My GSPs are racist.

[jmbishop]

If you've read some of my other post you probably know I experiment with tank mates in my GSP tank. I keep my GSPs in a tank with a archer fish, top minnows and guppies. My puffers have never attacked the top minnows or guppies until yesterday. The guppies I normally keep in the tank are wild caught allong with 2 large cobalt blue females. Since I also experiment with breeding fancy guppies I have tanks that get quickly overcrowded until I find new homes for them. So yesterday I was wondering how well a red male guppy would do with the puffers. I got him acclimated and let him go making sure neither the puffers or the archer where looking. The archer ignored him just like he ignores all the guppies that aren't bite size but the puffers instantly started chasing him and may have eaten him(haven't looked hard enough to know yet) The only time I've seen behavior like this is when snails are dropped in the tank. So the question is was it the color or smell of fear that triggered the attack. Its not a size issue, there are much smaller living with them that the archer will eventually eat.

[Pufferpunk]

Actually, they are specieists.

[recombinantrider]

Kind of like us humans.

[jmbishop]

Actually, they are specieists.

Today I dropped a yellow guppy that was the same size in the tank and nothing, no aggression at all.

[Idontknow]

My GSPs and F8s think anything red is food. The F8's used to bite the red plastic part of the thermometer. If I show them anything red such as a pen or paper they think its food and go crazy. I think they think its blood worms. The same goes for the color orange. If I show them a blue pen they ignore it.

[coldmachineUK]

Hah! Mine love shiny things; silver things especially. They must be half magpie :O
I suppose it's just what they find interesting and/or think is food. I wouldn't put guppies in with GSPs. Recipe for disaster.

[sparks42]

I don't normally wear lipstick but I did yesterday and it was bright red. when i was talking to my gsps they were right at the glass and chompin on the glass i think they wanted to eat my lips ! and same thing happens when i drink red juice and they see it.... they go nuts and they want it !

[recombinantrider]

Haha that's funny. My GSP chomps on the glass every time I come home regardless of my lipcolor of the day.

[Troender]

There's something strange with puffers and the color red. Many people have reported that their puffer freaks out when they wear red cloths. I haven't experienced it myself, though. But Hufflepuff didn't seem to like bearded people.