[ironspider]

We call this guy teenage blue. He/She is only around 10 months old, parents have been in the tank for years. I thought it was male due to some egg spots, personality and his coloring was a bright light blue like his father. However, I've only seen fish get this beat up as female. My yellow lab female and rusty female both took beatings like this but none of the males in the tank ever looked like this. Can I assume this is a female? I think she'll / he'll be ok as he swims and eats just fine just hides out most of the day now.

 

[damerf]

Males get beaten on as well as females. He or she will most likely continue to get beat up on in your main tank. Do you have a spare 10 gallon you can put he or she in to recover? I would add some salt to the 10 gallon tanks to stand off secondary fungus or infection and IMO will help the fish heal. I usually use about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Even after the fish heals you are going to have to address the aggressor. How many fish are in this tank? also what is the size of the tank? What type of fish are you stocking?

 

[ironspider]

Males get beaten on as well as females. He or she will most likely continue to get beat up on in your main tank. Do you have a spare 10 gallon you can put he or she in to recover? I would add some salt to the 10 gallon tanks to stand off secondary fungus or infection and IMO will help the fish heal. I usually use about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Even after the fish heals you are going to have to address the aggressor. How many fish are in this tank? also what is the size of the tank? What type of fish are you stocking?

I'm not sure who's been harassing him. There are two male cobalts, like bookends for the tank, both are aggressive and control everything. It's 55g 48". 5 cobalt blue, 3 yellow lab, 2 yellow tail acai, 1 demasoni, 4 rusty. One baby rusty looks like he's out of the woods, a baby blue that is almost there, and one fry acai that is lucky to be around but I'm doubtful. Also 1 OB, 1 strawberry peacock and a BS pleco.

I have a ten gallon but I put danos in there so this guy would destroy them.

 

[DJRansome]

Any interest in changing your stocking?

 

[ironspider]

Any interest in changing your stocking?

I can't really at this point. We've come to love the cobalt males as nasty as they are. It's been years like this other than rehoming 4 rusties and adding the OB, so we've become attached to them.

 

[jdhoggg]

A fish's sex has nothing to do with whether or not they get beaten up. I bought a pretty good sized venustus and put him into my 55 while I was cycling my 180. Even though he was the largest fish in the tank, he was shreaded within a couple days. He is now the tank boss in the 180..go figure..LOL.