# Fry picking at female guppy??



## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

Ok I was just walking by the tank and noticed that one of my full grown guppy females was getting harrassed by a young juvie male. At first I thought it was just a mating thing but then I noticed that the male wasn't actually doing his "swim dance" but was actually picking at her side. Then I realized he wasn't alone, there were 3 or 4 of them chasing her around all doing the same thing, females and males, all biting at the sides of her abdomen and her tail. She is the biggest guppy in the tank and tends to be very laid back, swimming slowly around, while the juvies are all over the place. Well today she was swimming like crazy trying to get away from the juvies and I have no idea why they are chasing her. She tried hiding but couldn't and I noticed she is clamping her top fin. I put her in a birthing net and dosed the tank with parasite meds in case they are picking critters off her. But do you think she is sick or is this typical behavior for a gang of juvies??

Just did water change day before yesterday. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0, pH 7.4, nitrates 5.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I've never seen that in my experience with them. Sounds like you did the right thing. Good call on the parasite meds. Fizz tabs?


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

Yep. Actually, after a couple days in isolation I put her back in and they were at her again. Day after that she had some type of fungus on her back, not sure if it was what the gups were after or if she got an infection from them biting her. Dosed with antifungal and everything cleared up. Separated all my males from the females and now there are no juvies biting her at all. Strange!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Men, I mean males, don't like to be separated from their females too long. Don't be mean!!


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Men, I mean males, don't like to be separated from their females too long. Don't be mean!!


lol yeah I've heard that before but seriously there is a LIMIT to how many guppy fry I can handle so for now, the boys have to bunk together. 

I have never separated them before but it is very interesting. The juvie males are so energetic and always moving. The gals just poke along and take their time looking for food in the gravel. Now that the pleco is gone it really is all about the girls in that tank, and very relaxing, while watching the males in their tank is cool cause their tails are coming in and their full colors are starting to show and of course, always moving...makes for a very pretty tank!


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