miraloma

I just bought a new blue mickey mouse platy a few days ago and it's in an observation tank with 5 pristella tetras. The tetras have been huddling together since day one. The platy has been swimming up and down relentlessly doing figure 8. Are these normal behaviors?

I have another blue mickey mouse platy in a platy tank. He and my sun burst female platy are the longest residents in this particular tank. He's been following her around and chasing away other platys, both male and female. Can platys be monogamous? He shows no interests in the other 5 female platys in the tank.

Also, the platys that the blue mickey mouse likes to chase away are a male red mickey mouse, a male sunset and a female blue rainbow. I can understand the other male but the female? Isn't that kind of odd? Could he just be confused by the blue color on the female and thinking it's another male blue platy?

0morrokh

I'm guessign the q tank is pretty bare. That's probably why the tets are huddling together, because they feel exposed. The platy is probably pacing from boredom because there aren't any other platys for him to play with. I wouldn't worry about it-they should perk up once in the main tank.

No there's no such thing as a monogamous platy that I'm aware of. He'll still mate with the other females, but for some reason he just likes one of the girls better than the others. I've noticed the same wiht my male platy.

And no I think they can tell each other's sex perfectly fine. Males are just as likely to chase the females, either trying to make them mate or hoping they'll drop a few fry to eat.

miraloma

My tank has 5 glass shrimps, 2 ornaments, a thermometer, a heater and a filter. It's not bare but no plants to hide in. The tetras don't try to hide in the ornaments (a bridge and a tower) either. They just huddle right in front of the heater, which is set to about 80F. I have a feeling that the platy might be intimidating them. I've move him and the tetras seem to be swimming about a little bit more. Not huddled up quite as tight.

COBettaCouple

Sometimes they do focus on one in particular, but it probably won't last too long. I'd say that Omorrokh is right on with the behavior in the q tank.