Alessa

Ok, I have my 28 gallon containing 4 guppies and I am worried for one of them.

There are one lyretail, one "feeder" one snakeskin and one fancytail who is the biggest, most flamboyant of them all. He is the one being constantly chased and harrased by the little feeder one who is the smallest. The Lyretail also fights him, but not constantly.

My concern is that the non-stopping feeder is stressing my fancy guy to the point where his gorgeous tail is starting to get shredded. this little guy is just not stopping, no matter what I do, and every time I see him he is just harrazing the big guy.

I dont know what to do! I dont have another tank (except for Balthiers and I dont think the little guppy would enjoy the company of my fiesty boy lol ).

is there any way to prevent him from killing my fancy guppy? (that does not involve females) because thats what I feel will happen If i cant stop him somehow!

Lucy

Fiesty little guy, trying to make up for his size. lol

I'd find something to put him in for a few days for a 'time out' maybe a breeder box?

You'd be surprised how well that works.

Alessa

Lol, thanks Lucy I think thats what i will do... seriously, it is just hillarious how he is so little and he tries to take up on the poor big guy day and night.

clinton1621

That might work short term, but male guppys unfortunately are one minded... without females to chase around then they will probably keep chasing each other instead.

Alessa

I figured Clinton... but it is just this little devil boy... My bf named him "pumpy" because of how little and weak he was... (or so he said) but after I figured his behavior I decided to name him HellBoy... lol.

Oh gosh... Boys!

Chief_waterchanger

Yeah, shredded mail guppy tails happens frequently for some people. We have that happen with a couple of our strains of guppies more than others. (I figure more aggression happens to be present in those males over the others, but probably is not a strain thing... just that they happen to be that color and aggressive.)

We just make sure our water stays clean and all is well.

Alessa

Have you noticed the small "feeders" to be more agressive than the fancier males?

clinton1621

If I'm not mistaken, most small feeders are actually Endlers... maybe that has something to do with them fighting with Fancy Guppys.

Alessa

This guy does not look like an endler at all, maybe he has some mix into him (although I cannot see it) but he does not look like one.

One thing I have noticed though, his tail growth is irregular, it looks like a shredded fan, but the shredding is not from biting, it grew like that. hmmmm....

KyWildFish

Maybe if you added more fish the aggression would stop, schooling fish tend to act out when they aren't in schools. I had a problem with a zebra danio who just needed more tank mates and a rearranged tank. He cooled off immediately.

Alessa

Guppies are not quite schooling, they are social. that means that three or four would do fine.

and I cannot add anymore because i would be overstocking my tank even more than it is, (I have platy fry).

Chief_waterchanger

I haven't noticed a whole lot of male aggression amongst our "feeders" because the males are the first to be used for feeders.

You may try removing the guppies into seperate bowls/containers for a few hours then putting them back in.

spider_pig

That actually works quite well, fish don't have good memories, when you put him back, he'll think he's the new guy and become shy.

Alessa

Ok, I'll do that see if little hellboy remembers his old neighborhood after being in solitary confinement.

Phinny12

Would the LFS you got him from take him back? Maybe exchange him for another fancy male?