Platy

[Jazzzz]

would his agression to his brother be cured a bit if I introduced another male or female as there are only the two of them and the big one chases the other one and is majorly stressing it i believe

 

[three-fingers]

If you added another male it may help 'dilute' the aggression, but if you added another female the attention of both males would be turned to her and she would be under stress then.

Try adding another male, or failing that, enough females so there's more of them than males.

 

[puppyjess123]

Try a ratio of 2-4 females per male that will distract them lol.

 

[Jazzzz]

I don't have room

 

[Nick16]

well you are stuck, get more females!!!

 

[Jazzzz]

I rescuesd the pair of males from a tiolet death they are in a 26L heavily planted with air stone and filter? A fluval 1

Can I even fit anyone else in?

 

[jonnyf84]

if you can't keep more than 5 then only keep females together, they much prefer each others company. Platies aren't shoaling fish but they do enjoy there own company, four females to one male, but unless you actually want to breed i would give the males a miss all together as they harass both females and other males. In my opinion 27 litres is enough to keep more than 2 platies and 2 apple snails, platies are pretty good at cleaning up mess so you could remove the snails and place another 4 platies in there. If you do this i would recommend upgading your filter to a fluval 2 or fluval 2 plus. Besides, platies seem to enjoy a strong water flow as long as you direct it to one side.

 

[Jazzzz]

if you can't keep more than 5 then only keep females together, they much prefer each others company. Platies aren't shoaling fish but they do enjoy there own company, four females to one male, but unless you actually want to breed i would give the males a miss all together as they harass both females and other males.

I didn't buy them i rescued the chaps so do i add females or males or am i stocked help please

 

[jonnyf84]

your lfs should happily take the males off you as long as they are in good shape, they may even give you store credit so you can change to females, i wouldn't say you are over stocked. All females is deffinately the way to go if you don't want to breed.

 

[Jazzzz]

your lfs should happily take the males off you as long as they are in good shape, they may even give you store credit so you can change to females, i wouldn't say you are over stocked. All females is deffinately the way to go if you don't want to breed.

unfortunatly they are not and local stores won't take livebearers

 

[jonnyf84]

that suprises me. What is wrong with them if you don't mind me asking? Is it just that they don't get along? Try different lfs's as i have never had this problem before and i've kept platies for years and years. f they are unhealthy because they are nipping each other seperate them asap, if you can't find a tank elsewhere just buy a peace of perpex (£5 max) cut it to size, sand it and seperate the tank, alternativley take out the apple snails and add 4 females (don't do the if the males health is poor due to disease).

 

[Jazzzz]

that suprises me. What is wrong with them if you don't mind me asking? Is it just that they don't get along? Try different lfs's as i have never had this problem before and i've kept platies for years and years. f they are unhealthy because they are nipping each other seperate them asap, if you can't find a tank elsewhere just buy a peace of perpex (£5 max) cut it to size, sand it and seperate the tank, alternativley take out the apple snails and add 4 females (don't do the if the males health is poor due to disease).

one male is all thin and just feeble the other is strong. with the snails out could I fit 4 females in? Is the rule 1 inch of fish per gallon.

Thanks

 

[jonnyf84]

ok you clearly have a dominant fish,they need to be seperated asap. Don't take that rule to seriously, it depends on a lot things, what filtration do you use? how often do you do a gravel clean and water changes (what %)?

 

[Jazzzz]

ok you clearly have a dominant fish,they need to be seperated asap. Don't take that rule to seriously, it depends on a lot things, what filtration do you use? how often do you do a gravel clean and water changes (what %)?

weekly water changes 10%. Gravel vac every 2 weeks unless i see poo.
Fluval 1 filter, + airstone
small cave 3 live plants 2 fake plants. large for the tank bogwood.

could I just add females for the dominant to chase so the other male can grow

 

[discuslover]

Try a ratio of 2-4 females per male that will distract them lol.

Hya ive kept livebearers for many years including platies and always i keep a ratio to three females to one male and i have always found in doing so the females dont sucum to too much stress as the male attention is very much spread out.