You might know that Platy fish are peaceful and lovely if you aren’t new to the fishkeeping hobby. But, like everyone has good days and bad days, your Platy might go through their periods of aggression too. Platy fish are aggressive very rarely. But, this rarity comes with severe aggressiveness, so you might ask yourself, “Can Platy fish kill each other?”
Yes, Platy fish can kill each other in the heat of the moment. Platy fish nips fins, and vulnerable body parts like eyes, etc. This cripples the weak Platy and eventually kills them by infection. Platy fish are aggressive rarely. But this can happen with reasons like territory, claiming a female, alpha behavior, water parameter changes, etc.
Today, I will tell you if Platy can kill each other, reasons why your Platy is killing other Platy, how you can control such behavior, and many more. Without further ado, let’s start!
So, Can Platy Fish Kill Each Other?
Now, I find this question a bit difficult to answer. Because although Platy fish are calm-tempered fish, Platy fish do have the murder genes in them!
When one fish is weak, small, and vulnerable, the dominant Platy fish can nip the small fish. Eventually, the weakfish dies. This is how survival of the fittest works, doesn’t it?
Unlike the wild where the weakfish can run away, the tank is a closed space where the bully has all its chance to prey on weak ones.
Platy fish are also notorious for chasing their mates and stressing them. This can eventually cause the death of the mate. So, to sum up, yes Platy fish can kill each other.
Behavior Of An Aggressive Platy Fish
But, how will you know if your Platy is aggressive? How will it behave? Well, I’ve compiled a list for you to understand the behavior of an aggressive Platy below.
Platy Fish Chasing Each Other
When you have a bare tank, you’ll notice some Platy fish chasing each other. Or one Platy relentlessly chasing a weak smaller Platy.
It might look like Platy is having a play. But, Platy chase the weak Platy to scare or threaten them. The smaller fish looks tired and stressed. That’s when you know your dominant Platy is ready to kill his buddy.
Fish Will Hide
Platies are generally freely roaming fish. So, if you’ve provided a hiding spot like a cave, plant, and so on, and Platy are hiding behind it, chances are there is aggression going on.
This is not always the case though. Some Platy may be temperamentally shy and love a bit of their own space.
Fins and Tail of Other Platy Are Missing
This is the telltale sign that your Platy fish are getting bullied.
When a part of your Platy fish is missing, there is a 100% chance that his platy “friends” have done this bad deed. Dominant and aggressive platy bite fins and vital organs of their weak friends to kill them.
But, Platy fish aren’t the only fish that are aggressive. If you have other aggressive fish in your tank, it might be their deed too. If you have a Platy communal fish, though, one of your Platy is a murderer in disguise.
A Fish Has Died
Well. Isn’t this too obvious? When you see all the signs of bullying, then find a dead fish after a few days, it’s too obvious that the dominant Platy is the cold-blooded murderer (literally too)! After biting the weakfish, the weakfish catches infection and dies.
But, look out for your water parameter too. Maybe your Platy are popping dead due to the bad water condition of your tank?
Reasons Why Your Platy Fish Kill Each Other
Now, you might wonder why your Platy is acting so aggressive and violent towards his own kind. Well, there are many reasons why. Some of which I’ve described below.
It’s Breeding Season And There’s Improper Mating Ratio
One of the reasons for the aggressiveness of a Platy is when the mating ratio is not right.
Male Platies are really aggressive around females. The males are chasing every female in the tank to mate.
So, if you have kept one female and many males in your tank, chances are the males will constantly harass the same female. This stress can eventually kill the female.
Click here to read more about breeding Platy fish: How To Breed Platy Fish | Platy Fish Life Cycle [Step By Step Guide]
Alpha Attitude
Platy fish like to keep a hierarchy in check. The most dominant and strong ones like to abuse their power on the weak sometimes.
This power can be physical like nipping fins. Or, the dominant one eats all the food not letting the weaker ones eat. So this causes stress and ultimately causes the death of weak Platy.
Pregnancy And Fry
Until now, you have learned about male alphas and their dominance. But, what if I tell you that a female can also act aggressive and, in the heat of the moment, kill other fish in the tank?
Yes, a pregnant female is stressed. So, she bites everyone around her way during the time. This behavior may also be due to hormonal issues around labor.
Overcrowding
Hierarchy also comes with space. When you give a small tank for your Platy, they literally start fighting for this space. To settle the space, some Platy may start a duel with others which turns into a fight. This aggression causes the death of Platy fish.
Overcrowding also incites bad water conditions in your tank. This stresses out your fish and creates a stage for aggression.
Weak Fish
Platy fish are naturally aggressive to weakfish who are ill and about to die.
How Will You Deal With Aggressive Platy Fish That Kill Each Other?
If your Platy fish are fighting and killing each other, you might be stressed. But, worry not. Every problem has a solution. And for your Platy fighting, I have some solutions too.
Keep As Many Females As Possible
As you might know, females are less aggressive than males. SO, you should keep more female Platy in your tank. A ratio of 4 females to every 1 male is ideal in your tank.
This also reduces the harassment issues in your tank. The male will be happy instead because he now has many female Platy to impregnate. He doesn’t have any rivals anymore.
Keep Bully In Isolated Mirror Tank
If you have a large mirror that fits a separate tank, keep it there. Then, separate the bully Platy fish into that tank.
Oftentimes, the bully will think his reflection is another Platy. So, he’ll try to fight out and nip his own reflection. This causes dispersion of his aggression. After his aggression has passed, you can keep the rehabilitated Platy in the original tank again.
Rear Platy Fish Together
Mostly, when you rear Platy fish together from their fry stage, there will be less chance of aggression. This is because the hierarchy will be established smoothly.
However, if you introduce new Platy fish in a tank where the hierarchy has been established, you might have new trouble.
To maintain this hierarchy, the old and new Platy will have a battle. This results in aggression and the death of a few fish. After this, the hierarchy is maintained again. But, there will result in aggression and death. So, please rear your fish together and not at separate times.
Give Bully A Time Out
You can keep the bully Platy in a separate tank without a mirror too. Just seclusion for a few hours or few days will do the trick. This will make the bully feel like he’s in a new environment and he’ll be a bit shocked too. His aggression will be reduced. After that, return the bully to the tank.
Remove Weak Platy
Well, you can remove the weaker Platy from the tank too. But, when you return the bullied platy into the original tank, chances are they’re going to get bullied again.
However. If you’re thinking of starting a new tank for the bullied Platy out of love, this method is alright.
Give Enough Food
Play fish love food and get aggressive over it. If you provide enough food, this problem will go away on its own. Maybe your Platy fish is bullying other fish for food, who knows? So, provide your fish as much as they can consume in under 3 minutes. Also, make sure not to overfeed your Platy.
Don’t Overcrowd Your Tank
Platy get aggressive over their space. If you’ve provided a small tank for your Platy, or, if you’ve overcrowded your tank, your Platy will get aggressive sooner or later. If not aggressive, then your Platy will be stressed. These two emotions are equally bad in a fish.
So, to keep Platy fish in a group of 5-6, you need at least a 15-20 gallon tank. See, the larger the swimming space for each Platy, the more freedom, and space they get. And there is also less aggression in a large tank.
A larger tank is easier to clean and has a stable ecosystem. So, your water parameters are balanced too.
Plant Your Tank And Provide Hiding Space
When you don’t have a separate tank to keep the bully, you can provide a hiding space for your weak Platy. Maybe, heavily plant your tank. Also, you can keep upturned flower pots or a cave-like structure where the weak ones can take refuge.
How To Notice A Weak And Uncomfortable Platy?
Platy Fish don’t have any expression on their face. Neither do they speak? So, how will you understand if your Platy fish is stressed? If they show the following signs:
- Color Change In The Platy
- Loss Of Appetite of Platy
- Always running from other platies and alert every time.
- Struggling to swim
FAQ
Are Platy Fish Fin Nipper?
Naturally, Platy fish don’t nip fins. But, Platy fish can nip fins to establish dominance, when there is an improper mating ratio, overcrowded aquarium, and bad water conditions due to stress.
Can You Keep Platy With Other Fish?
Yes, you can keep Platy fish with other fish in the community tank. Platy fish can live with peaceful fish such as Guppies, Swordtail, Neon Tetras, etc.
Closing Words
By now, I hope you understood how to neutralize the aggressiveness in your Platy fish. I know that the aggression of a peaceful fish like Platy is uncommon. But, you should keep your eyes peeled as it’s not impossible.
Look out for improper mating ratio, overcrowding, bad water conditions, and provide a large tank for your fish buddies. Then, everything will be alright. All the best.