# aggressive platy



## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

i have a 20g with 1 male orange mm platy, 2 female gold twinbar platies, 1 female sunset platy. i was at lfs, not intending to buy fish, and i saw a single female rainbow blue platy in with about 15 giant danios. i felt sorry and bought her. the first day she was aggressive to all. second day she took over a rock cave and has been defending it. all were peaceful until the blue showed up. now even one of the golds is showing aggression. is something wrong with her? will she change? can she cause problems?


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## AbbeysDad (Mar 28, 2011)

I had a young male sunset mickey mouse platy who was 'tank boss' chasing away smaller platys that got too close. Many fish can become territorial. Often the aggression is more show than actually harmful. 
I think you'll just have to wait and see how things settle out.


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

AbbeysDad said:


> I had a young male sunset mickey mouse platy who was 'tank boss' chasing away smaller platys that got too close. Many fish can become territorial. Often the aggression is more show than actually harmful.
> I think you'll just have to wait and see how things settle out.


thanks, funny thing is she is the smallest


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Aggression beyond the norm for a fish species is often caused by stress. It wouldn't surprise me if the platy's unfortunate confinement in the store tank with totally unsuitable tankmates, plus being the lone platy, may not have caused this. The inappropriate conditions in a store tank stresses fish to begin with, so this further stress only makes things worse. It rarely if ever reverses, as the fish's physiology is impacted.


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

I purchased 6 platys (2 males, 4 females) a while back. The two males were equal in their size and coloration. For some reason, one of the males became extremely aggressive toward the other...to the point where one wouldn't permit the other to swim in the open at all. Since the subordinate male continued to try to come out and was getting his fair share of food, I decided to take a wait and see approach. Incredibly, they now swim side by side with no shows of aggression at all. Just sayin...


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## rhymon78 (Mar 17, 2012)

I recently had issues with an all male group of 4 platys in my tank, 2 reds and 2 orange and blacks. they each paired off 1 red, 1 orange in two pairs. every one was happy. Then one orange one got a lot bigger than the others and started showing constant aggression towards the non paired red platy. just wouldn't leave him alone. 

It drove me mad watching this fish harass the poor red platy, who was not showing any aggression at all, just minding his own business. I mentioned it to one of the guys at the LFS I got them from, and he said bring the aggressive one back, and they would rehouse him. which I did, but then as soon as he was gone the other orange and black one has turned on the lone male red now... doing the same thing. weird. 

It could be to do with the no females for them to take out their urges on or whatever, but I just didn't want females, and all the fry etc. TBH I wish I had never got them, I knew it was a bad idea... the mrs wanted them and convinced me. nothing but trouble, and won't be getting them again once they depart. 

there is a lot of what looks like displaying going on, where the platys kind of hover side by side and their fins are all super extended, it doesn't seem aggressive. Its when one moves to quick, the other will go after it. or if the lone red crosses the orange ones line of sight across the tank... off he darts and chases the red one around.. a bit sad really, but I can't really ask the LFS to take another one on. so Ill see how things go. not my favourite fish.


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

It does seem to be an action versus reaction thing. If one fish stands its ground, the other backs off...dirty bullies. A lesson in behavior on the whole, me thinks.


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

rhymon78 said:


> I recently had issues with an all male group of 4 platys in my tank, 2 reds and 2 orange and blacks. they each paired off 1 red, 1 orange in two pairs. every one was happy. Then one orange one got a lot bigger than the others and started showing constant aggression towards the non paired red platy. just wouldn't leave him alone.
> 
> It drove me mad watching this fish harass the poor red platy, who was not showing any aggression at all, just minding his own business. I mentioned it to one of the guys at the LFS I got them from, and he said bring the aggressive one back, and they would rehouse him. which I did, but then as soon as he was gone the other orange and black one has turned on the lone male red now... doing the same thing. weird.
> 
> ...


thanks


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

Byron said:


> Aggression beyond the norm for a fish species is often caused by stress. It wouldn't surprise me if the platy's unfortunate confinement in the store tank with totally unsuitable tankmates, plus being the lone platy, may not have caused this. The inappropriate conditions in a store tank stresses fish to begin with, so this further stress only makes things worse. It rarely if ever reverses, as the fish's physiology is impacted.


thanks


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

Byron said:


> Aggression beyond the norm for a fish species is often caused by stress. It wouldn't surprise me if the platy's unfortunate confinement in the store tank with totally unsuitable tankmates, plus being the lone platy, may not have caused this. The inappropriate conditions in a store tank stresses fish to begin with, so this further stress only makes things worse. It rarely if ever reverses, as the fish's physiology is impacted.


thanks


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

rhymon78 said:


> I recently had issues with an all male group of 4 platys in my tank, 2 reds and 2 orange and blacks. they each paired off 1 red, 1 orange in two pairs. every one was happy. Then one orange one got a lot bigger than the others and started showing constant aggression towards the non paired red platy. just wouldn't leave him alone.
> 
> It drove me mad watching this fish harass the poor red platy, who was not showing any aggression at all, just minding his own business. I mentioned it to one of the guys at the LFS I got them from, and he said bring the aggressive one back, and they would rehouse him. which I did, but then as soon as he was gone the other orange and black one has turned on the lone male red now... doing the same thing. weird.
> 
> ...


thanks rhymon


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

AbbeysDad said:


> I had a young male sunset mickey mouse platy who was 'tank boss' chasing away smaller platys that got too close. Many fish can become territorial. Often the aggression is more show than actually harmful.
> I think you'll just have to wait and see how things settle out.


thank you


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