HELP!! need advice on matching diff fish!!

[jenn_zep]

hi everyone!
i am really really really new to this whole fish tank thing. i have a 47 gallon tank that i bought about 2 months ago. i read a bunch on info and had thought i did all the right things when setting it up. i added only 6 fish to begin with: 4 guppys, one platty(i think....?), and  a female betta.
everything was fine for like 5 weeks till the weekend when i decided to add a few fish. i got 3 more guppies and another female betta. so i wake up on monday morning and one of my favorite guppies has no tail!!! it died a few hours later. then when i went to replace it i dedided to go with another platty(i think.....?) well when i introduced it into my tank my other platty went crazy and tried to kill this new one....did i make a mistake on the pairing of my fish...need help!! oh ya and i was also told today that guppies and betta should never be paired??

[Jeff1192]

Are you sure they're platies. I've never heard of having problems with guppies and platies. I've also never had problems with my betta and my guppies. Maybe you can post a pic of the platy that went after your guppy and we can verify what it is.

By the way if you need more guppies don't buy any I'm gonna need to get rid of a bunch of them and I'm in Vars which is not too far from Moose Creek.

Jeff

[Vizerdrix]

From what I've read/heard, guppies and bettas shouldn't be housed together because the betta *could* nip their fins.  I think Jeff got away with it because he has a 90g.   Also, it's not a great idea to put two female bettas together.  They are better than the males, but it's still courting disaster.

I agree with Jeff about the platies; they are usually quite tame towards each other.  Did you per chance get two of the same sex?  That's the only thing I could think of that would cause such a reaction...

[jenn_zep]

hey guys. thanks for getting back to me!! sorry i made a mistake. i found my reciept and it says that the one that is fighting with my new one is a gouramir??? is that right?? it is sliver and has 3 spots accsoss it and these 2 big tentacle like things that come out of its bottom.... .  i have since removed my betta from the tank to save my guppy tails!!jeff: as for the guppies..sure if you will have some i am definatly interested!!

[Fishnut]

Ok, well if you added another gourami, that's why the original one had a fit.  They are territorial with other gouramis and the exsisting one was likely putting the new one in it's place in the pecking order.  Betas are not something I would mix with guppies.  They do tend to nip the fins of the guppy and that's likely what happened to your favourite guppy.  What pet shop are you going to when you buy fish?  Are you just pointing at fish and having them scooped up for you without asking any questions?  If you're new you should always bring a list of the fish you have in the tank with you and double check with the fish staff about what is compatible.  There are OVASers who work at the Big Al's on Innis so I'm sure if you ask questions there, you'll get a good answer.  It would be a good idea to avoid places that scoop out fish for people without asking questions...especially since you thought you had a platty and it's actually a gourami!!!

I would suggest adding a school of tetras.  If you like colour, go with some serpe tetras.  They're a nice redish colour and they're very friendly towards  any tank mates and large enough that they won't be gobbled up.  Harlequin rasboras are also a nice addition to any tank.  The colour is scarce when they're small and in the pet shops, but the get to have really nice but subtle colours what they mature.  They are also friendly.  If you want to get yourself some platties, they're great community fish and are available in many colour varieties.  The females have a nice full rounded fin near their bums and the males will have a fin that looks like a stick pointing at their tails.  I don't think I have to tell you what that fin is for     Just avoid getting mollies.  They require salt in the water.

[jenn_zep]

hey
i have been going to big al's and that is where i bought my first set of fish. they said that all of them should get along fine. and they did till i got the new ones!! i will definatly look at getting a school of tetras though. i have 2 orange and white platties and they are great! where would one go to find a nice school of tetras?? big al's again?? i want to stick to the "nice" fish now since my 2 gourami's are now trying to kill each other!!! anyone need a fish!!lol. anyway i really appreciate all the advice!! 

[Jeff1192]

Oh yeah I'll definitely have some guppies for you. I've sent you a PM.

Jeff

[jenn_zep]

hey
ok so i separated the betta and the gourami that was fighting last night. we re introduced them back into the tank this morning and they faught for a bit but all is fine now. guppy tails are all intact aswell!!