newb

I just bought two guppies yesterday.. I bought two guppies and a balloon belly molly. I don't know if they're playing or if they're bullying her around, but they're constantly chasing her around. Sometimes she'll turn around and chase them off, but they'll return to her.

I don't know if it's aggravating her or if she even cares. She's my favorite one in the tank though, so I'll be mad if I'm gonna let them push her around. Sometimes I'll take the net and chase them around to get them to stop. They'll stop for a minute, but as soon as they see her again they start chasing her around. They're mostly hanging out by her belly.

I'm new to the whole aquarium thing.. I have a betta which is pretty boring and lazy and never required much care. I got bored of him, and as a mother's day gift my bf bought me some new fish and other stuff to put in my other tank. I'm way excited, because this tank is so lively and full of plants and such. But I am worried that the guppies are going to make my molly go crazy! I was thinking of picking up one more balloon belly to see if that will even things up.. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Also on a side note, how can I tell if the guppies are males or females?

Nick G

Welcome to Fishlore. If you could post a pic then we can tell what sex your Guppies are. I'd hazard a guess though that you have two Male Guppies and a Female Molly, and that the Guppies are trying to mate with her. Guppies and Mollies can crossbreed, so you might find some Muppies in your tank soon!

Jonah

Hi Welcome to fishlore

i have to agree with Nick regarding the Muppys.

Can you give a bit more info about your tank? How old is it, how big is it and what fish do you have in it?

I only ask as generally putting Guppys and Bettas in the same tank is not recommended so are they in the same tank or in different tanks?

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

Lucy

(Hi Jonah good to see you, Muppys? lol @ the typo)

Hi Newb welcome to Fish Lore
Mine are bullys, no doubt about it.

Now, your betta....I echo Jonah's questions. Are the guppies in a different tank?

What size tank is your betta in? Is it heated, cycled? With good care, bettas have terrific personality.
Here's some really good info on betta care.
Welcome and Betta Care Guide - Please Read First!!!

Good luck with your fish

newb

actually, you're right! i had a friend come over and take a peak and it's that they are both males! my poor girl. :-(

i have a two week exchange period for my fish, and i'm thinking I'd like to get two females to replace the guppies.. will an all female community get along? Or maybe one male among three girls?

newb

oh sorry, i didn't see that reply from you lucy. the betta is in a separate tank from them. I moved him into my bamboo plant temporarily while I'm switching everything out and getting situated. He used to be in the 5 gallon all by himself, but he seemed to get depressed in there. I moved him to the one gallon and he's much happier being in there. Then I decided to get new fish for the 5 gallon that are more active and fun to have. The tropicals are much more active and a lot more fun to have! I moved the guppies to the one gallon until i get around to replacing them later tonight, and after that I'll be cleaning the tank AGAIN and putting the betta back lol.

I tried to get a snap shot of the fishies, but they're always swimming like ten miles an hour!

His tank is a gallon with a light filter system; nothing too intense. It's a weird tank and has sort of a bubbler thing in the back that rotates the water or something (not exactly sure how it works). He is happier in there and swims more, but he's still pretty lazy unless I'm feeding him.

Lucy

Odd, most bettas do better with about 5g's. I'm glad yours is happy with his home.

Your new fish, are they in the 5g? If so, some of the aggression could be from being in a tank not suited for them. Guppys and mollys are better suited for a bigger tank with room to get away from each other.

newb

yeah, they're in the 5 gallon. it's weird, i used to have a balloon belly and two guppies in a tank when I was a kid, but of course my mom was the one who took the most care of it. I'm assuming all females, because they didn't ever fight. I would like to do the same thing with one balloon belly and two guppies, and I found a GORGEOUS balloon belly that I want to keep really bad. I just got the guppies as company for her. It might even be a ten gallon or in something in between. It's hard to tell though, because it has a weird shape, and I inherited it from my mom (she passed away).

I will probably upgrade to a twenty gallon in the coming months for our game room, but it's still up for debate (I'm also expecting a baby so I need to prioritize most of my spending, haha).

Lucy

Aw, congrats on the new baby

When you're ready, a great place to look for cheap used tanks is Craig's List or even Freecycle.org.
You'll probably find a larger tank is easier to maintain and keep the water levels in check.