I can say at least two males in the same tank with no females – my experience is definitely that one of the males will become dominant, and will exercise his dominance. Just now I have two male p.harveyi in one tank, and one of them has taken the cave, domineering this eager, he is also the most colourful, – meaning dark, intense colours – also without females. The other male keeps less intense in colour and keeps in the background, but is not not thriving, – he is okay, just keeping a ‘dull’ life.
I had another tank with two p.nagyi males, – here the same happened, one very intense and beatiful, the other simply did not grow as much and ended up becoming weaker, thinner, less healthy.
Females alone in a tank, I havent got any experience. Two females and one male … definitely one is being ‘bullied’. But without the male, I am not sure.
However, I would think its the way of nature to make a hieraki – so that when the opportunity happpens by accident – when another sex comes by – the group of fish has already ‘sorted’ out which one is the strongest and the one to win the competition for mating. I would therefore think that even females alone together would sort out which one is stronger than the other ?
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