What should I get?

[freshy]

Hello,
I wonder if someone can help me decide what to buy next, here's the story:

I have 3 guppys, 3 whiteskirt tetras and 2 platys. My tank is 10 gall. (40 lt)
When I got my platys I was aware of male-female ratio but I mistook a male platy for a female (they were small when I bought them), so I ended up (unintentionally) with 2 boys and just 1 girl. My platy girl just died from what appeared to be a tumor and I'm left now with the 2 platy boys. One of them has always been sort of a bully towards the other, but romancing the girl kept him occupied. Now that she's gone his bulling has increased a bit.

I really like platys and I certainly would like to get a substitute for my late platy girl but, before getting any fish I would like to get some advice on what would be better:
Option a): 2 girls, so Mr. bully can get distracted and leave the other one at peace? or
Option b ): 2 other boys, so they won't have a female to fight over? In this latter case I'm a bit worried all the male platys would gang up on the little one.

Any ideas? Advice?
Thanks in advance

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I would advise more males if you are keeping your current 2 as you'll need at least 4 females to make the genders balanced if you go for females as the minimum mixed gender ratio for platys like most other livebearers is 2females per 1male and this would make your tank overstocked.
I would personally rehome the bully male and get 2 female platys or 2male platys in his place as when most fish become bullys there is little you can do to stop their ways and a 10gallon tank doesn't offer much space to retreat to for any fish that getting picked on.
If you get female platys in the place of the bully male platy though you will have to prepare yourself for fry and buy a fry tank(preferably 10gallons) as your current tank doesn't have enough space to raise any fry.

 

[cybergoldfish]

If I were you I'd add 2 females. Adding more males into a relatively small tank doesn't seem to be a recipe for long term happiness (though admittadly I haven't kept platies). On the other hand that does look like an already well (if not over) stocked tank. If you do get more fish, make sure that they don't start fighting (okay, fighting more). Also increase your frequency of water changes, that should help. If the fish don't look happy, then consider setting up another tank for the platies.

Edit: Ah a cleverer person has already responded