Hi everyone!!

I have a female blue platy, there's a picture in my gallery, and I'm intrigued by her latest behavior:

Typical behavior: free swimming in tank, chases male all the time, and getting less skittish when I approach tank

New behavior: Only free swims when feeding is impending, does not swim with male much (doesn't chase him much at all anymore), and immediately seeks hiding place when I near tank.

She's still young and not very big (1.5" long approximately) and I suspect she might be pregnant with her first fry which might explain her skittish behavior.

In other news, temperature in the tank is a little low (72 deg. ish) although no other fish are exhibiting different behavior, and chemistry is within optimal parameters. One fish has passed recently of mysterious causes, but I will post that situation under the "General Fish" Forum.

Any other theories about her recent behavior?

Thanks!!

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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta

Most livebearer fish do better in temps in 75-79F, I believe. If you increase the temp a little you'll notice an increase in activity. I have never really noticed different behavior in females unless they are a couple of days away from giving birth.

I installed a heater and increased the temp, she's become slightly more active, but is still very cowardly. Oh well, she must have just decided life is better that way. Thanks!

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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta

Is she showing clamped fins? Has she crashed on the bottom at all?

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45g pentagonal
4 Swordtails, 2 dwarf Gouramis, 5 Mollies, 1 Rainbow Shark, 6 Molly fry 6 zebra danios

88 gal Malawi tank
4 Yellow labs, 1 Baenshi, 2 Borleyis, 3 Trewavas, 2 Livingstonis, 1 Venustus, 2 Green Terrors

Clamped fins? Crashed on the bottom? I don't really know what these mean, but she seems normal...she lingers on the bottom but not like a dead fish kind of lingering. More like she likes to move around in the shadows behind the fixtures when I'm not feeding them. But once again, she seems more active and alert now that the heater is installed.

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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta

It might be she is being pestered too much by the male. I had a platy that did this for a while but it stopped when I bought more females. There should ideally be at least 3 females per male else the single female will get pestered and will hide.

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thanks
Karen
200 liter tank, jbl canister filter, hydor external inline heater containing:
3 dalmation sailfin mollies
2 saffron balloon mollies
3 sunset platies
10 neon tetras
4 male guppies
3 panda corys
2 spotted corys
2 leopard plecos (rehoming soon)
2 mosaic gouramis
3 dwarf gourami
5 pink tetra
5 glass catfish

40 liter with 7 molly fry and a bumblebee shrimp
:fish

Aquarimum,

Actually she's the one who chases the males around! None of the males actively pursue her, she will actually seek them out to chase them down. Since the post, I've determined that she might have become lethargic with the colder temperature and she's just a naturally skittish fish, since anytime I go near the tank she runs for cover, but comes out if I'm across the room.

Thanks for the input though!

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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta