I've read that crowding them a bit tones down the nipping. I have 2 male powder blues and 2 female reds. The smaller male blue is harrassed by the other three and has only one tiny area where they'll allow him to stay. Also, it took the females 2 weeks to acclimate and come up from hiding for anything other than feeding, then overnight they both came in to their own and now one of them is the dominant fish of the tank. Should I trade the smaller male for another female blue, or another female red, and also get a couple more? That would overfill/max my tank, but I hate to see the smaller male so miserable. If I just give back the 1 male and be done..... best thing? (My 30gal tall also has 1 angel, 6 serpaes, 6 neons <no, nobody bothers the little tetras at all> and 1 cory). They're all young fish in a new-7wk old tank. Thanx.

I would take the one male back as overcrowding the take causes excess realease of amonia and nitrates. I had this happen to me and half my fisk got ick(ich) because of it.