Male Platy Selectively Chasing Female!

[lord_matthias]

Hi. I'm just starting out my 29 gallon livebearer aquarium. Its currently cycling with the assistance of Stress Zyme (hopefully), two plants, and gravel from an established aquarium. I'm monitoring the ammonia and nitrites and administering water changes as well, but anyway, on to the topic of this post.
I currently have six livebearers in my aquarium- two blue mickey-mouse platies (male and female), two pretty half orange platies (both female), and two different variety swordtails (male and female). All of the store-bought females appear to be pregnant in varying degrees. So, two males and four females- a more than acceptable ratio from what I have read, since I believe swordtails and platies are similar enough to intermix. However, instead of schooling together as I had hoped (they do mingle together somewhat) they seem to break off into separate groups. The two blues hang together, the two oranges hang together, and the two diferent swordtails sort of go off alone. Is this normal?
Secondly, it seems that my one blue male is chasing my blue female exclusively , which I'm worried may be stressing her out. Why doesn't this persistent little guy check out some different females and give the other blue a break?

 

[FroggyFox]

Males will inherently stress the females out...adding more females might help (but since you're cycling I wouldn't suggest adding anything else to the tank yet). You could try netting the persistant male for an hour or so (solitary confinement) and see if when you let him go he's calmed down at all...or you might just have an extra persistant male.

Livebearers really aren't "schooling" fish...in the sense that they dont hang out together. They might pair off from time to time or whatever...but they're not a traditional choice if you want to see a "school" of fish. If you got them from three different tanks I think if they were together for very long at all in that tank they might "know" each other or see that they are the same type...who knows.

 

[dslr.cow]

How to platies mate? I have a mickey mouse female and a sunburst wag tail mail platy.

 

[sapphire]

I have just set u[ my tank too and so far have 4 platies. Two are domino platies and I am not sure of the other two. I have been trying my best to distinguish what is male and what is female and even after printing off a picture of each I find I am still confused.....maybe time will tell??
Sapphire
46G Bowfront

 

[Fish Friend]

he is deff courting with her...

 

[sapphire]

I have added 3 red female wagtail platies to my group today....the others (except one)really do look like males according to what I can tell.....and the one was hiding. Maybe she'll get some much needed rest now!
Sapphire