A Few Questions...

[timmystood]

Hi

I've nearly cycled my new tank which is going to be used to keep 1 male and 2, maybe 3 female Platys - it's 20litres.

The few questions I have are:

1. The tank is pretty crowded with a big ornament, the filter pump and a big artifical plant in the hope that the fry have plenty of places to hide, however, realistictly, what are the chances of majority of the fry surviving the wrath of their parents?!

2. Have you ever lost fish up your filter? I've been told of ways to stop this (putting tights or pantyhose over the filter) but I was wandering if any of you have ever lost fry this way?

3. What do YOU do with your fry?

4. Is it Platys or Platies?

 

[timmystood]

BUMP

 

[karen4kevin]

I say Platies,

 

[Annastasia]

First off...I think the number is pushing it. I'd go for just females personally, as otherwise you will have the males chasing them, and stressing them out, and they won't have much room to get away...I'd go for 2 females. You'll still have fry.

1. 30-40%? Without seeing the tank, it's hard to say, but some are very smart. Try adding in some floating plants.

2. Not to my knowledge. I do survival of the fittest with most, and the fry tanks have sponge filters. With survival of the fittest, I just think of it as another test, the black fish in the darkness that sucks you up... No, I'm kidding, but I haven't as far as I can tell.

3. I raise the ones I want, do survival of the fittest of the others. If they happen to live, I'll seperate them males and females, and then stick them in seperate tanks or give them to the LFS.

4. Platies, if you want to be gramatically correct.

 

[timmystood]

First off...I think the number is pushing it. I'd go for just females personally, as otherwise you will have the males chasing them, and stressing them out, and they won't have much room to get away...I'd go for 2 females. You'll still have fry.

1. 30-40%? Without seeing the tank, it's hard to say, but some are very smart. Try adding in some floating plants.

2. Not to my knowledge. I do survival of the fittest with most, and the fry tanks have sponge filters. With survival of the fittest, I just think of it as another test, the black fish in the darkness that sucks you up... No, I'm kidding, but I haven't as far as I can tell.

3. I raise the ones I want, do survival of the fittest of the others. If they happen to live, I'll seperate them males and females, and then stick them in seperate tanks or give them to the LFS.

4. Platies, if you want to be gramatically correct.

OK, thanks

If I do just get females then how long can I expect then to produce fry for?

 

[Annastasia]

Up to 7 months.

 

[timmystood]

Really, and then if I still want to get fry after that, I could just move them to a bigger tank and add males! Thanks very much.

So just getting females means that they won't chase each other and harass each other?

 

[dwarfgourami]

Really, and then if I still want to get fry after that, I could just move them to a bigger tank and add males! Thanks very much.

So just getting females means that they won't chase each other and harass each other?

It's not a 100% guarantee, even females can take against each other, but the chances of peaceful coexistence are going to be a lot greater. I do think a 5 gallon tank is on the small side for platies though, given their activity level.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I agree with dwardgourami, 5gals is quite a bit on the small side for platys...I'd only put 3 in there tops, i would avoid having males though in a 5gal as male platys have a reputation that they live up to for over-harrassing females when they are about to give birth or hhave just given birth, and a 5gal offers no space for a female to get away from the males in, soo...
Personally i would get a bigger tank if you want platys, somthing like 10-15gals instead, in a 5gal i'd only put a couple of females in.

 

[timmystood]

Yeah, I think I will. I am going to just put in 2, maybe 3 females. After all, as mentioned above - they can still produce fry for up to 7 months.

 

[HeatherW]

As to the filter question:

Yes, mine wind up there.

I had 2 batches last night.
A small one in a trap. 5/12 were living.
A large one in the tank. I found 3 live fry in my filter box. I caught 10 total.

I would have done the pantyhose trick if I knew the other one was about to drop as well.

I say platies, mollies

Heather