Why is my Platy nipping at my goldfish?

Answer by  Tank (539)

You may just have a bad fish in the batch. Platies are not known to be fin nippers but it seems that your platy is becoming one. However, if the Platy is rather large it may be fighting the goldfish for dominance.

Answer by  mrdeleo (69)

Platies and goldfish should not be together for a couple of reasons. One, goldfish need to live in about 10 degrees colder water than platies. Platies are tropical fish that need a heater, while goldfish arnt't and dont need a heater. Also, goldfish give out an enormous amout of amonia for their size.

Answer by  Znufoc01 (227)

You could just have an aggressive fish. Sometimes when fish have long fins, such as certain types of goldfish and swordtails, aggressive fish will nip at them. The only thing that you can do do separate the fish, otherwise this will continue until the goldfish dies from injury or stress.

Answer by  Hoardy (454)

Sometimes fish just aren't meant to be placed in the same aquarium. Are you feeding them enough food? Try to see if both are getting the same amount of food at eating time. If they are, perhaps your platy is just a bully. Separate them before someone gets hurt!

Answer by  champaign9497 (11977)

You should not have them in the same tank fish that are not of the same genetic family tend to try and eliminate one another.

Answer by  Alisa (903)

Sometimes they just get irritated and want to play rough. Try adding hiding places in the tank for the goldfish and the Platy for timeouts, such as vegetation and decor.

Answer by  BrendaG (6111)

Goldfish are cool-water fish and platy are tropical fish. Tropical fish like warm water. Goldfish get along best with their own kind. Platy are more aggressive and can annoy the goldfish. In that case, the goldfish will not be happpy and tend to linger alone. They can survive together, but it's best to keep each with their own kind.