Picture of my platy tank

[yhbae]

This is the insane tank I created for breeding platies... (Huge amount of java moss).

As you can see, I never remove the adult fishes and fries do survive in this tank despite many older fries are hunting them down...

You don't see it in this picture but there's about 12 fries under 1cm in length, living in java moss. Some are yellow, and even smaller orange ones...

What's interesting is that I still don't have the hybrid between the orange and the yellow ones. I was hoping to get a Yellow Wagtail variation, but so far, the males are only going after their own female kinds...

 

[JoBodude]

wow nice tank! lol

 

[mandi]

Wow thats a LOT of platys!!

The tank looks pretty though -- I wish my java moss looked that nice & lush & green!

 

[yhbae]

Now I am embarassed... I thought this was a super ugly tank with the only purpose of existance is to keep fries alive without stressing the parents...

May be I should clean the front glass, remove the tube, hide the filters better, and take the picture again..

Equipment:

- 15g long tank
- Aqua Clear 200 + 2 sponge filters hidden behind java moss (Yes, this tank is grossly overfiltered..)
- 2 water changes a week, 30% each time.
- 40w of lights
- java moss and java ferns

I intentionally created rediculous amount of surface disturbance to allow plenty of gas exchanges to occur. The fact that all fishes use all part of the tank implies that there's enough O2 in the tank... No DIY CO2 in this setup...

 

[willywonka099]

Looks great I can't find java moss anywhere around here guess I'll get some fof of AB. Plattys are less canabalistic than most live bearers anyway .... good luck

 

[canarsie11]

Thats amazing!

 

[yhbae]

Looks great I can't find java moss anywhere around here guess I'll get some fof of AB. Plattys are less canabalistic than most live bearers anyway .... good luck

Oh you should have seen mine gobble up their fries when they were in my 25g tank. One fry survived during the first 5 or 6 spawns as they were so good at hunting them down! I didn't have java moss in that tank though...

 

[yhbae]

Oh and by the way, this tank has easily 3 inches of fish per gallon. Not that I believe in this rule but that goes to show that it is possible to push further towards the limit if you use the right equipment, environment and water changes for them...

Originally, I wanted to end this setup, and start African shellies species tank. But I am debating again - perhaps go with rarer livebearer again since I have the whole thing setup ideal for them already...

Decisions decisons...

 

[Ben]

wow! 40 platies !!!

thats a wicked set up

 

[kitty falol]

Wow! It's great to see a set-up like that working well!

I've got 5 guppies and about 15 fry in my 15 gallon tank and I've been worrying about what I'll do with all my fry when they become a few months old. I haven't got nearly as much plant coverage as you, but it looks like 4 fry have escaped being eaten from the last batch born.

I was wondering, how long have you had that set-up up and running and do you think that there is a point at which the population would stop increasing, either with there being too many predators, or death by natural causes?

Thanks, Kathryn

 

[yhbae]

Wow! It's great to see a set-up like that working well!

I've got 5 guppies and about 15 fry in my 15 gallon tank and I've been worrying about what I'll do with all my fry when they become a few months old. I haven't got nearly as much plant coverage as you, but it looks like 4 fry have escaped being eaten from the last batch born.

I was wondering, how long have you had that set-up up and running and do you think that there is a point at which the population would stop increasing, either with there being too many predators, or death by natural causes?

Thanks, Kathryn

I had this running for almost a year - I had about 3 fishes die so far, which is not bad given # of fishes that came out of that tank.

Usually, I keep the number below 40 (used to be 30) as I constantly take good-sized fries out of this tank, and distribute them elsewhere (not in the tanks in my house! )

But I have to admit, it is a pain to maintain this tank - two water changes per week using buckets only (this tank is at the basement - my office).

But nitrates seems to be stable and low (must be the java moss) and they keep producing & growing!

 

[robgurr]

thats really cool! that tank looks bigger than a 15g

 

[Def]

yhbae, how do you make sure the fry get fed? At the moment I crumble some flake into a little water in a jug, then pour the flake/water in at the same time as I feed the big platys, it at least sinks to the bottom and the fry look like they're eating. It's hit and miss though, I'm interested to know how you do it...

 

[yhbae]

yhbae, how do you make sure the fry get fed? At the moment I crumble some flake into a little water in a jug, then pour the flake/water in at the same time as I feed the big platys, it at least sinks to the bottom and the fry look like they're eating. It's hit and miss though, I'm interested to know how you do it...

I don't pay attention to what they eat really...

Java moss provides tonnes of infusoria and other micro organisms for them to eat when they are very young. Once they are about a week old, they chase after flakes easily.

This is what I feed:
- Tetra flakes (they are the cheapest food I have)
- Hikari staple flakes (2nd cheapest)
- OSI Infusoria flakes (not cheap, this is really for mbuna but they are excellent for all fishes)
- Freeze dried tubifex worms
- and lastly, hatched brine shrimps. (the best fry food available, but adult platies eat just fine as well)

I find that most fries are perfectly capable of going after small pieces of flakes, plus I do feed brine shrimps about once every two days, so I'm sure they get a good dosage of them as well...

 

[Sasha]

Very nice! Lots of color!