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FAQs on Platy Compatibility

Related Articles: Platies, Poeciliids: Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies by Neale Monks, Livebearing Fishes by Bob Fenner,

my poor platy... Gymnocorymbus, Tiger et al. Barb, incomp., 7/26/08
I have been searching all over to find some quick help for my poor fish.
<Oh?>
Recently I got all new fish for my tank, since my murderous black tetra ate the others I had ( a few goldfish, one or two other tetra like himself.)
<Not "murderous", merely obeying its instinct. When stuff like this happens, it's *our* fault, not the fish's, because we're the ones who didn't do the research before combining species.>
I would come home one day and a fish would just be gone. I fed them regularly, I thought, no more than they can eat in three minutes, right?
<Hmm... bit too much really. I prefer 2-3 meals of sufficient food it's gone within 30-60 seconds. This way any loading on the filter is spaced out across the day. One Platy for example only needs about 2-3 flakes per day to do well. Fish pass out anything they don't need, and will eat much more than they actually require. Provided your fish have gently convex bellies, they're eating enough.>
But that's not my problem...anymore. No, I didn't flush him, I gave him to my nieces and nephews to be their pet.
<Cool.>
I went out and purchased three tiger barbs, a green barb, one bright orange platy and a yellow one. Frankie.
<Oh dear. Barbs are social, VERY social. Kept in too-small a group, Barbs become aggressive or shy, depending on the species. Tiger Barbs and Green Barbs are both potentially aggressive species, and you'd need at least 6 of each to stand any chance of having them school peacefully. I'd argue Barbs are only suitable for largish tanks where they can be kept in decent groups with ample swimming space for them to burn off their remarkable amounts of energy. Best combined with other fast fish, such as Danios of equivalent size.>
At first, all was well. The barbs chase each other, nobody nipped, and Frankie just chilled, swimming around casually.
<Hmm...>
Now, he only moves to eat, will swim for a few minutes, but then goes and lays down on the rocks- his belly touching them, not the sides. He will go into the tightest, most hidden spots available, and sit there, his gills opening and shutting rapidly. Or her gills. The others don't nip at him or bother him, except the dark spotted sucker fish (forgot the technical name), he will sometimes go eat where Frankie likes to hide. I am afraid he will get stuck or simply die. The others are fine, but he has me worried. I looked at his tail to see if he had any spots for pregnancy, but so far I don't notice any. He seems just as fat as any of the others, but I don't know how to help him :( He hides in the corners of the tank, under as much as possible, covered as much as possible.
<Almost certainly is being bullied by the Barbs. Long term future is poor: he is stressed, and that means his immune system is being compromised.>
I love this fish. As for what kind of environment he has- I have a ten gallon tank, a moss ball, five fake plants, one of which is a flat plastic 'grass' they called breeding grass, but I don't know these things..., a 'house' they can hide in, large gravel, and a filter which specs I don't know, but it keeps the tank very clean. All the fish are approximately the size of my thumbprint, or smaller. So I know they should have plenty of room.
<Are you keeping these fish in a 10-gallon tank? None of them are suitable for such a miniscule tank. If you have no choice but to keep a 10-gallon tank, then you MUST choose species suitable for such a system. These are NOT among them. There is no way this tank will remain "fun" in the long term.>
I'm at a loss. Is he dying? Or is he by nature a hermit?
<He's being attacked and bullied by hyperactive, aggressive, socially frustrated fish that aren't able to do what they really want to do which is swim in big groups in a spacious (90 cm/3 foot long) tank.>
Oh please tell me what to do to help this guy.
<Done my best. Your move! Good luck, Neale.>

Re: my poor platy 7/27/08
Thank you for the response, when I was purchasing the tank and fish, all I knew was that there was supposed to be generally one-inch water per fish, but now knowing they like to speed around, I will reconsider mixing them.
<Ah, the "inch per gallon" rule has to be used carefully. It makes sense with very small fish barely an inch long, like Neons or Guppies. But as fish get bigger you have to make allowances, and you also need to consider the activity levels of the fish. Danios and Neons may be the same size, but Danios are hyperactive mountain stream fish that want to swim about constantly. Neons are fine lurking under a shady plant. So it's horses for courses. Good aquarium books will recommend a "minimum tank size" alongside the species description.>
I was told the green barb would be fine with the tigers, but he seems to be getting bullied too.
<Tiger Barbs are boisterous. What makes them fun in big tanks when kept in big groups can easily become a liability in the wrong tank. It's like dogs: a Border Collie is a great dog for someone who works in fields, walking miles every day. But keep one trapped inside the house and it will become aggressive and destructive. It's in the genes. Same with your Tiger Barbs.>
We will find a larger tank for the barbs (20 gallon for six be Allright? if not we will get a larger one) ,
<Look to your budget, and by the LONGEST tank you can afford/house. Your Tiger Barbs will want (ideally) a tank at least 90 cm/3' long, and certainly a tank with plenty of water current. It may well be that you'd be better off returning the barbs and getting something less demanding in terms of swimming space. Perhaps some more Platies?>
and let my platy guys relax in the ten gallon.
<This species is a bit big for 10-gallons, but certainly it'll be happier in that than sharing with nippy barbs!>
Now that I know, its all in finding a spot to put the new tank!
<The perennial problem.>
Thank you again :)
<Most welcome, Neale.>

"M'buna compatibility" or "Sentencing platies to death"
Finding Platies A New Home 4/13/08
Hello! I've got somewhat of a moral dilemma.
I've got a 300 liter tank (150x40x50 cm) that I've been preparing for m'bunas. Everything seems to be in order: some 50 kg of rocks with caves a-plenty, extra filtration (2 x Eheim 2217 canister filters; one as a bio filter, the other mechanical), a couple of Anubias and a Java firm tied (and now mostly rooted) to a piece of ultra-boiled drift wood. It's been cycling for two months now and the water parameters are stable for the past 3 weeks at: ph=8.0, dKH=8, dGH=20, NO2=0, NO3=10... So far, so good I think.
On Tuesday, I'll be receiving my fish from an M'buna breeder. All are juveniles measuring no more than 4 cm. The species are as follows:
10 x Pseudotropheus elongatus "usisya"
10 x Labidochromis sp. "hongi"
6 x Labidochromis caeruleus
2 x Pseudotropheus sp. "acei"
1 x Maylandia zebra
1 x Cynotilapia afra
(This may seem like a lot of fish, but it fits what I understand to be a proper "1 fish per 10 liters" ratio...)
So what's my problem, you may be wondering...
Well, for the second month of the cycling process, I "borrowed" 8 of my sons' platies (they say I stole them... it's a matter of semantics, really):
4 orange + 4 silver-blue "Mickey mouse" (one of the orange died almost immediately, the others are quite healthy, with 3 pregnant females). They're all about 4 or 5 cm right now.
So why don't I just return the platies to my sons? Because they shattered their aquarium last night! (long story).
I've tried, unsuccessfully, to find a new home for the platies, so I have to make a decision: keep them in my tank even once the m'bunas arrive, or send them down the toilet of death. Which option is less cruel? Will they be tortured to death by the cichlids? Can I really bring myself to flush 7 perfectly healthy platies? Any other options that you might suggest?
Thanks in advance, David
< Keep the platies in the cichlid tank until suitable homes can be found. As the cichlids grow you will have time to either set up a new tank or find a new home for the platies. Over time the cichlids will take their toll on the platies but you have a few months.-Chuck>

Re: "M'buna compatibility" or "Sentencing platies to death"
Finding Platies a New Home II 4/13/08
Great! Thanks for the tip!
I thought my margin for action would be days or even hours after the cichlids arrived, not months. Gives me plenty of time to set up a new tank for the platies.
<Most Mbuna don't start to get too territorial until they get around 5+cm. At that size they are starting to mature and stake out some turf. If you add some floating plants they will hide out and you could probably keep them in there even longer.-Chuck.>

Platy companions, filter maintenance – 1/18/08
hi there,
I've written to you before and got good advice,
<Good oh.>
what I am wondering is, when I'm changing the filter sponges, which ones can I just rinse through and which ones do I have to replace completely?
<Ideally rinse them ALL in buckets of aquarium water, and never replace more than 50% of the filter media in any one go. Typically the mechanical media (the coarse sponges in your system) will need to be cleaned more thoroughly, and perhaps replaced more frequently, than the biological media (the finer sponges). Juwel filters also have little white cotton pads you stick at the very top of the system to trap big bits of waste, like dead leaves. These can be replaced as often as you want. I find it cheaper to rinse them off every week or two rather than replace them every month or so. But it doesn't matter much.>
I have a Juwel Rekord 70. also which fish would be good tank companions with platy? I was going for Neons next, my tank is up and running about 7 weeks.
<Platies are hard water fish, and for that reason your best bet is to mix them with other hard water fish. That way you can tweak water chemistry, or use salt as a therapy, without worrying. Other livebearers are ideal, but so are rainbowfish and halfbeaks. If your water quality is good, then certain dwarf Tanganyikan shell-dwelling cichlids can work well at the bottom of the tank. They work surprisingly well with livebearers.>
thanks again!!
David.
Davy-D-
<David, please please please use the Shift key next time to put capital letters where they belong! The idea behind this site is that the questions we answer are available for others to read, not just you, and letters without capital letters are difficult to read. This is especially true for those who don't read English as their native language. Thanks! Neale.>

Beat up platy? Betta incomp. 10/12/07
Hello to whoever is answering:
<And to you>
I have a Betta in with four platys. The Betta was somewhat aggressive when I first got them ( a bit over three months ago) but then calmed down. Two of the platys are very dark orange and almost triangular in shape. The other two are grayish white and orange with a couple of black spots. One of these two kept disappearing except to be fed. The last two days he did not come out at feeding time so I removed a couple decorations and finally found him. I netted him and put him in a smaller tank. His fins are shredded and he looks to my novice eyes like he is malnourished. He swims but mostly hides and with his head down.
I had developed a technique of feeding where I got the Betta in on corner and all the platys in another as the Betta lunges at his food. His eyes look normal, no growths, no white fuzz.
I have the feeling that the Betta started on him again right after he had a growth spurt. Anything else I can do for the poor fish? Thank you for your help.

Goldfish Capability, actually comp. with Platies 9/5/07
Hi there,
<Sweet Melissa>
I've had two plain goldfish for the last three years. They've always been very healthy (no diseases ever). Recently though, we had an earthquake and a log (fake) moved and pinned one of the fish. Sadly, it died before we found it. So we now have one plain "feeder" goldfish in a 12 gallon Eclipse tank.
The tank's temperature is usually between 75 to 78 degrees and the pH is usually 7.2. She's been doing fine on her own so far, but I'd like to add another fish or two.
<Will need more room...>
I don't really like fancy goldfish, and the "feeder" goldfish I find in stores always seem to be in grotesque conditions and unhealthy.
<Yes... too often the case>
I have considered getting one and just keeping it under a longer quarantine, but I also wonder what other options I have. I've found conflicting research about fish compatibility. What do you think about adding two female platies?
<Mmm, a possibility... these livebearers do "like" similar water conditions... In fact, many folks use platies in warmish outdoor ponds to nip at string algae...>
I know these are tropical fish, but they seem like they could be compatible with a goldfish. My current fish is about 2 in. and is pretty docile (she's been with some guppies before and did fine).
Basically, I want to add some variety to my tank, but I don't want to jeopardize my current fish's health. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Melissa

Fighting Platys 6/13/07
Hey guys!
<Hail and well met.>
I recently set up a 20 L tank with 3 platys (male) and 1 female molly. The pet shop didn't mention anything about ratios!
<But that shouldn't matter, because you read a book before buying the fish first, right? What, you didn't? Oh dear. This is where it all goes wrong... Besides, a 20 litre tank is FAR FAR FAR too small for these fishes. That's about, what, 6 gallons? That's a large bucket, not an aquarium. Absolutely out of the question as a home for platies, let alone mollies.>
My concern is for the smaller platy. He is quite a lot smaller than the other fish and they seem to be hassling him. He hangs around in the corner at the top of the tank generally and seems to be chased around at feeding time so he misses out. Also, it looks as though he has suffered a few nips.
<Yeah, well, the fish are overstocked and the males are fighting because there's no room for them to have "personal space". Anyway, treat for finrot/fungus unless you want to have to deal with sick/dead fish as well as miserable ones.>
I'm worried about him.
<Good.>
Can you help at all?
<I can't personally, but you can help lots. You need a tank around 60 litres or more for these fishes to be comfy. Take back some of the males if you can and swap for some females. They aren't difficult to sex.>
I was wondering if maybe there were too many fish in the tank (but I don't really think I can take any back!).
<Yes, waaaaayyyy too many fish.>
Thanks heaps!
Shannon
<You're welcome. Neale>

Catfish Selection 2/28/07
Hello WWM,
<<Hello, Joe. Tom here.>>
We currently have a 20 gallon aquarium with a Tetra Whisper Power Filter 20, 4 inch bubble wand, and heater. The system has been going for about 8 weeks and currently the pH reads 6.8, hardness 120 ppm, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and nitrates at 0 to 10 ppm after a 20% water change (done weekly), with temperature at 78 degrees.
<>
There is currently some rusty/brownish algae growing on the plants which I am guessing is caused by the use of the fluorescent light for about 5-6 hours per day.
<<Diatoms ("brown algae"). Very common in new tanks and will dissipate/disappear on its own. Nothing to worry about but rather unsightly.>>
We currently have 1 female Red Wag Platy, 1 female HiFin Platy, 2 Female Sunburst Mickey Mouse Platies, and 1 male Calico Platy and a varying population of babies (currently about 5) and all seem healthy and happy. The water is treated with dechlorinator and 1 Tbs/5 gallons of conditioning salt is added to the water. No salt is added when replacing evaporated water.
<<A Platy fan, eh? Good for you. Very colorful and nice fish.>>
My question is this. My kids would like to add some more fish. I have told them we have room for 5 more perhaps 7 fish. I figured this would be a good population for this system. We would like to add 2 more platies (we figure the more platies the better) and perhaps 3 catfish. What type of catfish would you recommend? Reading your site it seems Cory catfish and Otos are out because of the salt or is this salt level tolerable?
<<Joe, you can reduce the salt level just a bit and the Corys would be fine. One Tbsp./five gallons of water is tolerable for just about any fish but cutting back just a bit wouldn't hurt. Maybe about 3/4 Tbsp./five gallons.>>
Plecos sound like they would get too large for this tank size and I know the Chinese Algae Eater has no place in this tank.
<<Common Plecos would, indeed, get too large for this tank as would most varieties. There are some very nice Plecos that remain smaller but I think the Corys would be a better "fit" here, Joe.>>
So any advice on "bottom dwellers" would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Joe
<<Keep up the good work, Joe, and I hope you all enjoy your new additions. Tom>>

Platy, Gourami compatibility 2/12/07
Hi,
<Hello there>
I'm new to tropical fish keeping and so far ( fingers crossed), everything is going fine. I've had a mid sized silver dollar, pleco, Bala shark, sucking loach and 3 gouramis for a month or 2 now. yesterday i

added 5 tiger barbs and 3 swordtail/platies.
<Mmm... some of the other fishes may go after this last...>
Yesterday all was fine but this evening one of the what now seems to be a platy rather than a swordtail ( i think from looking at net pics), is non stop nipping at the gouramis. It seems to be biting or kissing it for want of a better term. Is this normal or will it cause the gouramis problems.
<Might be trouble if persistent>
i'm
<I'm>
confused as from what research i've
<...>
done on the net, platies are supposed to be peaceful easy to keep fish, but this little bugger is causing me dramas.
<Perhaps a "rogue" individual... Happens... Can often be cured of this habit by isolation (in a large net, floating colander...) for a few days... or the addition of more members of the opposite sex>
I'm not 100% what type of gourami i have. Looking at the pics on the net and your site, the look pretty much like dwarf Gourami.
<There are several "sports" of Colisa lalia...>
Would this make a difference to their compatibility?
<Could...>
Thanks for your time on this
Lee
<Bob Fenner>

Two male platies together 1/16/07
Hello:
<Hi there>
I have a 29 gallon tank with perfectly clean water that is changed every week.
<Mmm, not all of it I trust/hope>
I used to have six male platies, thinking that if no females were around they would not be aggressive, but they killed my two male guppies. Four platies died quickly, and I think it was aggression. Two are left and since the four died I got 18 neon tetras plus I always had about six Corydoras catfish.
The two platies that are left hide most of the time now and seem overwhelmed.
<By?>
I have an empty 5 gallon tank and I am thinking of putting the two platies in there alone together with plants and a little cave, but my spouse says that with less room things would get bad between them. I am wondering if the smaller tank would be better for them or should I just find a way to get rid of them?? Thank You!!!


Platy Aggression Help: Not covered. Goldfish incomp. 7/29/06
Hello!
I have a question that I couldn't find answered on this page:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/platybehfaqs.htm --and if it's else where, I feel out of luck, I haven't been able to find anything at all about this (Maybe I'm using the wrong search words? *laughs*) I would greatly appreciate some input. (In other words, I would really, really, really love help) Forgive me if I over explain below, I figured more info might help obtain a better answer...
<Hotay>
I have 2 female platies, and 2 males. They don't fight with each other- luckily; 1 male sticks with 1 female. This is my first time having platies, I realize now the ratio is messed up, (thanks for that go to the store that sold them to me) but that's not the problem. The 4 of them really are fine with each other, hardly any chasing, the males just always tag along with their chosen girl, and in a month I had already seen fry- The problem is that the females, and the females alone, have recently started aggressively harassing my very fat bellied, round, fancy goldfish.
<... these fishes shouldn't be mixed together>
I'm, sadly, unsure of the type but, they're very slow moving and I have 2 in the tank. I doubt it matters much, but one of them is fully white and the other one is orange and white- these goldfish are about 3 times the size of the platies (and growing) and don't bother any of the other fish (I've always had great luck keeping gold fish with other community tropicals.
<Please read here re: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshcompfaqs.htm>
They always just seem like the silly stupid dogs of the group, happily looking for food in the gravel)
The only problem I've ever had with fish, besides the occasional human error accident, is that I've never had much luck keeping guppies alive for more than a few months, I think my water has always been too soft or something. I digress: Why on earth are my female platies being "evil"?
<Hard to say, state... want the goldfish to move out of the way? It's too tasty to resist?>
They're really plowing into my goldfish- even from the other side of the tank. They don't let up, even when my goldfish are on their fastest slow little run. This isn't just a, "Move out of my way! I want that algae tablet," kind of thing.
(Because the girls do that too, but I don't blame 'em there.) I know most people don't keep goldfish with other fish- so this might be a hard one for me to find good advice on.
The tank I have now is a 20 gallon long, it has a UVB florescent reptile light that the plants love,
<Neat>
moderately filled with leafy and fluffy live plants, it has these plastic mangrove roots that offer large hiding areas under them, pea sized gravel, some larger rocks, massive amounts of circulation/filtration (under gravel filter, a very small bubble screen, a Fluval 1, and a out of tank turtle filter that uses several levels of carbon and other filtration- the fish and plants seem to love it all) The ammonia is always at 0ppm, the Ph is normally around 6.4 (it fluxed some in the beginning, but always between 6.4 and 7.2), no nitrites or nitrates. I just
added some coral and sea salt today that took the ph up to 7 (where I think I wanted it.) It's soft water and the temp in the house is 78 (hot here) with no heating in the tank (don't know the tank temp. is, hoping you have some magical mathematical way of figuring this out if it might matter.) But it feels sort of cool, nice, to the touch. It has the 2 goldfish, 3 ghost catfish (glass fish? also new to me), 1 Cory cat, 2 danio's, 5 neon's, 4 platies, and 1 guppy that's been 1/2 dead for a month- (the others got tail rot, or something, from the store I think -which is lovely- but this one survived it.) This is a newer tank, I've only had it set up for 2-3 months, but everything has been peachy -Until- I went out of town for a week, my boyfriend fed the fish a lot more than I do (but the ammonia stayed at 0 is seems) and I can't figure out anything else that would have changed. They get flake food, about 2 pinches a day, and algae tablets here and there (for the Cory, the others just get to it before him usually)- I make sure I see everyone eat but I don't believe they are over or under fed. The more gravid one is much more aggressive than the less gravid one, but they both still bite and chase often. This did not happen when one was very gravid before.
Everything was fine, it had babies, then got pregnant again. (and yes, I'm 100% on which are girls and which are boys ;) The platies are now in a temp. cage. I don't want to put them back in with the others yet, I want to try to understand what's going on before I decide on doing anything else. I've always had tanks with goldfish, danios, neon tetras, angelfish (weirdly enough, they got along) Cory cats, and even sometimes guppies in them -all together, & in tanks some might consider crowded- (I had that whole list in just a 10 gallon when I was growing up- they all live forever too -the two angel fish even bred. It had those 2 angels, 5 Neons, 2 goldfish, 2 danios,
5 guppies, and 1 Cory- *laughs*) I don't consider this new tank crowded by my previous standards. They seem to have plenty of room and even their own areas if they've wanted to claim one. They're just the kind of fish I like and it's seem to have worked well enough for me before. But, like I said- this is my first time with platies, and my first community problem. -Just wanted to give an idea of my background with fish. Very few of mine, except guppies, and even ones bought sickly, ever die on me- even after years and years. (it's always their new caretakers when I have to move, *chuckles*)
Thanks again, especially for your time.
~Monica
<The goldfish really has to be moved into other quarters... Platies like about the same water chemistry, but can tolerate much warmer water longer... goldfish are "dirty" to a large degree... Not compatible with tropicals. Bob Fenner>

Platy Fry versus other fish! 7/23/06
Greetings
<<Hello to you, Steve. Tom here.>>
I'm a relative newcomer to the fishy world, and as I couldn't find an answer on your site that suited my circumstances, just had to email you.
<<Does happen, Steve. Glad you wrote.>>
I have a established 54 litre planted and graveled tank with ammonia, nitrites and nitrates seemingly under control - and it appears that my Platys agree as two of my three females have given birth.
<<Congratulations...I hope. :)>>
To make matters a little more interesting, my Platys have a few larger tank mates, namely Flymo (a six inch Synodontis Eupterus) and Finsbury who is a slightly aggressive Angel Fish.
<<Oh, yeah. This does, indeed, make things "interesting". Two fairly large, territorial species in a 54L tank, alone, would make things interesting enough.>>
I've now got 60 Platy fry lurking in a breeding trap net who are beginning to look a little overcrowded, so I need to know how old/how big they should be before I can release them into the main tank (unfortunately limited space in a shared house means I cannot have a second tank to rear the babies so they have to stay in the net in the main tank).
<<The only help I can give you here, Steve, is to recommend that you find a new home for the little ones. No way in the world can your 54L tank support this many fish. Even if they don't become "lunch" and, they don't drive your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels through the roof, at about three months of age, or so, they're going to want to start doing some breeding of their own. I'd predict that you'd lose the entire lot, the Syno and Angelfish probably included.
Now, it's not unheard of that your local fish store(s) may very well be interested in a supply of healthy, juvenile Platys. Provided that you don't come off as being extremely desperate to "unload" your fish, you might be able to strike up some type of business arrangement that will beneficial for all concerned. In any case, you've got to lower your livestock levels soon.>>
Please help!
Regards
Steve Couchman
<<Best of luck, Steve. Tom>>

Re: Platy Fry versus other fish! 7/24/06
Greetings (and thanks to Tom for a quick reply)
<<Hello again, Steve.>>
I've attached the original email (and your response) for your reference.
<<<From us "editors", THANK YOU for doing so. -Sabrina>>>
Firstly, yes, I will be getting rid of most - if not all - the babies to my local fish store.
<<Excellent!>>
However, my problem (which I may not have made clear) is that my little breeding net is going to be getting fairly cramped for the
baby platys and I want to get some of the older ones out of the net and into the main tank until they are big enough to be sold on. 36 of the fry are just over a month old, the others a few days; how old/how big should they be before I put them in the tank to avoid losing them all to the Syno and Angel?
<<Even the "monthlings" are still too young to deal with your larger fish but you could try inserting a tank divider that would give the larger fry more room without placing them in harm's way. This would have the added benefit of letting you observe any overt "predatory" behavior from the Angelfish, especially, without creating problems for the maturing fry. Depending on how mature your Angelfish and Syno are, they might be fairly uninterested from the beginning but absent some "direct experimentation", I see the divider as a good, interim move.>>
As of my last check, ammonia levels were very low (with 36 fry in the tank) and has never been up to .25.
<<This is one area that you're going to have to stay on top of, Steve. Fry, of any type, need the highest water quality you can provide. Anything less than "pristine" - in the truest sense of the word - is going to make them susceptible. Even when kept in a separate breeding tank, small water changes every couple of days might be necessary.>>
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards
Steve
<>

Platy vs. Betta 3/25/06
Hi, I have a male Betta in a 10 gallon tank and I just bought 2 platys 2 weeks ago, a male (he's yellow) and a female (a Mickey mouse). The guy who sold me the fish didn't tell me they could have so many babies, now my female platy looks pregnant but the thing is, I don't really want the babies because I don't have time to take care of them. Also, I've read that Bettas will eat the babies plays, is that true?
<Yes... all he can catch...>
My second problem is that my Betta is being very aggressive with my male platy and the male platy is being very aggressive with my female platy. What should I do?
Mel
<Mmm, maybe try adding some decor items... live and faux plants, a castle perhaps... Things to visually break up the environment... If no obvious damage is being done, I would not be overly concerned otherwise. Bob Fenner>

Gourami - Platy mix - 1/30/2006
 Hi crew!
 If this question has already been answered, I'm really sorry! I am a newbie fish keeper, with a 10 gallon tank. I have a Rena Filstar i1 filter, a light and a heater. (Both Aquarian/Rena.) I have 3 Fish: Minnie , Mickey and Pluto,
<Good names!>
all Mickey Mouse Platies, (1 male, 2 female) which I added after two weeks of cycling.
<Hope this was long enough>
There are a few live plants, although I'm not really sure what type they are; I was advised by my local aquatics store. I also have a piece of bogwood, washed carefully before use. I have now had the tank running for about four weeks, and the Platies have settled in nicely. I did a lot of research before purchasing the tank etc.
My first question is about my water. I have done a water change a week after buying the Platies, one yesterday (both about 25% - 30% ; should I be doing more?)
<Mmm, no... or not likely. Please see WWM... and learn to use the indices, search tool: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2ochgs.htm>
and am about to do one today. I do not have a test kit, as the store said they would test the water for me when I go back on Saturday. Is this bad?
<It's not as good as having your own kits... some parameters (e.g. ammonia) are transient... change quickly... while the water sample is being transported...>
Should I buy/have bought a test kit?
<Oh! Yes>
My water looked a little yellow before I changed it yesterday - could this be the bogwood?
<Definitely, yes>
I washed it before I put it in: letting it soak for 24 hours then scrubbing it. Is this going to affect my fish?
<Can, yes... the decomposition can lead to drift in pH (downward)... for instance... too much, too fast can be trouble... Only time, experience can/will tell though... regular maintenance, sufficient alkalinity in your source water... may keep in sufficient check>
I have looked at them carefully, and they seem to be OK, swimming around, eating well etc. The do not seem to have Popeye, gasping at the surface etc. Should I be doing a water change more regularly? What should I do?
<Perhaps some activated carbon in your filter flow path...>
I've only had the little guys for about 2 weeks, but am already very attached to them, and I don't want to make them ill.
 My second question is about mixing Platies with other fish. I would really like to have a pair of Dwarf Gouramis in there. Would that be OK?
<Should be, yes>
 Thanks for your very useful website! It has been of endless use to me in starting my new hobby. (which I love!) I have bought two books on keeping fish and got some from the library, but none of them have as much information as this site, and although some of them go into complex water chemistry, none of them answer all of the simple questions that I need the answer to! This is the Holy Grail of the fish keeping world! From a newbie fishkeeper.
 P.S sorry I did not send this from your site; I could not get it to work!
<No worries. Be chatting, Bob Fenner>

Platy Getting Beat Up 1/7/06
Hello, My name is Heather and I have a red wagtail platy in my tank. She is being attacked by another one of my fish (I don't know which one) on her tail. I don't want to leave her in the tank another day to be beaten on, but the only other tank I have doesn't have an air supply. Will she be okay in the airless tank, or should I buy her a new one? Help! Thanks,
Heather
< Get a breeder net used to house female livebearers away from the rest of the tank to give birth to their babies. They are inexpensive and can be placed in your existing tank. Check with the local fish store I am sure they will have one.-Chuck>

Platy baby help 9/27/05
First off, your website is a lifesaver (fish saver?) to someone who did not have a clue what she was doing with her aquarium. <Thanks! We all start somewhere.> I think I've read almost all your info on starting new aquariums with live bears. <Wow! Great!> On to my question. What I am pretty sure are three female platies have apparently dropped fry in my 30 gallon tank. I know that they could have been pregnant when I bought them but that was five months ago! <They can store sperm for up to 6 months. Now that your tank is in better shape, maybe one decided it was time to make more.> Now I don't know how many they had because I have only found one. Is it possible for them to just have one fry, or were there others that are now eaten/dead. <Either is a possibility.> I thought I was paying close attention to the tank and I think I would have seen lots of babies. <You probably would have seen *lots*, but just a few can easily escape notice, especially if they are hiding.> I don't really have much "cover", just three large leafy plastic plants and two caves. I transplanted baby in a one gallon tank with bubbler but no filtration. <That’s okay if you do water changes daily. I’ve had better luck in breeder nets or just letting the little fellow hide. Feed him crushed flakes several times a day. I’d also put some plant matter in for cover (like Elodea) and be sure the tank is heated.> He/she is bright orange, not see-thru, and a little bigger then a grain of rice. Is there any way to guess how old he/she is based on that info? <My guess is a few days to a week.> Okay, last question, if we get any more "surprises" how many babies can we keep in our tank when grown:
30 gallon with large carbon filter and air stone bar as long as the tank <Wow, lots of water movement. Is the 30 gallon a “waterfall” hang-off-the-back-type?>
Water conditions within normal limits but needs monitored frequently due to quick deterioration. <Normal should be 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and less than 20 nitrates. You aren’t overstocked, so unless you are overfeeding, your tank shouldn’t get bad quickly.>
3 male mollies
3 female platies
<Your mollies may pick on your platies quite a bit. You have room for several more fish in your tank. When you can’t keep the nitrates under 20 without doing more than 10-20% water changes weekly, you are slightly overstocked.>
Thank you for your patience with this newcomer! <Thanks for your questions!> None of my fish would have survived if it wasn't for you website. I won't even subject you to the number of beginner’s mistakes I made! <The important thing is you’re asking questions now and are learning.>
Thank you, Kara <Hope it helps, Catherine>

Aggressive Red Mickey Mouse Platy
Hi there! This is my first try with tropical fish. I bought a Red Mickey Mouse Platy, a Marble Molly and a Glass fish. After 3 days, the molly died (it didn't appear to be eating anything). I went back to the pet store and was told both the mollies and platys need to school (why couldn't they have told me that when I bought them, after I told them I was a novice?). So, I bought another 2 platys. The two (I think they are the males) began chasing and victimizing the female.
<Better to have just one male, and two or more females. The males have a gonopodium, a modified anal fin (up under the belly) that is pointed looking, serves as an intromittent organ. Trade one of the males in for another female>
She started hiding to try to get away from them. She died yesterday. Today, one of the platys appears to be doing the same thing to the other one. My question is, WHAT is going on? I thought they were supposed to be a peaceful fish . I don't know if I have an overly aggressive male. I don't know what to do with them. Should I take out the aggressive one?

Will he start attacking the Glass Fish? What kinds of fish can I put in my 10 gallon aquarium that will survive my nasty Platy? If you could give me any advice I would deeply appreciate it.
Thank you. Laura
<Please read through the freshwater livestock coverage here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
I would try some of the smaller Danios, Rasboras, Barbs. Bob Fenner>

Tasty Tail
Thank you very much for being so helpful with my last question!
<You bet!>
Unfortunately I now have a new one. Last night I discovered one of my platies had had about a third of his tail bitten off. He is my most aggressive fish so I think he probably was harassing
my Betta; normally the Betta is very peaceful but there's only so much he can take. Anyway, I'm worried about my poor fish and I wonder what I can do to help him heal? I have already added stress coat and I always keep aquarium salt in the water, although I could probably add more.
<Maintain excellent water quality and watch closely for any signs of bacterial infection setting in. If the fish is in good health and the water is healthy, he'll probably be fine. Keep an eye on the Betta, as well, and consider separating him from the other fish if he's too aggressive for them.>
I usually feed TetraMin flakes and freeze-dried blood worms. Thanks again for all your help!
<Hope your platy has a quick recovery! -Sabrina>

Platys & Goldfish 11/03/03
Hello,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I'm so glad to have found your site and hope that you will help me make a
decision. For the past six years I've maintained a 340 gallon agricultural water
tank on my patio, with a population of eleven goldfish. One fish is about
eight inches long (not including his gorgeous fan tail!) and the others are
"new" additions (comets) about a year ago and average three to four inches.
Prior, I kept two koi with the goldfish, but within a week, both made jumping exits from the tank. Sigh...
<Sorry to hear that. There's no way to cover the tank?>
The tank has a large filter and an immense Louisiana iris as a
biological filter. There are calm, "protected" areas around the plant and a vigorous flow from the filter on one side. I live in south Florida, so I've never used heaters. The tank is set for optimum water conditions/chemistry for the
goldfish. My question is: may I add eight platys to the tank? I've kept the
platys in a tank in a house for eight months and they are healthy. A family member is moving in, so I can't keep the platy tank in our former guest room.
<Most fish are predatory & will eat another fish that will fit into its mouth. Although goldfish do prefer a great deal of plant food, I think it is up to you, how much the platys really mean to your chancing them being goldfish food. Larger fish (especially much larger) tend to pick on little ones.>
Thank you in advance for your expert advice on whether I should risk the
platys with the goldfish. Best regards, Celestine
<Your tank sounds wonderful. I hoped I helped with your decision--Pufferpunk>

Aggressive male Platies. Cleaner crew.
Thank you so much for your help. It's great to have someone so knowledgeable answer my questions in such detail and so quickly! I don't know how I could have missed this web site for the last 1year! Thanks again
<No Problem, I'm glad we can be of assistance.>
By the way, I was going to get a Pleco to help clean up the waste of the tank and buildup of the yuckies, but seeing that I have overcrowding already, will my glass catfish eat from the bottom? I haven't seen him do it though.
<Your glass catfish really won't clean like a Pleco would. I would think about adding a few large snails... They really clean the glass and substrate quite well, and don't have that much of an effect on the bioload of the tank. Think of them as the janitors of the tank.
I have seen my guppies pick up food from the bottom however.
<If you want to add a fish that is like a Pleco but without the size and mess, then I say you should look at Otocinclus. It's a cute little fish, they stay small and do a great job on cleaning. Often called "Otos", they are the little sucker fish that ever seems to over look. They do great in tropical tanks, and don't get large. Not to mention, they are pretty cute little fish.
here is a website devoted to them.
http://www.otocinclus.com/
Hope that helps. -Magnus>

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