U big bully

Question
A few days ago i added a few new friends to my fish family.I purchased two fancy type guppies, two goldfish, and a platy( not too sure what type). they all seem to be getting along well, until i was doing observations this morning. my guppies which are the smallest in my tank, pick on the Mickey mouse platies. they chase them and size them up and i like to pick at them. My question is  could this be harmless fun or could it be serious? Another question, before i introduced these new fish, i had 3 other platies and a  pleco. my platies did not eat much,i fed them once a day and they were fine. if i tried to feed them twice a day they would not eat, now with the new fish they are all constantly hungry. i feed them twice a day and i would like to go back to once a  day i would like to know if this would be harmful to the fish? next question, my pleco, i know that they are very solitary fish but he refuses to come out. he stays at the filter all day long and at night he comes out but he doesn't want to eat the wafers i give him. i tried this white stone that the associated at petsmart said would work however he didn't eat that either. he is still alive so i suppose he may be geting enough but i want to make sure and perhaps u can suggest something that even the most picky plecos  can not resist. the next question i have is about java moss, will my plecos like it and can i grow it without driftwood? would like to add it so that my fish can play in it and lay in it but i dont know if it will be too much to clean and keep up, i have read that it grows like wild fire and it is good for baby fry. if u know any i would greatly appreciate it if u could recommend a type of plant that grows tall that is good for fish hiding. i would also like to now is it bad to have too much foliage or do the fish like it? does it complicate their swimming? i kow this may be a lot of questions and i am sooo sorry for watever confusion i may cause you, but thank you in advance for you help.
      diana

Answer
Hi Diana,
I've seen guppies behave as you described with other fish. If these are males we're dealing with it makes perfect sense. They always have that dominance they like to display to the other fish. If its mild and confrontations are not severely stressing the fish out, then all should be well.

I bet the platies ate more due to the extra fish and the need for competition. Its better for fish to be fed several small meals a day rather than one meal if you can manage it. Because this stimulates their natural feeding behavior in nature and the fish are just plain healthier for it.

Your pleco's behavior is very common. You could try giving him more caves to hide in and tempting him with a slice of Zucchini or a leaf of romain lettuce which I'm sure he'd eagerly accept. But remember plecos are shy and just have that tendency to want to hide. Having the tank darkened on one side can help as can giving him lots of hiding places as I mentioned so he knows he always has a retreat. You could try leaning a piece of driftwood, or a broken pieces of a brand new flower pot against the front of the tank. If its dark inside the makeshift cave he should go and you could see him more.

Java moss is very versatile and can be grown free-floating at the surface (which is very pretty) or it can be grown on somewhat rough rocks or even on the gravel bed itself. It will take a little while to attach itself to the surface but if you wait it down with a few grains of gravel and the fish don't disturb it, then it should attach easily to move surfaces, except very smooth of course.

The rate of java moss growth depends on the lighting and the nutrient level. In the average fishtank, it isn't hard at all to keep up with and usually it grows at a moderate pace.
Fish really enjoy having aquatic plants in their environment, both for hiding and exploring plus an occasional nibble here and there and of course fish fry love to hide in it and they find little morsels of food trapped in it as well. Some plants need a lot of special lighting and special gravel so stick to the easy types unless you plan to upgrade.

*Anacharis
*Water sprite
*Java Fern (grows on rocks or driftwood)
*Amazon Sword (with decent lighting)
*Wisteria
*Anubias (also grown on driftwood or rocks.)

These are some good plants for average fish tanks. But remember all plants need some sort of lighting. At least 1.5-2 florescent watts a gallon is best.

Its best to plant the corners of your tank and along the back. This insures your fish always have decent swimming room in the front of the tank.

I hope this helps!
Karen~