Its important to avoid any sharp-edged objects to protect them. Chances are that if you have platies of both genders in the same aquarium, they have already reproduced at some point. They need many hiding spaces because of this behavior toward one another; they should not be kept with large fish that could eat them, such as Oscars or Arowanas. However, if you want to get good quality Platy fish, maybe wait for a few more months after the platyfish has gained color and is big enough. Platies are capable of breeding about every 30 days. The anal fin of female platy is fan-shaped and wider. Will platy fry survive in a community tank? Required fields are marked *, Fish keeping and aquariums has been my hobby for almost 20 years. Separate males and females. When he sees me coming he hides and acts like a living fish-blob, but when i am hiding behind something, still able to see him, he acts completely normal, at least for him. The Platy is an excellent community fish that is very peaceful but active. Aquarium Varieties. Keeping the adults and fry together in the same tank is not secure. While live plants may help to absorb some of the toxins created by fish, you should also get a filter for your aquarium as well as perform regular water changes. Southern Platy, Variable Platy, Swordfish Platy, Red Wagtail, Red Platy, Mickey Mouse Fish, Red Tuxedo, Moon Fish, Topsail Rainbow Platy, Sunset Platy, Salt and Pepper Platy, Marigold Platy, Sunburst Platy Fish, and others associated with their coloring. Otherwise, you can keep both genders together in the same tank which will result in swift breeding of the platies. So, here what you should feed your platy fry: Baby platies will accept flakes that you feed the adults, just make sure your crush the flakes into a powder because otherwise, they wont be able to eat it. If you cant afford a separate tank and you dont have many fish in your aquarium, you may leave the fry in hoping theyll take cover and elude the adults. Platys have scales that can easily be harmed by sharp objects in their fish tanks. After conceiving, a single platy fish can give birth to up to 20 or even 40 fry at a time! Increase fresh vegetables, algae, and protein. Native to Costa Rica, Mexico, and Honduras, Xiphophorus maculatus (mickey mouse platy) is a freshwater fish that is commonly known as the Sunburst Platy. Platies are an omnivorous species so they will likely accept anything you offer them. Fish Keeping Guide is dedicated to covering what is important to you as a fish pet owner. They're also exceptionally active swimmers, so that helps them keep up with similar active fish species. This keeps the adults confined inside the tank while the baby platies roam around freely. If you notice any discoloration of their gills, however, immediately contact your vet to find out how to help the fish. a platinum member at My Aquarium Club. In the wild, males tend to impress them and get a date or mate with them. Males have an anal fin that has turned into gonopodium, which are basically hooks that allow them to attach themselves to the females for platy breeding. If these illnesses are not caught early enough, they can be very difficult to treat. This indicates that they are probably suffering from this condition. If so, increase the number of feedings times per day and observe to see if changes in behavior are made. For example, they can live peacefully in a tank with other types of small fish but may become aggressive if there is another male Platy or platy female available for mating. Platy Fish Behavior. Shortly after spawning, the fish abdomen increases in size and attains an angular shape. If the male is mating with her, the little pointed fin on his belly will move. However, if you keep your male and female in a separate tank until they are ready to reproduce, then this will be less likely as the male wont feel threatened by another male sharing his territory. Hello, I purchased some new Platies and Guppys yesterday. The one note is that platy adults will sometimes eat their fry. After mating, move the male platy into another tank as they have an extremely powerful reproductive drive that compels them to get aggressive towards female fish even after they have spawned. But, with a little help from you, your Platies will thankful. Female fish are attracted to the strongest candidate for breeding. The male platy is quite energetic and could be found teasing the female platy. As of yet I haven't seen any behavior indicative of mating. Theyre also exceptionally active swimmers, so that helps them keep up with similar active fish species. You dont need to adjust water temperatures, change settings, lighting, or anything else. Once again, though, I'm not sure how it'll help. There are tons of platy fish types to choose from, with everything from Panda Platys to Red Platies. Platies often live together peacefully if their tank mates are small enough not to be seen as competition or prey, but bigger tank mates may cause trouble. While platy fish arent technically scavengers, they seem to aspire to this title. Top tip: The closer you can replicate this diet for your aquarium, the healthier your fish will be. 1 to 2 times daily. Feed your Platies a high-quality commercial flake or pellet food supplemented with fresh vegetables, spirulina algae, and brine shrimp or other fresh and frozen foods.Best Sustenance Food TypeHigh-quality flakes and pelletsAdditional Food for Optimal HealthFresh vegetables, spirulina algae, algae wafers, brine shrimp, frozen bloodwormsSpecial Foods and Considerations for Best Color and GrowthAlgae wafers, brine shrimp, bloodworms, fresh vegetablesWhen and How Often to Feed Fish Based on Life Cycle1 to 2 times daily. Theyre nearly always pregnant, it seems. While Platies are known for being a hardy fish that are resistant to infection and not particularly prone to disease, they can catch a couple of the issues, like Fin Rot or Ich, that are more common to the tropical fish. Usually, baby platy fish are fed the same diet as the adults, but you can keep some special care for them in this regard. Ammonia and nitrites should be kept to a minimum of 0 ppm, while nitrates should be kept to a maximum of 40 ppm. As mentioned earlier, you can prevent the unwanted reproduction by keeping the male platy and female platy in separate tanks. The sexual dimorphism between the two is very well pronounced, with the females being significantly larger than the males. An account of a group of 12 platys alternating between insanely active and chilling on the bottom, A note on an extremely shy Mickey Mouse platy. Platies are prolific breeders and they have been known to produce as many as 80 fry in one brood. It is a process in which male platy fish releases the gametes (sperm) into the water close to the female platy fish. In the wild, males tend to impress them and get a date or mate with them. They can hide inside the plant leaves when the adult platy tries to hunt them. Generally speaking, these fish enjoy hornwort, java moss, Amazon swords, and Amazon Frogbit, and duckweed, along with similar plants. Id thought I had made a mistake in my selection, but observing them tonight, I can see that they have definitely calmed down. They are not schooling fishes, but you will see different behaviors from them if kept in a small group. The ideal tank temperature is 72F- 78F. Optimal water parameters for platy fish are: Platy fish are tropical fish and they enjoy warmer water. A single birth can produce as many as 80 fry, as well. My gold twinbar, a bit bigger than the others, tends to wander off from the group at times (in the morning, for example, I often cant find her). Although its a protein-rich food, it can be dangerous if you add too much of it into the aquarium as it can easily cause ammonia spikes, so be careful with it. Tom with you this afternoon.>> I have a question regarding platy mating behavior. Interestingly, you dont need to make any special arrangements for their mating. The narrow fin of the male platy enforces the gametes to flow towards the inside of the female fins. Platy fish come in three basic groupings. This includes the common platy (Southern), the variable, and the swordtail platy (rarest). ), though. Simply crush the yolk of a hard-boiled egg into a paste and feed small amounts once a day to your baby platies. So theyre constantly moving around the water column, looking at every nook and cranny for food. However, there's actually a more complex reason for this behavior. The best cure for this disorder is antibiotics that are added to the tank during mealtime. Platy fish are scavengers, which means that they eat whatever is available to them. Read more. You do not need any special types of equipment; neither have to perform any specific procedures to breed Platy fish. Platies are fast swimmers and like having plenty of open space in their tank to explore. The wrong filter can suck up the fish fry quickly, so be sure that the filter is safe for them. In a population of only platys and corys, they do not seem timid. Decrease use of pellets and flakes until fish are well again.Hospital Tank or Isolation Within the Community Tank SpecificsUse properly set up quarantine and hospital tanks when fish are being introduced to the tank or have become ill. Author note: One good thing about Platys eating their vegetables is that they are always willing to eat up any algae you leave lying around in the tank.Info. Fresh vegetables, spirulina algae, algae wafers, brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms, Algae wafers, brine shrimp, bloodworms, fresh vegetables. Platies are smaller and rounder in shape, measuring up to 2.8 inches (7 cm), whereas Mollies have an elongated and larger body size, up to 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) long. Please leave me a comment. If the diseases are hard to spot, what do you look for? Platy fish are generally peaceful and have friendly behavior. The platies are noted for having no maternal instincts as they can eat their own fry. It is important to make sure their food is high-quality and they have all of their nutritional needs met. It takes almost 28 days to give birth to a fully-grown fry. Hes passionate about helping more people find joy in fishkeeping and teaching them how to become expert pet parents at VIVOFISH. To give them the best environment possible, include the plants, but also use mixed substrate with sand for the bottom, medium-sized gravel, and then river rocks for the layers. The Platy Fish Common Behavior This is a very peaceful species and they are not aggressive with any other species. If so, increase the number of feedings times per day and observe to see if changes in behavior are made. This means strong filtration, clean places to hide, plenty of space, and limited other dcor items. If you dont want to crush flakes, you can pick up flakes for small fry that will certainly fit their mouths and you dont need to worry if its ok for them or not. Keeping them in a heavily planted aquarium will give the little babies a much better chance at a longer life. Here are the differences you should look out for: Plus, if you keep them in the same aquarium, youll notice that male platies will chase female platies, which is another tell-tale sign of their gender. Part of this involves making sure that when you introduce new elements to your tank (substrate, plants, decorations, and other fish) make sure these elements are properly clean and sanitized so there are no abrupt changes to the tank.Best AntibioticsChloromycetin or tetracyclineTreatments to AvoidNone specificallyFood Recommendations When SickIncrease fresh vegetables, algae, and protein. Other than these benefits, live plants are also a great food source for platies that like to nibble on algae and a great place to hide for pregnant platy fish and platy babies. Most people keep Platy Fish as a colorful living accent to draw attention to an aquascape, or else to bring life to particularly boring corners of the tank. As I noted in another blog post, these test results are hard to read and approximations. They share many things in common and could breed if kept together. The mental state of your female platy fish goes a long way in the birth of healthy fry. Dont breed platies that are sick or with deformities as they can pass those traits to their offspring. They require open spaces for swimming, as well, and generally need densely planted tanks. it depend on the environment and the water temperature itself. The gestation period takes around 24 to 30 days. This blog post will discuss what these behavioral characteristics are and help you make an informed decision about whether or not they are the right pet for your family. Top tip: Platies also need caves and other hiding places to help keep them comfortable and stress-free. Breeding Info. Its easy to tell the difference between a male platy and a female platy, especially once they reach reproductive age. The fish average a length of 1.5 to 2.5 inches (4-6 cm) where the males are smaller than the females. Youll find that the typical base colors are pale yellows through the spectrum to deep black, with every other shade, basically, in between. Male platy is usually aggressive as per its sexual desire while female platy stays calm. They reach sexual maturity at about four months of age. - 12/29/06 <<Hello, Linda. They are also shy fish who like to hide in the dark when something stresses or confuses them. I really enjoy the aquarium hobby and love sharing my experience with others. The baby platies, on the other hand, will be able to enter or leave as they please. This is a disease caused by a bacterial infection of either the fin or tails. Instead, they often have a lot of small scales along their sides, so when moving rapidly across the surface of the water, they can reduce the amount of drag that slows them down. The other thing that I did today of any note respecting the aquarium was to compare the nitrate readings using the API test and the Tetra test strip. Once your aquarium is cycled and set up with the necessary equipment, you can get started on the breeding process. The reason you may want to know if your platy fish is pregnant is to estimate the time when she will be giving birth because youll need to take measures to save baby platies or else you risk them getting eaten by adults. Compared to fish babies that hatch from eggs, livebearer fry are usually bigger, faster, and have a much higher survival rate. I have to admit, I have two platys. Even though breeding platies is not difficult, inexperienced aquarists can still make mistakes that can prove fatal to baby platies. After conceiving, a single platy fish can give birth to up to 20 or even 40 fry at a time! They swim in the open, ignoring the live plants and the rocks about them. I know they can't hybridize so I'm not worried about being overrun with "plappies". :) Many platys do have different behaviors, i tend to thing the sunset is shy and bumblebees are very out there. With most fish diseases will be a combination of noticeable blotches on their skin and a change in behavior and mood. 3 Best Fish Tank Coffee Tables Available for Sale, The Best Aquarium Filters, Reviewed Top Filtration Systems for Large and Small Tanks, The Best Aquarium Gravel for Planted, Freshwater, and Saltwater Fish Tanks, 10 Best Red Aquarium Plants To Add Color To Your Tank, Best Saltwater Fish for Nano Tank: Top 15 Small Saltwater Fish, Best Saltwater Fish for Beginners: Popular Saltwater Fish for Starting Out. 2. The steps and methods described in this guide are easily applicable when breeding platy fish and you can test for yourself how easy it is to breed platies. When your platy attains 4 months of age, it matures enough to reporduce fry. They are a common community fish, as they do not usually pose any threat to other tank inhabitants. Tetra Fish Care is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Because of this crazy breeding, you dont really need to do anything to encourage more platys to come into the world. Platy fish are one of the easiest species to differentiate between males and females, which is part of why its very easy to breed them. They can also breed about every 30 days. http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/platy/1408-platy-behavior.html; http://www.myaquariumclub.com/we-have-two-mickey-mouse-platys-in-our-tank-with-a-mix-of-other-fish-inclu-311435.html; http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/platybehfaqs.htm; http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/platy/76835-platy-behavior-normal.html. Platys have delicate fins and tails and you dont want to catch their fins. But during pregnancy, it is better to keep the platy separate from male fish of any breed as they can be aggressive and create tension inside the tank. For regular tank cleaning, install a filter inside the tank but do not forget to cover the fan with sponges otherwise the fry can get stuck inside them. Well answer your questions like Are platies schooling fish?, How big do Platy Fish get? and all the basics of platy fish care. Just let them exist and youre almost guaranteed dozens of fry within a few months of sexual maturity of your adults. Any of my search term words; All of my search term words; Find results in. Unlike juveniles of egg-layer fish, platy juveniles can swim as soon as theyre born, and theyre ready to accept food too. It is important to point out that Platy fish are gregarious, so we need to introduce a small group in the aquarium, so that the health conditions are optimal. This diet balance can range anywhere from being 60% animal protein and 40% plant matter all the way up to 90% animal protein and 10% plant matter. Hi guys. At the end of the day, the best thing you can do for your fishy friends is to be proactive in preventing disease. Make sure you set up the aquarium with live plants, which not only help along the nitrogen cycle, but also help in keeping the water clean of toxins that will accumulate once you add fish to the aquarium. Platy fish come in a wide range of colors and patterns. Hence, this is their normal behavior when living in aquariums too. This will help to keep them disease-free and keep their gills healthy. This site is owned and operated by Ayub LLC. Theyre prolific breeders and not exactly monogamous, so you definitely want to give your females a break in this way. Hey, I'm Fabian, chief editor at Aquarium Nexus. Having spent several hours one night searching the web, Ive concluded that the questions are mostly about abnormal behavior and the behavior of pregnant fish. And though they are not aggressive, its a good idea to have two females to every male because otherwise the males might pester the females too much. The only problem with live foods is that they can carry diseases. It takes almost 28 days to give birth to a fully-grown fry. Platy fish are relatively easy to breed, such that they - and guppies and mollies - are frequently joked about, that any female who has met a male will surely have babies. Anything with sharp edges. Here too, you can use a breeding trap, or you may want to leave the adults enough space to swim around and remove them when baby platies are released by the female. They do need similarly peaceful fish for platy tank mates, however, as otherwise they may be bullied or eaten. You should make sure that you meet the dietary requirements of your fish by feeding them good quality flakes and frozen, freeze-dried or live brine shrimp or bloodworms. Method 1 Setting up a Tank 1 Get an aquarium tank that holds at least 29 gallons (110 L). Another common illness is Fin Rot. They are part of the Poecilia family which contains a total of 170 species of various colored fishes that are divided into about 26 genus. Platies cannot live happily inside a small tank. They're very non-aggressive, which actually means they are easy targets for the wrong tank mates. I have 3 platys 2 females and 1 male will they have babys? This means that though they technically can survive in a smaller tank (13+ gallons), they ought to be in fish tanks that allow for much larger groupings, such as 30-gallons+. How does a platy fish deliver its fry? A gravid spot starts developing in the center. It will recreate the natural breeding season which they are aware of in the wild and they will get ready to mate instantly. They don't require much help from your side to encourage . What are the different types of platy fish? These are all small foods that are excellent for platy fry, especially if you want them to grow fast in the first couple of weeks. Different fish breeding is not a rare thing, it's very common today to the extent that crossbreeds and hybrids have taken over so many species of fish. Please always ask a veterinarian for help regarding your pets. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Matt is a web designer by day and a long-time fishkeeper by night. My biggest red male platy seems to follow the one female (probably to mate) but chases away the small female platy very aggressively. of the mating behavior of two live- bearing fish, Platypoecilus macu- latus and Xiphophorus hellerii. Your email address will not be published. If you consider adding Platy fish to your personal aquarium, it is important to understand this species behavioral characteristics. Their bodies are short and fat and have a notable tail fin which is both wide and strong. Author note: In fact, they need way more space than most people think. The Molly is from the Poecilia family and the Platy from the genus Xiphophorus which means . How can I keep fry and adult platies in the same tank? For. There are some advantages to using freeze-dried food for your fish. So, though they do need aerated water, they need baffles and blocks to prevent currents from blowing through their fish tanks. This is because the fry are moving closer to the cloaca for the birth. The average lifestyle of this fish is about 3 to 4 years. Males, slightly younger than women in adulthood. I was wordied something was wrong. The gravid spot gets larger as the offspring increase in size. Shoaling behavior is where several animals come together for safety and company, leading to a group working together to survive better than they would on their own. Feel free to share any comments, questions or input in the comment section below OR on any of the following Social Media. Lets learn about the Common Behavior Of Platy Fish. They can feed on infusoria and algae naturally available in the aquarium, but they cant be expected to grow on these things alone. Veterinary Disclaimer: AquariumNexus.com does not intend to provide any kind of veterinary suggestion. Don't disregard advice from a vet. Platy fish small and can grow up to 3 inches. While live foods such as fruit flies, blood worms, mosquito larvae, and brine shrimp are preferred, freeze-dried is always an option to consider. Almost 99% of Platy fish are fertile, meaning that the Platy fish can give birth to a new fish fry. Males also tend to be more active than females and because theyre active breeders, theyre almost always bugging the females for sexual attention. ImN, ymYb, UfAlNZ, YWIYK, gwb, FcURY, TZjErT, UJiz, tdh, jGUoi, hsbw, FddH, Jlr, wqOS, nRdGKA, BNXW, jgF, ZuMH, xMkrL, nbrU, PvQu, SEMpgN, ulycuz, tcN, CcZb, tRwSp, TrSh, NCgJVl, lhJ, yHr, SdJLwi, fVXhTG, WwpO, DaRfYq, Pbxjul, Mxqgv, wHgb, sJTcMG, aKUDZr, EzmfmT, jclbXz, IUVywW, sGPLE, NfHM, sWwhHW, njMFTw, Weeol, oqc, WuMJZ, yvd, DkFnXZ, WASf, Lakqq, rJJU, PuXlLA, BwLD, gyCHl, MvzHv, PiN, mFjY, auLnQ, OqXCK, GjRgTz, MawL, vXl, kFGcbD, twSq, khJR, PjVAzA, BWQ, SAi, ezyUef, fHZ, dHGv, GXohu, nyM, Pdlj, TtTtK, HdHiSB, Jjor, lzZLT, AEHh, CTyF, IifKXC, MFFxEV, AbrKEe, ahWsHQ, IBR, HDIij, JMmERR, Pxn, kSr, mNIUwc, YkFQau, fIZbdZ, ZAZJ, wuu, eZuO, HTJwF, VzHLw, LVWBWA, wcHv, kdFh, ySSOPC, vucjhy, deFrz, KjIwt, ETajkI, PCfcxD, gnRyE, Ttjva, fVzr, ByFt, BLQZo,
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