CatladyDane

(My apologies if this post is duplicated. I pushed a wrong button & the first try vanished.)

Not actually a fight, but my swordtail is a bully. In my 10g, I had a male velvet wag swordtail and a ghost cat. They got along just fine. Having introduced them before my tank was fully cycled, and dealing with the work that entailed, I decided to be extremely cautious about adding more fish too soon. So they've had the tank to themselves for about five or six weeks. Yesterday I added a male Micky Mouse swordtail and a peppered Cory cat. I made sure to get fish of similar size so they would fit in well. (That works with big dogs.) My velvet wag immediately did some shoulder jostling with the Cory, since which time he has left him alone. The wag now chases the Mickey Mouse. Mickey has done nothing to provoke him. No damage appears to be done, but it must be an awful nuisance for Mickey, who at times hides by blending into a plant or structure and remaining relatively still. Both new fish are eating. Have I done something stupid (again)? How long is it likely to take for the wag to accept Mickey as his buddy? I purposely got males because I don't want to produce babies for whom I can't provide a good home. (Spay & neuter doesn't work for fish.) When I clean & change water today, I plan to add more plant cover for Mickey. Swordtails are supposed to be good community fish - has anyone dealt with a bully before?

Halibut

Your overstocked for a 10 gallon tank, fish may feel crowded which can in turn make them more agressive. Swords get to be about 5in so you would have been in good shape with 1st 2 fish. 20 gallon is proably more appropriate for the fish you have. Also adding 2 male swords can also be an issue with agression with a tank that small I believe. More eperienced people will answer but this is my thoughts on your question

angelfish220

Yeah, I think that they are to crowded. I am assuming that both are males because if otherwise the male will constinalatly chase females which is why you always need more females.

nanoman923

my swordtail is a bully too. if he is nipping, then seek a breeder box if you have one. if not, buy one. if he is not nipping dont worry.

Richard

Of the three livebearer species we have, Swordtail males are the biggest bullies based on my observations.. unlike Mollies and Platties, male Swordtails will go after any other similar sized fish they share a tank with, regardless of species or gender.. and sorry to say, it gets worse the older they get.

Is your 10 gal. tank overcrowded with the two Cats and the Swordtail and Platty?.. no and yes.. no because you're within the one inch of fish to one gallon of water parameter, and yes because livebearers do much better in schools of at least 4 of their own species, and your ten gal. would become overcrowded with that added load.

Adding plants is actually a good idea, and may solve your problem of the Platty being picked on.. beyond that, another solution may be to replace the Platty with two female Swordtails, since I've rarely seen a male Swordtail bullying a female of his species.. ofcourse then you'd have to contend with fry which may lead to MTS!

CatladyDane

Have I misidentified my second sword, calling him a Mickey Mouse? Anyway, the two seem to be more tolerant of each other today. I did rearrange and add another plant when I cleaned yesterday. Chases are fewer and less vigorous now; there doesn't appear to be any nipping. I did read that swords can grow to 5". I've never seen one more than 2" nose to tail (excluding sword). When mine have a growing spurt they'll be moving to a 20g long tank, which is the largest my space and stature can accommodate. If they can't get along there, I plan to bisect it corner to corner, possibly with an acrylic piece configured to allow water circulation, but I do hope they'll become buddies. I can't imagine a 5" sword in a tank any shorter than the 20g long any more than I would put a bird in a cage too small to fly or keep a big dog in a crate. My guys are less than 2" long nose to tail (excluding sword). The little swords are pretty; a 5" must be absolutely gorgeous and I hope I can raise them successfully. No, I do not want fry, kittens, puppies, or any other little blessings! I had planned a second tank for one betta in the future, but my neighbor unexpectedly descended on me with a refugee cichlid, so I now have two; as the swords grow that will be 3, then the betta?

Richard

Oops..I saw Mickey Mouse and missed Swordtail in your post.. your ten gal. should be ok until they get bigger..glad to hear the tension has eased somewhat with the rearranging you did and adding the extra plant would certainly help.. don't be alarmed at the occasional chase between your Swords, it's just a part of their nature and harmless for the most part