Do Guppies Fight? And How To Stop Guppy Bullying?

What’s going on? Why would a calm fish like the guppy suddenly become territorial and aggressive? Are guppies hostile towards each other or only against other fish? Is their behavior risky? In general, guppy fish are not known for their aggression. They’re advertised as tranquil, social fish that would be a good addition to a communal aquarium.

As a result, many aquarists, particularly those with no prior experience with guppies, are surprised to learn that these fish may become territorial and hostile.

So, these are a few of the issues we’ll discuss in this essay. Guppy fish are normally calm, but if certain circumstances aren’t fulfilled, you may drive them to their breaking point, and they’ll exhibit evidence of it.

Do Guppies Fight and are they Aggressive?

Guppies are generally docile fish, and you should have no trouble keeping them in your aquarium. When aggressiveness and violence do occur, it is most often between members of the same species. Guppies, like other creatures, maybe unpredictably unpredictable. While they are normally calm, there is a potential that they will attack other fish in your aquarium.

When Do Guppies Become Aggressive?

Growing fish in a communal tank is really difficult. As a result, aquarists frequently maintain fish that get along with one another. However, not every fish will get along.

Fish that are normally calm, such as guppies, can become territorial. Their violent conduct is due to a variety of factors.

1. Guppies Chase Game

It’s not unusual to see guppy fish pursuing each other. It is, in reality, typical mating activity. Males are usually seen pursuing female fish all the time as they attempt to mate. If you notice slightly smaller and more colorful fish with larger tails pursuing slightly bigger and less colorful fish with smaller tails, this is typical mating activity and nothing to be concerned about.

Except that persistent badgering can be unpleasant for female guppies, especially if they’re outnumbered by males, and stress is another bag of worms you’ll have to deal with.

Fins that have been damaged or frayed in some way damaged and frayed fins are one of the most common signs that your guppies are fighting with one another. If you see this, it’s probable that the other fish in the tank are nipping at them.

It’s crucial to realize, though, that it might be anything from guppies to other fish in your tank. Barbs and other fin nippers, as well as more aggressive fish like bettas and gouramis, are all good choices.

Finally, it might be a sign of a condition known as fin rot. As a result, it’s crucial not to automatically assume that injured fins are the product of aggression. Nonetheless, it’s a possibility.

2. A Hidden Guppy Fish in the Tank

If you find particular fish hiding, this might be an indication that a guppy is being aggressive. If you just have guppies in your tank and you find that you can never see all of them, bullying and hostility is most likely taking place. It’s crucial to understand, though, that bullying may occur in any kind of fish, and that a guppy isn’t always the perpetrator.

3. A Dead Guppy Fish

If you see a dead fish in your tank, this is another evident evidence that there is aggressiveness going on. However, only interpret this as an indication if you also detect other indicators of bullying. When you detect a dead fish, it’s also a good idea to double-check the tank’s settings as well as the occupants to make sure nothing is amiss.

4. A Fight Between Male Guppies

Male guppy fish are programmed to mate, and males in a male-only guppy aquarium will become hostile to each other if there are no females.

As a result of their aggressive behavior, male guppies may get into fights. Even yet, these brawls are rarely dangerous, and most aquarists claim they’re just for show.

Males are just striving to demonstrate their dominance and power through intimidation and territorial behavior. If you see this behavior in your male guppies, the first thing you should do is check for injuries like broken fins or tails. It’s probably just a harmless roughhousing amongst your male guppies if there aren’t any symptoms of injury; but, if your guppy fish start damaging other male guppies or other similar fish, you should separate them or add females to the mix.

Male To Female Guppy Ratio

Whatever the cause of aggressive behavior, you should try to control it if you don’t want to have issues later on as a result of infections caused by an accident. Avoid having exclusively male guppies in an aquarium and be aware of the proper guppy male-to-female ratio to promote a tranquil atmosphere in your tank.

Guppies should not be maintained alone, but neither should they be kept in groups with more males than females. Female guppy fish should outnumber male guppies, not the other way around.

As a result, the optimum guppy fish group consists of one male and two or three female guppy fish. This minimizes the number of pregnancies and puts less stress on female guppies by ensuring that there aren’t too many males fighting for a small number of females.

If there are too many males and guppy fry aren’t handled properly, overpopulation in a mixed-gender guppy tank can become a significant problem.

If there aren’t too many undesirable fries, you can leave them in the tank with their parents since the adult fish will consume them. Separating the fry from the adults is another option for saving the fry.

Related Post: Best Food For Guppy Fish – How To Feed Your Guppies?

Is It True That Female Guppies are Aggressive?

It’s worth noting that the aggressive guppy is not a male, but one of the females. This is, in fact, more prevalent than you would believe. And there are several reasons why female guppies could become hostile.

When female guppies are trying to create a pecking order, they might become hostile. To ensure that she gets the most food, the most dominant female will frequently intimidate the other females. In fact, when the female is pregnant, this becomes much more prevalent. If you observe this, don’t be too concerned because it’s usually simply chasing and nudging. If you see nipping, though, you should take action.

Is It Possible For Guppies To Kill Each Other

It’s conceivable that male or female guppies in a tank will kill other guppies. If you don’t get rid of a bully or aggressor, there’s a good risk another guppy in your tank may die.

It’s unlikely that they’ll fight each other and kill each other outright. When your guppies are weak and damaged, the chances of their contracting a sickness or illness increase dramatically. This is why it’s crucial to ensure your tank is free of bullying.

Guppies May Be Kept With Other Fish Species

Yes, you may keep guppies in a communal aquarium with other fish species, but they must be compatible. Aggressive fish, slow-moving fish, fin-nippers, and bigger fish, on the other hand, are no match for guppies.

Platies, mollies, swordtails, honey gouramis, cory catfish, harlequin rasboras, cardinal tetras, bristle nose pleco, and otocinclus catfish are just a few of the fish that guppies get along with.

Fish that are suitable for guppies have comparable water conditions, food needs, and a placid demeanor. When building up a community aquarium, it’s critical to provide a stress-free and healthy environment while also taking into account the individual needs of the fish species that will be kept together. Make sure you have a large aquarium, that your water parameters are in the right range for these fish, and that you have everything you need to keep the water at a consistent temperature.

What Should You Do If Your Guppies are Being Bullied?

You may need to take various steps depending on the level of bullying in your aquarium. If there isn’t currently any harm, but the troublesome fish is hell-bent on assaulting your fellow guppies, it’s advisable to remove the bothersome fish for a few days and reintroduce it later.

You’ll need to confine the damaged fish and keep an eye on its health if there are any symptoms of harm. If it develops an illness, you will need to administer therapy. If your difficult guppy continues to cause problems after being removed and re-acclimatized, you may need to let it go. You may either sell it with a stipulation or give it to friends as a present.

How To Make Guppies Less Aggressive?

There are a few things you can do to prevent your guppies from becoming violent. Remember that if you don’t respond quickly when you observe hostility, you may wind up with a dead fish.

1. Keep a Higher Proportion of Females Than Males

Making ensuring you have more girls than guys is one of the finest things you can do is one of the best things you can do. When there is more rivalry between females, men will become much more hostile to one another. Females will also be more anxious as a result of the continual harassment they would receive from the males.

As a general guideline, you should have a female-to-male ratio of 3:1. More ladies, on the other hand, is usually preferable.

2. Make Sure The Tank Isn’t Too Small Or Too Crowded

In addition, ensure sure your tank isn’t too crowded or too tiny. Your guppies will struggle for territory too often if your tank is too tiny. In fact, if you keep too many guppies together, the same thing happens.

You may maintain three guppies in a 10-gallon tank together, but each guppy will require an additional two gallons. This guarantees that they have ample space from one another and reduces the likelihood of aggressiveness.

3. Hiding Spots Should Be Added

You should also make sure that your guppies have lots of hiding spots in their aquarium. Providing them with a variety of hiding spots will assist to lessen the likelihood of aggressiveness. Your guppies will not only be able to run away when there are more hiding spaces, but they will also be able to break lines of sight more easily. When a guppy’s line of sight is disrupted, he or she is considerably more likely to stop acting aggressively.

Plants are usually a good solution if you’re not sure what type of hiding spots to add. Anubias, for example, have enormous leaves. Caves, driftwood, and decorations, in addition to vegetation, offer excellent hiding spots.

4. Get Rid Of The Offender

Getting rid of the offender and relocating them to a new tank is one of the best things you can do. Typically, just one fish causes a problem, and if that fish is eliminated, all other fish have a far greater chance of surviving. If you don’t have another fish tank, you may always take your fish back to the fish shop and see if they’ll take them. Of course, this isn’t always possible, so you may need to try different approaches.

You should also use this chance to double-check that the aggressive behavior is limited to your guppies and not other fish in the aquarium.

5. Examine Their Diet To Check Whether They’re Receiving Enough To Eat

You should also ensure that your guppies have enough food. They will naturally battle for food if you do not feed them enough. It is advised that you feed your guppies for two minutes at a time. supplying them with as much food as they can eat.

Is It True That Endler Guppies are Aggressive?

Guppies from Endler aren’t as colorful as premium guppies. Endler guppies, like other guppies, have a placid demeanor. They may, however, display some modest hostility during the mating ritual.

Are Pregnant Guppies More Aggressive?

When it comes to feeding, pregnant guppies may be aggressive. If food is scarce, pregnant female guppies may engage in combat with their tank mates to obtain the nourishment they require. Furthermore, when female guppies get pregnant, their maternal instincts kick in to safeguard their offspring. They may get violent and scare away other fish in the aquarium if they get too close. Also, powerful female guppies with strong maternal instincts may become violent in order to gain control over other guppies while pregnant.

Guppies With Elephant Ears are known To Be Aggressive, Is That True?

When compared to other guppies, Elephant Ear guppies are one of a kind. They are distinguished by their large, long ears, which resemble those of an elephant. Guppies with Elephant Ears are quite calm. They are gentle, non-aggressive fish that get along with most other tiny fish. They are not aggressive toward their tank mates.

Are Guppies Hostile To One Another?

Guppies like establishing and defending their own area. If they believe their territory is endangered, they may become hostile toward one another. Bullying or biting one other’s fins, tails, or other body parts are two ways guppies demonstrate their hostility. Also, as previously said, if guppies fight over the same food, they grow violent toward the same female fish.

Can Guppies Be Aggressive Towards Platys?

Guppies are known to be hostile towards platypi. In terms of size and shape, guppies and platys are very similar to one another. As a result, they are frequently kept together. Guppies attack platys mostly for the purpose of mating. Male guppies will be attracted to female platys for mating purposes if you have a male-dominant guppy aquarium with fewer female guppies. In addition, if there are fewer females in the tank, the male guppies will compete with the male platys. Furthermore, if platys invade their region, guppies chase them away.

Is It True That Guppies are Hostile Towards Mollies?

Guppies, like platys, demonstrate hostility against mollies in order to mate. When male guppies have a limited number of female guppies to mate with, they become hostile. To satisfy their need to mate, they will get attracted to female mollies. Guppies, on the other hand, have a territorial instinct. When mollies intrude on their region, they get violent. Guppies are territorial and will not allow other fish to enter their domain.

The Bottom Line on Do Guppies Fight?

There’s a reason why you should constantly try to provide ideal circumstances for your fish, prevent stress, and retain them in their natural social groupings.

Guppies are sociable fish who demand company and will not thrive if kept alone or in groupings that are not natural for them. As you’ve seen in this article or experienced in your own tank, guppy fish may be hostile when their basic needs aren’t supplied.

Aggressiveness is not characteristic of guppy fish, and if you follow my advice on how to manage guppies, you’re unlikely to have these problems.