fish dominance

[fishfreak5]

Has anyone else here ever heard of fish dominance?
I was talking to my sister on the phone
and I noticed one of my galss fish headbutting the other in the side
i told my sister and she said that there is a thing called fish dominance in wich the dominant fish will push the others away from food to eat firs before other fish of that species can eat .I also noticed my red wag platys doing this .
(my sister has a saltwater and a freshwater tank.)

 

[fishfreak5]

I just wanted to update something here, I have 1sunburst mickey mouse platy ,2 red wag platys,a loach ,and a rubber lipped pleco.
ps I cant post any pics because we lost the cord for my camera and my computer dosnt take xd chips

 

[jsoong]

Oh yes, dominance is a big thing in fish. In a community tank, the aggression of some fish can cause major problems.

Even in species only tanks, there is usu. a pecking order. The fish don't even have to show physical aggression. The low fish on the totem pole can be reduced to hiding in a corner when the dominant fish is around. They prob. have a way of saying "Stay in your corner or I'll beat the snort out of you!"

You can reduce aggression by having a larger tank & lots of decorations/hiding places so the fish can stake out territory & stay out of each others way. Also it is good to have more than 2 or 3 of a species, so the dominant fish can spread his attention around & not pick on one poor guy all day.

 

[booginish]

if your a big darwinist(like me) ul see that its all about survival of the fittest, strong healthy providing fish are much more sequential to the society of fish, there presents alone benefits all the fish as a whole, but fish that just cant match up usually get pushed around and become the omegas of the group and dont even get there chance at alphanism. read any book by a guy named robert aurdrey(social contract is awsome), he lays out in lamens terms and makes all that kind of stuff very understandable.

 

[fishfreak5]

thanks for the info also i recently added some wood to my tank i treated it by boiling it a few times (3) just like my book said to. the wood was from my gecko he died 4? years ago so i knew the wood was dead long enough i think it was eucalyptus it smelled very good while boiling.

 

[jsoong]

... i think it was eucalyptus it smelled very good while boiling.

That isn't good .... If it still smells like eucalyptus, then there is still oils in the wood & will leach out into the water .... don't know what eucalyptus oils will do to your fish.

 

[fishfreak5]

it didnt smell when I finished boiling it

 

[fishfreak5]

eucalyptus is supposed to kill parasites(at least in birds reptiles humans etc:

 

[jsoong]

eucalyptus is supposed to kill parasites(at least in birds reptiles humans etc:

That's what would worry me ... anything that is capable of killing bugs is potentially capable of killing fish in large doses. Small amounts are prob OK ... but the usual recommendation in fish circle is to not use aromatic wood in your tank.

 

[fishfreak5]

Idont think its doing any harm if anything the fish dont seem to notcie or mind it they rather seem to enjoy it.

 

[fishfan12]

my tank has major dominance. my mollys always but out my skirts and wag platies.

 

[peaceablegarden]

Just to add to the dominance question. My two males (1 Red Wag and 1 Mickey Mouse) trade off.