and i think he might have got some of the poor things tail. The platies seem scared and theres absolutely no aggression from them. What should i do with my angry betta? (Who is still trying to eat the platies that are bigger than him.)

How long has it been since you put them all together? Sometimes they'll settle after a day or two & sometimes the Betta just has to be solitary. I don't have my males with any tank mates other than they each had a snail until the snails crawled out. when i 1st put them in with the males they were nipped at & then the Bettas settled. My females are in a community tank & they nip,here &'there but nothing serious.

 

[PhillipC]

Its only been about an hour since I introduced the betta to his tank mates. My betta has lived with a school of neons before and the tank was relatively peaceful.

 

[KevinM]

give him a little while. I have a male and female living in the same tank right now, the 1st day or two he would flare up at her and then swim away, now they eat next to each other(yes I do have a divider in the tank but they can still see each other and interact.. Its kinda funny watching him do the mating dance and she watches for a min then swims away.. This betta is just like me.. fails with the ladies =(

But You have to watch them really close. I dont see it working out, bettas are hit and miss if theyll allow anything else int he tank with them. my other male picked on the poor snail for a few hours then left it alone.

 

[vance1013]

Its only been about an hour since I introduced the betta to his tank mates. My betta has lived with a school of neons before and the tank was relatively peaceful.

If it still continues you need to move either the betta or platies how big are the platies long fins or short fins

 

[PhillipC]

The platies have short-ish tails. Nothing too fancy.

 

[vance1013]

That could set off a betta that is aggressive very easily bright colors will do that

 

[PhillipC]

Just an update: after two days of intense chasing and bullying of the platies, my betta seems to be fine with them. Everyone just minds their own business. Thanks to Shellieca and KevinM for the info!

 

[bud29]

It's good that they worked things out! My betta is incredibly mean, and I had no such luck.