[rhymon78]

So,

It seems that after several months as a new budding aquarist, lessons are being learnt and regrets are being had...

I wasn't convinced but my wife wanted to add some Platys to our already busy community tank. I caved in, against my better judgement. After discussion with the LFS I agreed to have 4 males, as I just did not want the females giving birth all the time, as I have no interest in breeding. Everything was fine at first....

To explain, I have 2 red balloon platys, and 2 tuxedo platys (well I believe thats what they are) one red one and one orange and black each paired off together and where happy for ages.. until one of the tuxedo (orange) ones became much bigger than the others. And he started constantly harassing and showing aggression towards the other non paired red balloon. This carried on for a while until I mentioned it to the LFS who kindly said bring it back we'll find a home for it.. which I did.

So now the other tuxedo is doing exactly the same behaviour to the red ballon, and sometimes the one it was paired with too. its hard to tell.

I have also noticed them doing this flashing off of plants behaviour too, Byron has suggested this could be to do with parasites. or water quality. I have the right type of water for livebearers, ph 8.2 GH 16. but I do have high Nitrates, I get 40ppm right out of my tap. I dose with prime at water changes, and have a heavily planted tank but alas the nitrates remain high. I did notice some of my danios doing this flashing also, but only a few times. the rest of the fish seem ok.

first video is of the platys behaviour, are they trying to mate? or is this just straight out aggression or what?

second video is more of the same, but also I managed to capture some of the flashing against leaves behaviour.

I know its a long story, but I would appreciate any info, or suggestions etc.
I am considering asking the LFS to rehouse the other tuxedo, because if this continues I am sure the red balloon will not be long for this world......

video 1
http://youtu.be/koVeOfdF3Nc

video 2
http://youtu.be/VlV9fcfFp38

Thanks.

[Byron]

Video one shows normal behaviour of males. I say normal because this is how a male fish of many species behaves, or similar. But watching the video the sunset Platy does seem to be a bit ill-tempered, and I would be somewhat concerned for the other two red Platy not being able to escape his aggression sufficiently to avoid stress.

I don't usually worry too much about this sort of thing when it is within the species, and is natural behaviour. I rather assume the species can deal with it. When it spreads--if it spreads--to other species, that is more serious and the offender must be removed. But I don't know how much of this aggression the red Platy can manage to handle as natural before it begins to affect them negatively.

The second video shows flashing, and likely due to ich (white spot). Any parasite will cause the same, and ammonia/nitrite sometimes does, or other issues with the water. But most often it is ich. I see it in a couple of my tanks now and then.

Ich is present in all aquatic systems, always. The old wives' tale about introducing it and then miraculously eradicating from the aquarium with treatments is just that--false. Ich is present in every aquatic system on this planet, as far as I know. But you rarely see it on fish as spots. Reason? The fish build up an immunity. But it does now and then get in the gills, which is why the fish flashes, trying to dislodge it.

The fish's slime coat protects them from ich, and it also contains various chemical barriers that may function here too. It is only when the fish is stressed--and for those who read my article on stress, you will remember that any stress causes a deterioration in the fish's slime coat--that ich is able to get through the defense and we see it as spots. Usually on the fins first as they are less protected.

This is why you can have an aquarium that has been running fine for months and years, but if the heater fails and the temp drops, you have a major outbreak of ich in no time. It is always there, waiting for the chance of infecting the fish when they are weakened by stress.

So Simon, don't worry. Maintain good water stability, avoid stress as much as you can, and the fish will stay healthy and fight this off.

Byron.

[Olympia]

That yellow Platy is what I like to call a bully.
This problem may worsen with time, if your ballon Platy balloon up more as this gives them a physical disadvantage.
You said you don't want females. Okay, I don't know how valid this is for other fish, but when keeping female betta together, aggression is usually worse in small groups. Maybe more males could solve the problem?
Posted via Mobile Device

[rhymon78]

Originally Posted by Olympia

That yellow Platy is what I like to call a bully.
This problem may worsen with time, if your ballon Platy balloon up more as this gives them a physical disadvantage.
You said you don't want females. Okay, I don't know how valid this is for other fish, but when keeping female betta together, aggression is usually worse in small groups. Maybe more males could solve the problem?
Posted via Mobile Device

Yes your right he is a bully, and its doing my head in!! I have no end of trouble tank wise for the last few weeks. all my fault, I have an over stocked tank, and stupidly added a second dwarf cichlid. this was a disaster, it was a total bully to all of the fish. including my beautiful peaceful lone male Bolivian Ram, who gets on with everyone!

there was 4 days of this until I managed to remove the bully fish, which in itself must have been stressful for all of them including me! around this time, due to bioload imbalance, or all of the stress etc i had a nitrite spike out of nowhere, fish were gasping at surface etc. got rid of the second cichlid back to the store, several hefty prime dosed water changes later and things seemed back to normal... the yellow/sunset platys whatever they are called seemed most affected by the nitrite spike, they're colour changes slightly and I thought one of them was bending out of shape, which I now learn is what Byron refers to as shimmying.

after a few days the biggest of the platys also yellow, like the one in the vids. started REALLY bullying one of the red platys, similar to that in the video but worse. I managed to remove him and take him back to the store I got them from (different one to the cichlid, thank god) and as soon as I get back from the store I notice the other yellow Platy exhibiting this bullying behaviour also!! I knew I should have just taken them both back. So now I have this going on, and I am starting to learn about the negatives to keeping fish.. I hate to think things aren't harmonious in there.

Theres no way I am getting more platys, I didn't really want them in the first place, it was my wife that wanted them. I knew it was a bad idea, and to be honest I need to thin the herd down a bit, to allow for room as my Botia kubotai grow to mature size.....oooofff didn't realise about that when I purchased those. Schoolboy error. went a bit over board as newbie, learnt my lesson and now working backwards to rectify things. I have managed to not kill anyone yet, but I guess its early days still.