Platies Alone In A Community Tank?

[iroc]

I used to have 6 platies 4 girls and 2 boys but since I was very new to "fishing" lol I added them before my tank was cycled and only one of them was strong enough to withstand the storm. At this point she is the only platy in my tank and I know she isn't gonna reproduce but does this have a negitive effect on her well being. I don't think it will kill her since she has been like this for some time however I want her to be more then alive I want her to be happy. the rest of the tank has kin ( 4 neons, 3 zebra danios) and the solo fish ( Golden Gourami, bristle nose plec) seem to be fish that do ok on there own. I think I could get at least 1 more platy maybe 2 what does eveythink the advantages and disadvanges are and what should I get 1 more girl and a boy or boy girls or if just one a girl or boy?

 

[donna123]

hi,
i dont see a problem with just having one, but i think they are happy when they live with their own kind too,
why not give her one or two female palls to chill out with, that way there will be no male hassle just nice and piecefull chilled out platy, . i have an all female gang of 5 platy and my daughter has 3 females and have no problems, good luck with what you decide to do. donna

 

[iroc]

well I figure I got at least room for 1 so maybe I will go grab a red wag tail or something, thanks for the advice.

 

[nmonks]

One short comment: if you're after breeding fish, it's a good idea to keep your fish all of one breed. So if sunset platies, get them all as sunset platies. That way, your fish will be easier to sell / find homes for. People like to get fish that "are something" rather than a mish-mash. Not that mish-mash platies aren't fun, they're just less sellable.

On the flip side, getting the males from one shop and the females from another is a great idea, as it reduces the risk of inbreeding, which means the baby fish will likely be healthier and few will have deformities (sadly quite common on artificially-bred livebearers).

Cheers,

Neale

well I figure I got at least room for 1 so maybe I will go grab a red wag tail or something, thanks for the advice.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I'd go for another girl, much less hassle IMO. And then you can have whatever colour you like.