# MM Platy Help - Territorial Male?



## ZackyBear (Dec 1, 2011)

Recently, one of my male platys have been harassing the others to the point where they don't greet me for food anymore.

I can tell him easily apart from the others since his tail area is a dark reddish-orange compared to the golden orange of the others. He will follow the others constantly, even when they find a place to hide! There are 2 males and 3 females, but the other male is way more peaceful and is even hiding with the females now...

Is my ratio causing this? Do I need to get more females, or get another 'school' for my red-tailed male in another tank?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

how big is the tank? are there other fish in there besides the platies? you might want to introduce a big but docile fish to the tank if you have room, it could cause him to think twice about going after the others (aggressive fish tend to calm down if they don't see themselves as the "alpha" of the tank)


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## ZackyBear (Dec 1, 2011)

homegrown terror said:


> how big is the tank? are there other fish in there besides the platies? you might want to introduce a big but docile fish to the tank if you have room, it could cause him to think twice about going after the others (aggressive fish tend to calm down if they don't see themselves as the "alpha" of the tank)


It's a basic 10 gallon tank that they share with a baby betta, but I keep the betta in a breeder box since it's so small. What other fish do you suggest?


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ZackyBear said:


> It's a basic 10 gallon tank that they share with a baby betta, but I keep the betta in a breeder box since it's so small. What other fish do you suggest?


i'm really not sure. as a fellow owner of a 10g community, i know that mollies and platies are about the biggest fish you can put in them, and mollies, while bigger, can also have a habit towards aggression. if you didn't have the baby betta in there i'd suggest a King betta, since in my experience and a lot of others' they tend to be a lot more peaceful than most. with the baby in there, though, even in the breeder box he could be rather dangerous. maybe if you could get an individual tank for the baby, you could try a King, but just be careful to observe him a LOT the first few days to get a read on his temperament.


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## ZackyBear (Dec 1, 2011)

Sometimes I wish Portal Prime didn't have such flowy fins. :c He's agressive enough but allthat swimming would rip his fins up...

As for a king, that sounds like a good idea. I have to figure this out soon though. My platys are now huddled against the filter while the evil bloody platy is trumping around the tank D: I wonder if my Petco will let me trade it...

I'll go tomorrow and ask them if they wil and look around at their bettas. They never have plakats, so maybe a nice big crowntail will work...especially since kings are $25 here x.x


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ZackyBear said:


> Sometimes I wish Portal Prime didn't have such flowy fins. :c He's agressive enough but allthat swimming would rip his fins up...
> 
> As for a king, that sounds like a good idea. I have to figure this out soon though. My platys are now huddled against the filter while the evil bloody platy is trumping around the tank D: I wonder if my Petco will let me trade it...
> 
> I'll go tomorrow and ask them if they wil and look around at their bettas. They never have plakats, so maybe a nice big crowntail will work...especially since kings are $25 here x.x


i wouldn't put a CT in a community tank...their fins make them weak swimmers, which can lead to they getting picked on by faster fish, which can then either lead to a nipped-bare fish who can't get any food at feeding time, or cause him to fight back and leave you with dead platies


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## ZackyBear (Dec 1, 2011)

I dropped by the LFS. The manager said he couldn't trade my platy if he was territorial (since their current stock is a bit dense in their tanks).

And a CT won't work? That really sucks now....


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## ZackyBear (Dec 1, 2011)

I got an update - And it was a looot of drama xD

My Petco has planted tanks that are separate from their stock tanks, and they took my male and (because I know the supervisor well enough) they traded me a female sunburt MM platy. I ended up buying another so I could make the count an even number again.

Got home, did a water change, had to stop because I kept finding platy babies....introduced them, and BAM. My other platy starts dropping babies x.x

I also stuck Koi into the 10 gallon now. He seems to be offended by the pink stone (and keeps biting them), and follows the red platys. He hasn't flared once....kind of worried but for now I will just relax for a minute.


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