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| FAQs on Platy Compatibility
Related Articles: Platies,
Poeciliids: Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies
by Neale Monks, Livebearing Fishes
by Bob Fenner,
Related FAQs: Platies 1,
Platies 2,
Platy Identification,
Platy Behavior, Platy
Selection,
Platy Systems, Platy
Feeding, Platy Disease,
Platy Reproduction,
Livebearers, Guppies,
Swordtails, Mollies,
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Platy aggression
01/18/09
I have a 28 g tank with 4 red wag platies and 3 sunburst platies. I also
have 3 Cory cats. I added 7 Tiger Barbs to the mix 3 days ago. I've lost
all but 2 of them. I wasn't sure what the cause was until this afternoon
while I was observing the tank closely. The platies are attacking the
Tiger Barbs, leaving the cats alone. Is this normal behavior?
<No.>
I have 4 fake plants and some structures that they can use to hide but
they don't do it. I know I should remove the remaining Tiger Barbs but
have nowhere to put them yet. Any other advice?
<Platies and Tiger Barbs are a poor combination. I'd separate these
fish.
Usually, it's the Tiger Barbs that nip at slow moving fish like Platies,
but I guess tables can sometimes be turned! In any event, since the
combination clearly isn't working, I'd return the Tiger Barbs you have.>
Thanks,
Katie
<Sorry I can't offer any magic solution here. Cheers, Neale.>
Are Common Fantail (American type) Goldfish and Red Neon Moon
fish (a platy relative) Compatible? 8/13/2009
Hello,
I have a 50 gal. acrylic tank (complete with 4 stage power filter, uv
sterilizer, sintered air stone, large, smooth, mostly round gravel, and
half planted with fake plants, and half open for fish to swim). I
currently have 4 common fantail goldfish living in the tank. They are a
fancy variety of goldfish. According to what information I have been
able to get, this setup should be fine for them (as fancy goldfish only
need a minimum of 10 gal. each).
<Hmm... not quite. You need about 30 gallons for the first two, and then
another 10-15 gallons for each additional Goldfish. Remember, these fish
get very big, easily 20 cm/8 inches in length, and they are incredibly
messy as well.>
However, I do have a concern regarding two new fish I just recently
purchased. I was on your very helpful and well informed site and read
the Variatus Platy is compatible with goldfish.
<Xiphophorus variatus, yes, a subtropical species of livebearer that
does well around 18-20 C, which is fine for Goldfish.>
I tried looking them up. I found they seem to be a sort of moon fish.
Moon fish seem to be a cross between the Variatus (pardon if this name
is incorrect) and platies. I am unsure if I got confused someplace or
not. I am concerned perhaps I did get confused.
<Unless otherwise sold as a particular species, all the Platies (what
you call Moon Fish) are HYBRIDS of various Xiphophorus species. These
need to be kept in a tropical aquarium, around 24-25 degrees C.>
Anyway, long story short, I wound up getting two red neon moon fish. Now
I did some research and have found red Neons do need tropical flakes
rather than goldfish flakes.
<Actually, both Goldfish and Xiphophorus would do best on a plant-based
diet, such as Spirulina flake, alongside cooked peas, cooked spinach,
sliced cumbers, etc. Add some wet-frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms
once or twice a week, and you'd be giving them an excellent diet.>
But if you monitor the red Neons while feeding (to make sure the red
Neons get their tropical flakes) goldfish and platy species (which the
red Neons are a member of) can be fed their proper foods at feeding
time, and can even eat each others foods, without suffering any ill
effects.
<Perhaps.>
And the red Neons have small mouths. So they can only eat flakes and
other small foods. That is fine enough because goldfish like flake
foods. And I found in my research platies and goldfish both like
freeze-dried bloodworms, freeze-dried brine shrimp, Spirulina (pardon if
I spelled that wrong) flakes, blanched lettuce, and blanched spinach. So
they can share each others food with these items.
<Don't use freeze-dried bloodworms and shrimps more than once a week;
they cause constipation.>
I also found they can both tolerate a compatible temperature range of 75
to 78 degrees F (little warm for goldfish on the upper end, but I
usually keep the temperature at about 77 F and try to keep a fan blowing
on their tank to help cool it. The fan is the only other solution I have
available other than the air-conditioned, which gets expensive to run at
lower temperatures (unfortunately). But that is why I check to be
certain they can survive fairly well at the temperatures I have to work
with.
<It's a bit warm for Goldfish, but provided there is a strong filter to
ensure lots of oxygen, you should be okay. Get a filter rated at 6 times
the volume of the tank in turnover per hour; for a 50 gallon tank,
that'd be 6 x 50 = 300 gallons/hour.>
And according to what I understand and have learned, these two species
should be fine at the temperatures I previously mentioned. So food and
water temperature should be okay. And both species like to be at all
levels of the tank and prefer plants in the tank with open areas for
swimming.
Goldfish will eat smaller fish I know. But I hear platies are quick.
<But the tank is small... if your Goldfish are big enough to swallow any
fish kept with them, then those little fish will, eventually, get eaten.
Gazelles can outrun lions, but stick them in the same cage, and the lion
would soon kill the gazelle.>
And my goldfish are the smallest variety and the red Neons get to be 2
to 3 in.
<No such thing as a "small" variety Goldfish; all of them get to 20-30
cm/8-12 inches in length. If your pet store said they were "dwarf"
Goldfish or some rubbish like that, they were taking advantage of you.>
I figured the red Neons size and speed would help keep them from being
eaten.
<Doubt it. To be fair, adult Platies are fine with adult Goldfish, all
else being equal. But juvenile Platies may be eaten.>
And both species are said to be peaceful around other fish species. So
they should get along alright.
<Assuming water quality and water chemistry is acceptable. Both species
need 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, pH 7 to 8, and a "high" hardness of 10
degrees dH or upwards.>
If I am wrong, I do have a spare 12 gal. tank I can keep the two red
Neons in. Yet I am also aware that platies are prolific breeders and
they can change their sex.
<The sex change thing is a myth.>
And the red Neons are related to platies.
<Both are hybrids.>
If the 50 gal. setup I have in mind works, I can keep the babies in the
12 gal. tank. However, if the 50 gal. setup does not work I can keep the
adults in the 12 gal. tank and "temporarily" keep some of the babies in
another spare 3 gal. tank I have (at least until I can get them a better
tank, or find new homes for them, or both). I was not notified platies
could be prolific breeders on the site I bought the red Neons from
BEFORE I bought the fish. Fortunately I had some spare tanks or the
babies may have all perished from being eaten. At least I can try to
spare some of them from being food with the aid of the two spare tanks I
have.
Anyway, my question is this . . . Is there enough room in my 50 gal.
tank to keep my 4 goldfish and the 2 red Neons I ordered?
<If water quality is good, i.e., 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, then the
Platies will hardly effect things at all. The Goldfish are potentially
much bigger and certainly far messier.>
And are goldfish and red neon moons truly compatible (at least in
regards to the system I have in mind)? I am worried I may have done
something that might harm the smaller Neons, or greatly upset my little
goldfish friends.
I love my little goldfish and wish no harm to the red Neons. Just let me
know if the Neons will be okay with the goldfish, or if they need
separate tanks. Also let me know if I need a larger tank for the red
Neons should they need a separate tank. Thank you for your time,
knowledge, and above all patience.
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Are Common Fantail (American type) Goldfish and Red Neon
Moon fish (a platy relative) Compatible?– 08/14/09
Your prompt reply did help. Thank you.
<You are most welcome.>
You have eased most of the anxiety I was experiencing over worrying
about the welfare of my fish. I have kept tropical tetras and gouramis
in the past and had a goldfish as a child as well. So I do have a little
experience with fish.
<Very good.>
However, I am still a mostly inexperienced novice when it comes to fish
keeping. Your advice has helped greatly to ease most of my fears that my
inexperience may have harmed the fish. I will be watching the goldfish
and red neon moons closely in the 50 gal. tank (monitoring water
quality, making sure no one is being too aggressive, that they get their
proper foods, and that no one is trying to eat each other).
<Excellent.>
I will move the red Neons if it proves too stressful or dangerous in the
50 gal. tank for them. Oh, I also forgot to mention I also have one gold
mystery snail in my 50 gal. tank. It eats the leftover food the goldfish
miss. I do not think the snail will harm the fish.
<On the contrary; watch that the Platies/Moon Fish don't "nip" the Apple
snail. They often do. This stresses and damages the snails, eventually
leading to stress, sickness, even death.>
I just wanted to let you know about it too. Also, in regards to the
frozen brine shrimp you mentioned. There are no worries there. I have
another 2 gal. tank going with a small number of live brine shrimp in
it. I am
planning to try and raise my own shrimp. I hatched them from cysts I
bought online. I watch their water quality and make water changes when
their water is too dirty. And I make sure they have food that is
appropriate for brine shrimp. If the red Neons need fresh brine shrimp,
they will be getting the freshest possible source. Doesn't get much
fresher than live.
<Indeed!>
And since I am raising them, they should be free from most diseases.
<Correct.>
The red Neons and goldfish could not ask for a better source of brine
shrimp in my household. So no worries about the shrimp. And I only feed
my goldfish brine shrimp (or other suitable freeze-dried meaty items
such as bloodworms) twice a week at each of the two feeding a day they
receive. The goldfish are only fed what they eat in 2 or 3 minutes at
each feeding. The snail gets what they miss, or the goldfish pick it out
from the gravel themselves. And whatever the goldfish and snails miss I
vacuum out with a gravel vacuum once a week. I do my best to keep the
water quality at its best. And as far as hardness goes . . . Well, I
live in the Arizona deserts in the U.S. The water is always hard here
and full of minerals.
<Perfect.>
I add a little PH Down (water softener) to the water for my goldfish, to
make it more tolerable.
<Probably redundant. Goldfish like very hard water, and the pH down
product won't really be helping any.>
They seem much happier, more active, and do not go up to the surface of
the water for air when I add the PH Down.
<Dubious. I'd have thought it's simply the act of changing the water --
maybe adding cooler water -- that makes them perky.>
The tropical fish I have kept in the past also seemed to do better with
water softener in our hard desert water. Also I like to keep the
ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels at absolute 0. And I try to keep
the PH levels at levels at around 7. I dislike PH levels at 8.
<You might dislike pH 8, but it's perfect for Platies as well as
Goldfish.
By contrast, pH 7 is the very bottom end of the tolerance range for
Platies and to some degree Goldfish.>
That is too rough on fish in my mind (unless otherwise specified by the
requirements of a fish species, such as cichlids and saltwater fish.
Cichlids and saltwater fish seem to need PH at 8 or higher to thrive.
<Honestly, you're wrong here. This is "in your mind" and not in actual
reality. Platies like hard, basic water. The ideal would be pH 7.5, 15
degrees dH.>
Otherwise though, PH at 8 makes me worry and feel bad for the poor fish.
<It's fine. Don't believe me? Grab any aquarium book you like, and
review the needs of Xiphophorus species. Or see, for example, at
Fishbase, a scientific catalogue of fish biology:
http://64.95.130.5/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=3232
>
So I do not keep it at that level if I can help it.). So no worries
about water quality. Thank you again for your wonderful advice. I feel
much better about the wellbeing of my fish. Thank you so much.
<Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Are Common Fantail (American type) Goldfish and Red Neon
Moon fish (a platy relative) Compatible?– 08/14/09
Thank you for correcting me on my previous error on PH levels. I will be
watching the levels to be sure they do not go above 8 then.
<That's fine.>
And I am not knowledgeable enough for specialized care fish such as
cichlids and saltwater fish anyway. So no worries about my errors
harming them. But thank you for correcting my misconceptions and
confusion there as well.
<Happy to help. But please do read around the WWM site for more.>
If I ever change my mind about these species, the information will
surely be most helpful. And I will be keeping an eye on my little snail
around the neon redtail moons too. The red Neons are really a beautiful
fish.
<Yes, Platies are lovely fish.>
Go to petsolutions.com online in the live fish section. They have a
picture of one there, if you want to see a picture of one.
<I see them. Here in England, they're called Sunset Platies, I guess
because the orange merging to red is reminiscent of a sunset.>
Thank you so much for your very helpful advice.
<My pleasure. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: I have a new tank! (FW; selection)
11/18/08
Hi Neale,
<Sarah,>
I have another question!
<Oh?>
I set up my Rio180 with one of the sponges from my 60 ltr tank, let it run for a
week, but decided not to transfer my platies in as there were new teeny fry in
the tank (I have 4 babies now), instead I went off to Maidenhead aquatics in St.
Albans and bought 12 little (about 1 inch long)
5 banded barbs and added them to my new tank (oh, I tested the water first,
which was all good - zero everything)
<Puntius pentazona; an excellent community species, though not hardy and a bit
on the shy side.>
Day 3 after I added the fish I had a nitrite spike (0.3) so I did a 30% water
change.
Day 4 - I noticed a few tiny little white spots on their fins, which by the end
of the day had increased in number (at most maybe 6 on one fish, one or two on
some of the others). I sat next to the tank with laptop in hand and decided it
was definitely ich - so I went to the very nice man in Amersham pet shop and he
agreed that it sounded like it from my description, and I treated the 180 with
eSHA Exit for 3 days.
<Good diagnosis and an excellent treatment, in my experience, though remember to
remove carbon from the filter, if used. I believe the Juwel filters have a
carbon sponge installed.>
Not a single little white spot remains (and I have been sat there watching the
little things as they dart about - they hide from me mostly so a lot of watching
has been done). (Interestingly I have two friends who also recently bought at MA
in St. Albans and they have had ich brought home with the new fish as well -
which is why I was on the lookout for it)
<Whitespot/Ick is pretty well ubiquitous in the retail side of the hobby.
It's incredibly difficult to stop it moving between tanks unless you employ
strict quarantine and isolation procedures on everything from the fish and
plants through to nets, hose pipes and buckets. Because whitespot isn't deadly
if treated promptly, it's not a major problem.>
My question is - How long should I leave it now before I can add the platies and
Ancistrus from my 60 ltr tank? I have tested water daily and no further nitrite
/ ammonia spikes have been detected.
<I'd wait 1-2 weeks after the last sign of Whitespot.>
I am keen to shift at least one platy as he is being bullied - there are two
males in the tank and one is very aggressive towards the other - if he comes out
of his hiding place to eat the other chases him until he hides again (he's
managing to eat OK though, I check).
<Feel free to move the "persecuted" male at once. Lesser of two evils...>
When the aggressive male isn't chasing him he either hides or tries to chase the
females - but as soon as the other one sees him, he chases him back to his
hiding spot. Do platies usually show such aggressive behavior towards other
males? He chases one of the females (the largest) a lot also.
<Completely normal behaviour, I'm afraid. I'd recommend keeping Platies in big
groups, with females outnumbering males by at least 2 to 1. Otherwise, a single
male with 2-3 females works well. The thing with livebearers is that in the wild
males "fight" to keep access to harems of female. Their instinct is to drive off
any male that comes too close. In big groups, say, a dozen, it's difficult for
any one male to become dominant. But in smaller groups, what you describe is
very common, perhaps standard behaviour.>
Once the platies are moved and settled I can look at getting some more little
fishy friends.. but not from St. Albans I think!
<Ah, wouldn't be too hard on St A's. It's a great shop with some good staff.
Whitespot isn't something I'd use to make-or-break my patronage to a store. I'd
be much more concerned about Finrot (signs of aggression/poor water quality),
dead fish in the tanks, and things like obviously underweight herbivorous
catfish or specialist predators.>
Thanks once again for your help...
Sarah (still watching fish instead of working!)
<Some of us get to do both! Cheers, Neale.>
Re: I have a new tank! (FW; selection) 11/19/08
Thanks so much Neale - I've moved him into the bigger tank, and just a few hours
later he is already looking happier than he has been in weeks - he's swimming
about, rather than hiding in a cave.. Now Billy the bully (the children's name
for the other male platy) has 5 females to himself...
Thanks for the advice...
Sarah
<Sarah, sounds like you have everything in hand. Good luck with your new
aquarium! Neale.>
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.>
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"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.
<I would isolate or remove the Betta here... It is likely the culprit. Bob
Fenner>
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
<I do think the platies might be just the ticket here... And a
good introduction to more "tropical" systems... Bob Fenner>
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.
<<I like the sounds of it, Joe.>>
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
<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!!!
<I think they'll be fine here with the plants as you state. Bob Fenner>
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
<<I hope all continues to go well, Steve. Tom>>
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?
<I would trade it in for a female>
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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