Aggressive females

[rolandmckay]

Fishkeepers are commonly annoyed by one or more tank inmates becoming highly aggressive. Normally this is a territorial male and in a later article I can address territorial terrorism.
I have been urged to write this due to a very disturbed member having a very aggressive female in his tank.
Why do females become aggressive?
1. To dominate the male.
2. To dominate other fishes, particularly another female.
3. She wants to raise a brood of young.
4. Nest site selection.
5. Acquisition of food to build up ovaries, ova or gestating young if livebearer.
6. To transform to a male if a dominant male is absent (wrasse).
7. Just a natural bitch.

The first solution is to provide her with an outlet for that aggression by introducing a female model. Another way is to introduce a very dominant male to drive her to submission. Again, if you have a weak male in the tank you can add four more ripe females and as the alpha female fights one after another, the weak male will fertilize all the others when her attention is diverted from him.
A good method that often works wonders is to remove the aggressive female, place her in another tank without furnishings or food or maybe with a superfemale of another species and put a younger submissive female in with the male to encourage him to gain confidence and control. After a successful mating you reintroduce the aggressive female and retain the young females nest site. This usually works wonders.

I have found that the introduction of four or five other females wears the aggressive female down as she fights more than feeds and sometimes the other females gang up on her making her go to the male for comfort.

If members have difficulty with aggression I can expand on these and other methods.

[Pleco_mad]

Why do females become aggressive?
1. To dominate the male.
2. To dominate other fishes, particularly another female.
3. She wants to raise a brood of young.
4. Nest site selection.
5. Acquisition of food to build up ovaries, ova or gestating young if livebearer.
6. To transform to a male if a dominant male is absent (wrasse).
7. Just a natural bitch.

I have found that the introduction of four or five other females wears the aggressive female down as she fights more than feeds and sometimes the other females gang up on her making her go to the male for comfort.

if only this method worked on people

[StarFire]

If the male was playing his role properly, I find the female wouldn't be so agressive.
Put in a good looking young male in there, that will soon make the useless male start looking more appeasing to the eye. Then the female can choose whichever is the better one and not have to dominate.......same as humans

[rolandmckay]

Putting a good looking male in only causes fights as you know; firstly between males and then between females. If a male is not doing his job then he should be removed and pentioned off. If a male wasn't doing his job then you can bet that the female will look for another male if one is available.