Keeping All platys in a 70l tank

[Lamie]

I would like to have a tank with all platies as the danios are to fast and not getting along with the platies and bullying them which I will surrender the danios to the lfs fish shop. How many platies can I keep in a 70l tank together? Is it a good idea to keep one type of fish together rather than the danios and platies together?

 

[Byron]

You can maintain a few platies in a 70 liter (roughly 20 gallon) tank; it is not sufficient space for danios which need more length for their active swimming (as you have seen). Platies are not exactly small, with males reaching 2 inches/5 cm, and females up to three inches (7-8 cm). Males only will avoid tons of fry. I would suggest five maximum (males only).

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

I would like to have a tank with all platies as the danios are to fast and not getting along with the platies and bullying them which I will surrender the danios to the lfs fish shop. How many platies can I keep in a 70l tank together? Is it a good idea to keep one type of fish together rather than the danios and platies together?

I would keep 15 to 20 platies because it is a large tank, maybe more but I would start off with that. Make sure that you have hard water because their natural habitat does not have soft water. If the danios are bullying the platies, it might be best to keep them separated. Also, if you do have hard water, consider getting snails.They are ULTRA CUTE!

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

You can maintain a few platies in a 70 liter (roughly 20 gallon) tank; it is not sufficient space for danios which need more length for their active swimming (as you have seen). Platies are not exactly small, with males reaching 2 inches/5 cm, and females up to three inches (7-8 cm). Males only will avoid tons of fry. I would suggest five maximum (males only).

Lol. Why do I think 70 litres is massive? Maybe it is because I have a puny 40 litre. Oh well, a few pairs of platies it is...

 

[Lamie]

I would keep 15 to 20 platies because it is a large tank, maybe more but I would start off with that. Make sure that you have hard water because their natural habitat does not have soft water. If the danios are bullying the platies, it might be best to keep them separated. Also, if you do have hard water, consider getting snails.They are ULTRA CUTE!

I don't have hard water. I have added lime chip to make it harder though. 2 handfuls. I don't know what the gh/kh is. I might get a test kit. I might add more lime chip. Is this a good idea. I really like the platies. I have had 3 of the m for over a year but one is not doing well at the moment.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

I don't have hard water. I have added lime chip to make it harder though. 2 handfuls. I don't know what the gh/kh is. I might get a test kit. I might add more lime chip. Is this a good idea. I really like the platies. I have had 3 of the m for over a year but one is not doing well at the moment.

I like platies too. I would say to get a test kit first before adding anymore lime chip, just to make sure you haven't made the water too hard. Trust me, a pH of 8.4 is no fun and soft water in many cases is lucky. But if you want platies, might as well go that extra step into making the water harder.

 

[Lamie]

I like platies too. I would say to get a test kit first before adding anymore lime chip, just to make sure you haven't made the water too hard. Trust me, a pH of 8.4 is no fun and soft water in many cases is lucky. But if you want platies, might as well go that extra step into making the water harder.

Any tips on catching the fast danios?

 

[Byron]

I don't have hard water. I have added lime chip to make it harder though. 2 handfuls. I don't know what the gh/kh is. I might get a test kit. I might add more lime chip. Is this a good idea. I really like the platies. I have had 3 of the m for over a year but one is not doing well at the moment.

Track down the GH, this is very important if you want healthy platies. Check the website of your water provider, it may be given there. And if you do need to increase the GH, you should look into more reliable and permanent ways. Depends upon the GH of the source water.

 

[GaryE]

Catching danios? A big net held still and chase them with a smaller net. If you swear a lot, keep the children away.

 

[Lamie]

I've managed to catch them all. Not sure I'm doing the right things keeping platies in soft water.

 

[Lamie]

Track down the GH, this is very important if you want healthy platies. Check the website of your water provider, it may be given there. And if you do need to increase the GH, you should look into more reliable and permanent ways. Depends upon the GH of the source water.

I'll get a kh gh test kit. If I go back over a lot of posts I might find it

 

[Lamie]

I'll get a kh gh test kit. If I go back over a lot of posts I might find it

The gh and kh average at 2. Does this help

 

[Byron]

The gh and kh average at 2. Does this help

Sort of, because we now know it is definitely very soft and platies will not do well long-term. If the GH is 2 ppm or 2 dH, whichever, that is still "very soft" water.

 

[Lamie]

Sort of, because we now know it is definitely very soft and platies will not do well long-term. If the GH is 2 ppm or 2 dH, whichever, that is still "very soft" water.

Yes ok. I will have to look back on other thread for fish suggestions

 

[Byron]

Yes ok. I will have to look back on other thread for fish suggestions

I'll just briefly say, you have an immense variety of options with very soft water--generally all fish from South America (tetras, catfish like cories, hatchetfish, pencilfish, dwarf cichlids) and SE Asian (rasboras, danios, barbs, loaches, gourami).