fish sex behavior

Question
QUESTION: I have a livebearer male fish, I think a minnow but clear. I got one mini puffer, and the clear fish seemed to want to school with it. So I bought one more puffer, and a couple of neons (since the neons are school swimmers).

When I had the first puffer and the minnow, I noticed that the minnow would steer with its dorsal fin, like the puffer steers with its tail. (I was wrong, of course.) Once I put in the extra fish, the minnow started actually trying to contact the other fish with its gonopodium. I don't know if it has been successful yet, but the extra fish were added yesterday, and today it's still at it.

I am under the impression that it will not successfully knock up fish that are not the same breed. Will it stop trying? Is there something I can do to stop it from being so in heat? It seems to be annoying the other fish, and it'll be a bit annoying to me if this is the dominant activity in the tank permanently, but I'd like to avoid separating them if possible.

Thanks for your time, Melinda

ANSWER: Hi Melinda,
 You are correct in that the livebearer male (try as he might) cannot impregnate (i.e., knock up) a puffer.  He will keep trying: he is a male fish and that is what he does :)  

 I suspect this activity will end but for a different reason. While the puffers are timid at first, eventually they will start to feel very comfortable and many people do not realize that puffers eat other fish -- and they are very good at it.  A puffer has a really strong beak and it wouldn't surprise me if one day you find your livebearer "missing".  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Wow. My puffers are the same size as the minnow, but I suppose that won't stop them from eating him, or giving it a good shot. If I separated him from the puffers, would he keep going after the neons? Is the only end to his behavior to separate him from all other fish?
-Melinda

Answer
Hi Melinda,
 Like I said, he's a male livebearer and that's what he does :)   They tend to be rather single-minded...   You have to admire his determination...

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>