Platy issues

[diznbean]

Hi all, newbie here.
I have a relatively new tank, am in the process of cycling (although the tank is doing very well, and according to all my test kits the tank is stable).

I bought seven platies. Two males, five females.

Came home two nights ago to one male dead, at bottom of tank. No visible illness. Just dead. Had been OK that AM. Next night, the other male dead, and again, no apparent cause.

Day three, voila - platy babies. This is a large tank (75 gallons US) and the five females are the only fish in there now. It's planted with live plants and lots of cover. I'd like to try to let the fry fend for themselves in there. Has anyone had success doing this?

Also, could the pregnant female(s) have killed the males?

No more dead fish now that the males are gone.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hi and welome to TFF , need some more info first ,
How long has the tank been set up and do you use dechlorinator and how regualy do you clean your tank filter out if at all?
Have you had any other fish die recently and what other fish do you have currently living with your platys if any?
Do you know your recent ammonia, nitrate and nitrite stats?
Did the platys that died show any strange symtoms or behavior before death?

 

[diznbean]

Thanks for the reply.
There are no other fish in the tank. These are my first fish to the tank, bought hardy ones to help "cycle" the tank. The tank is almost a month old. No strange behavior noted. Test kits are reading nil for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite are low, so I believe the tank is stable now, and has cycled. We've done partial water changes, our water doesn't have any additives like chlorine because we are in the middle of nowhere and have well water. The ph is hovering around 7 or just below. We have used bacterial "starter" liquid to help establish the bacterial colonies.

I have an external eheim filter, and have changed the white mechanical filter twice.
The girls seem fine still.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How "low" are your nitrites? as long as nitrites are still apparent in the water, the tank is still cycling, its not uncommon to have the odd fish die when you cycle a tank with fish and it is most likely your male platys died of this- the males dying and not the females dying was very likely just coincedence.
As for the fry it may be worth getting them some fry foods like "first bites" by hikari or TetraMinfry to start them off on a healthy easy to eat diet, if the planting is good in the tank they may be able to hide from the adult fish trying to eat them but this method is quite risky as it doesn't secure them a safe survival- you can buy a breeding net if you like and put them in it and this will protect them from other fish until they are a suitable size and can be released back into te main tank when they are bigger enough not to fit into other fish's mouths .