Introducing new fish and stress

[CACAdmin]

I introduced more fish at a time to my tank than I normally do. I expected stress from the new arrivals... after being in transit. There was some stress but they got over it... some almost immediately, some took a couple of days. All are healthy and happy and dash over to greet me when I approach the tank. (I know, I know, it's not me they're happy to see. It's that I = food. :laugh: ). But hey, they're no longer hanging out at the back of the tank and the couple who had clamped fins when I first put them in are now strutting around like they own the place.:rolleyes:

What I didn't expect was that a couple of long term residents would be affected. These are platys... the new occupants are mollies. Most couldn't care less but a couple of them have shown signs of stress... not bad, but I do know my fish and they aren't all that happy with their new neighbors. The ones that seem to have an issue are the oldest fish in the tank. What is the expression? 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks'... well in this case older fish (like a lot of humans) don't like change.

Just wondering if anyone else has ever had a similar experience.

[Melody]

The Molly males may be getting pushy, especially those with a lot of wild-type in them. I found almost all of my fish on one side of the tank, cowering behind a clump of plants there. I watched & sure enough, the Velifera had taken over the tank. :rolleyes: Mollies are so big, I can see them intimidating the smaller fish relatively easily. Platy's are very mild-mannered in my experience.

[traco1]

Yep, we worry about adding the new fish and how they will do and then it turns out, it's the first inhabitants of the tank that react. Happens with discus, I try and move things around when adding the new. Takes a while for the chain to settle down. But haven't experienced mollies and platies but can see the little ones feeling out of place and tiny feeling.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks for the input - much appreciated. On closer observation, it's a few of the older adult male platys that appear a little stressed... a little uncertain. So it may very well be the more aggressive molly males that have taken them by surprise. It took me by surprise because a few months back I had introduced 3 huge - (compared to platys) Gouramis... 5 inch adults in fact and it didn't phase the platys one bit... but then the Gouramis have proved to be shy, gentle giants (except with each other... they do have the odd dispute with one- another but it's over in seconds).

I have added a bunch more plants (some died when my heater went on the fritz). I shall observe closely and hopefully, everybody adjusts. As I said, nothing major here but I sense a few are not 'happy campers'.

[Katalyst]

I've had the same thing happen...I have the cutest little oranda/ryunkin mix...Sweetest little roly poly thing, will swim into my hands and is hand fed constantly wiggles to the top the minute I enter the room. Awwwww cute little fishy....This sweet little thing was given to me by a friend because the 2 inch terror was knocking the snot out of her 10 inch fish. :wideeyed: She origionally was named Patches, we refer to her as Wee Beastie or Cuisinart. She has the ability to shred plants, veggies and fish tails in 60 seconds or less when the mood strikes.

Anytime I want to add a new fish to the tank she is in I have to put a screen divider in for about a month. Then put the beast by on the one side by herself while the newcomer swims around for a bit with the rest for about a day or two, until the Queen is satisfied that she is a far superior fish then the new one and usually settles down. Doing a large water change and changing the location of plants and oranaments around in the tank helps. All of the old inhabitants are busy checking out the new digs are seem less agressive towards the new comers. On occasion I've had to remove certian fish from for about a month. They may ease up with the attitude within a few days. Its funny how their little personalities emerge isn't it?

[CACAdmin]

'Wee Beastie' sounds adorable... now you've peaked my curiosity, I insist you post a picture of her. And it's so true that individual fish have distinct personalties. A casual passerby think a 'fish is a fish' but the rest of us know how inaccurate that can be... as your 'Queen of the Tank' proves. :laugh:

It's interesting to note that the younger adult males aren't phased one bit... just the older ones who I suppose figured they had established themselves and their 'territory' and are smart enough not to challenge a much bigger fish. Young fish like young kids are undeterred and probably feel invincible. :;):

[Katalyst]

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m103/katalyst_x/FishCracko.jpg

This picture says it all....A little snack of bottom bites enough for the entire tank. The Queen of course decided it was HER snack and only put the bottom bites down to bite anyone who dared to share some of her snack. If this isn't an endorsement lol I don't know what is. Lucky for her she is adorable. I'll get new photo's once the bottom bites are either gone or surgically removed. :)

[CACAdmin]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Katalyst]

I thought it was only fair to post a photo of her cute little face...Plus if you hold your ear to her mouth you can hear the ocean.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m103/katalyst_x/beggars.jpg

[Candice]

:yes: So cute! :yes:

[CACAdmin]

Plus if you hold your ear to her mouth you can hear the ocean.
Just don't put your ear too close or it'll suffer the same fate as your boyfriend's nose.:wideeyed: (For those who missed it: How many photo's can you stand? (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1777) )

[Katalyst]

Whoops....:eek:

[/End Hijack]

So about fish stress.............

[Melody]

LOL They certainly are characters!

[CACAdmin]

All appears well now. The older original occupants seem to be back to themselves with the exception on an older male red hifin platy. He appears to be sulking (if fish can sulk :twitcy: ). Actually, his nose was a little out of joint even before the new additions because the females seem to prefer the young hifin males over him more often than not. So I think, this might be just one more blow to his pride. :rolleyes: He looks healthy enough, his fins aren't clamped, but he's not chasing the females in the tank. Anyone who knows platy males, knows that the only time they aren't chasing females is when they're eating and even then, when an attractive female swims by food is quickly forgotten. :laugh:

[Katalyst]

All appears well now. The older original occupants seem to be back to themselves with the exception on an older male red hifin platy. He appears to be sulking (if fish can sulk :twitcy: ). Actually, his nose was a little out of joint even before the new additions because the females seem to prefer the young hifin males over him more often than not. So I think, this might be just one more blow to his pride. :rolleyes: He looks healthy enough, his fins aren't clamped, but he's not chasing the females in the tank. Anyone who knows platy males, knows that the only time they aren't chasing females is when they're eating and even then, when an attractive female swims by food is quickly forgotten. :laugh:

I'm glad to hear things are improving. I don't have livebearers other then one lonely MTS so I can't help with the platy situation. Goldfish help I can do platy's sorry I got nothin'. They are beautiful though and when things are a little less chaotic around here I'm sure I'll end up with a tropical tank or 10. :) Hope your lil guy is on the mend soon. Wish I could help more.

[Melody]

Older male fancies aren't the best breeders, so maybe he's just letting the young pups take over.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks... maybe that's the case. The 'young pups' are definitely eager beavers chasing females 4 times their size. Amazingly enough, the females (after much ado) appear to let them have their way with them.

He fathered all the hifins in my tank but sadly none are the 'velvet' red he is.:( They go the hifin from him and their coloring from their mama. So I'm hoping that either he'll father another brood or maybe some of the color will get passed on (even though it skipped a generation)... genetics are fascinating. We'll see what happens. He still looks healthy and is eating well... just lost his motivation to chase the ladies... maybe he needs a 'little blue pill'. :laugh: