Platties Hiding Away In Plants

[stackem evs]

Hi, recently we have had a couple of femail platties dropping fry and have introduced a shoal of rummy nose tetras into our currently quite empty community tank.

Each time the platties of which there are 8 adults, have hidden away in the plants for plus of two days.

Do they sense and not like changes, maybe the addition of other fish in the tank, even if so much smaller. The small platties, probably not more than 5-10mm come out more than the grown adults.

Is this expected in livebearers (do we class them as chicken)???

 

[timmystood]

Platties, and in fact most livebearers will spend time in live plants, usually eating the micro-bacteria living on the plants. It is possible that the addition of Rummynose Tetras has caused them to be shy, but generally not alot make platties hide away! I would say the reason they are hiding is because of the micro-bacteria on the plants, or you maybe have a slight rise in Ammonia or Nitrite?
Just out of interest - how hard is your water? Ideally, your Rummynose Tetra will prefer softer water and seeing as you live in England it is probably quite hard. If you can get a reading of your Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH and gH and it might point us in the direction of the problem.
Hope this helps.
TIM

 

[penguin22]

When my plattys were pregnant they hid away for 2 wks in a coconut. I think this is normal behaviour and i wouldnt worry they are just probably getting over the stress of the births. They will just want there own space for a while.

 

[stackem evs]

Platties, and in fact most livebearers will spend time in live plants, usually eating the micro-bacteria living on the plants. It is possible that the addition of Rummynose Tetras has caused them to be shy, but generally not alot make platties hide away! I would say the reason they are hiding is because of the micro-bacteria on the plants, or you maybe have a slight rise in Ammonia or Nitrite?

Thanks tim and pengy

There is the food on the plants (I am correct that algae and micro-bacteria are the same? I have been known to be wrong with my assumptions in the past). Which they seem to be getting well stuck into. We are planning to get some otto's if a few weeks, but just letting these settle in.

We did check the following day and there was a small amount of Ammonia and Nitrite in the tank (0.5ppm and 0.3ppm), nitrate zero. So maybe getting small spike moving through.

Water here is 7.6, quite high, but not high compared with a lot of the water round here (8-8.2). lfs, said the rummynose would be happy at that level.

As you say pengy, the femails do seem it hide. But they are all apearing to hide in a way they didn't previously.

Pinch of food will get them out and at the surface very quickly. so don't appear ill.

 

[timmystood]

Well, you've just answered my next question! Are they still eating?! Platties don't usually give up food for anything unless they are ill.
I would just give them time and see if the situation improves. Try reducing the hours of lighting the tank is getting for a week or so. Also, go light on the food over the next few weeks until your Ammonia and Nitrite levels are back down.