Did I do right?

[yellowjacket171]

Over two months ago I started my first freshwater tank, 29 gal. In my tank now I have two female platy's, one male pineapple swordtail, four various types of cory's, one male guppy and just yesterday added three bleeding heart tetras. All was going smoothly until I added two male guppy's. One was a holy terror, terrorizing the whole tank for two weeks. I thought he would settle down once he got to know the tank. Everyone told me guppy's are real peaceful fish. He really went after my two female platy's taking a bite out of ones back, which has healed now and constantly biting at my other female platy. He also chased and bit my male fish. No pet shops I talked to heard of this ever happening. I thought of giving him back but felt guilty and others told me to flush which I defiantly could not do, it seems so cruel. So I came up with and idea after my husband said to not go out and buy another tank! I took a huge pickle jar, it was sitting empty for quite a while, washed it out, put my aquarium gravel and water into the jar and also added a plant and a air stone, I even cut window screen and put it over the top so he jump out, and plopped my terror into it. At first he hated it but now seems to have settled down, it been three days. I worry he'll get lonely. Hes picking at the bottom so I guess hes eating. Is the jar I put him in too small? I thought it would make a great hospital tank? I did order a 2 1/2 gallon tank for him and my 29 gal tank is now peaceful once again.

 

[tkos]

Never flush a live fish. You are right to think that is cruel. Yes the jar is too small for him. Just because they are small fish does not mean they are small swimmers. Did you try just taking him back to the fish store.

The main problem with so many live bearers the guppy may have been trying to breed with the platys and may have seen the sword tail as compition.

Do you have plants and caves and stuff in the tank. These will give hiding spots and line of site blocks to the fish and will make things much easier on the fish.

Watch out as the platys and swordtails can interbreed very easily. And some people have said that guppies and platys can breed as well.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I do have lots of plants and caves etc in my tank. In fact before moving my guppy I went and got extra plants hoping more hiding places would be better but everyone always was hiding. I have also heard swordtails and platy's can breed after I got them and after lots of research on the fish in my tank. I was told that guppy's and platy's cannot breed. I have seen no babies so far from my platy and she has been in my tank with my swordtail since the beginning.

 

[azn dreamer]

And some people have said that guppies and platys can breed as well.

yep. They could breed...i just got some guppy/platy frys

 

[Megalofyia]

How to interbreed fish do? Do they look strange compared with the parents?

 

[azn dreamer]

well ...my platy/guppy frys look like a normal platty but longer body... :|