Feeding Platy fish in the tank is quite an easy job as they are omnivores and will eat anything you give. But you may also find them searching for food here and there and eating everything that fits in its mouth. But what will they do if they find a dead fish body in the tank? Will they eat it? Do Platy Fish Eat Dead Fish? This is a question that many people ask themselves, and the answer isn’t always clear.
Yes! They are omnivores by nature and will eat from both sources of food – alive or dead. Platy fish do indeed eat dead fish, but not all of them will. That’s because there can be many reasons why they would decide to eat a dead fish instead of one live one.
Reasons may include hunger, eliminating parasites, or just boredom with their normal diet. Thus, you need to understand it more to decide what to do.
In this blog post, we will talk about this in detail. So, I recommend you to continue reading this till the last.
Do Platy Fish Eat Dead Fish?
Yes, platies will usually scavenge for dead or dying food sources in their environment. They’ll also nibble on healthy live plants like lettuce as a snack between meals. However, they will not specifically go out of their way to eat dead fish.
They are omnivores and will eat anything. This fish will eat dead food as long as it’s smaller than them (mini-dead fish).
But it is not always good for Platy fish to eat dead fish. The fish might have died due to other reasons and will transfer that disease to Platy fish.
Yes, it is quite common among many freshwater species including Catfish, Bettas, Angelfish, Platys, and Guppies.
These fish will eat the dead bodies of other fish to get rid of any parasites that they might have or if they are hungry.
They eat dead fish and this process is natural for all types of animals with teeth in the animal kingdom as well as those that don’t have such an attribute.
Reasons Why Platy Fish Eat Dead Fish
There are various reasons why platy fish eat dead or decaying fish. They may be hungry, to eliminate parasites and the risk for infection from their tank mates, or they could just have an instinct to hunt down food.
Hunger
Hunger is one reason why Platy fish eat dead or decaying fish. The lack of food in the tank could have made their stomachs empty and they go for anything that looks like a potential meal.
To Eliminate Parasites
To eliminate parasites is another reason why many Platy fish will chomp on dead or dying fry to remove any parasites from them, but this does not happen often.
Do Platies Eat Their Babies?
The mother platy will eat its fry if they are very small and have hatched for a day or two. But it does not happen often. It is not an intentional action rather a habit. Platy fish will eat anything within their reach that they can fit in their mouth.
Do Platy Fry Eat Dead Fish?
Yes, the fry will eat dead bodies of their own kind as well as others to eliminate parasites and for hunger or if there is a small population and not enough food. But all species are different. Some might not nip fins while others may bite other fish.
Do Platy Fish Nip Fins And Bite Other Fish?
No, they do not nip fins or bite other fish in general except one species which is L-numbers fry that is cannibalistic and tends to try eating any fry of their own kind. This behavior usually goes away when the fry are around six months old.
Should You Let Your Platy Fish Eat The Dead Fish?
It is not recommended to let your platy fish eat dead fish. It can cause them physical harm and lead to a variety of illnesses, especially when the dead fish has been left out for over 24 hours.
The reason why some people think they should feed their platys with dead fish is that the decaying flesh will release ammonia which will help their immune system.
It is a natural process involving plenty of species. While this might not be the most desirable behavior for humans to witness, they are doing what comes naturally. There’s no need to worry about their health or survival rate as these fish will be fine.
But sometimes the question of whether or not to let your Platy fish eat dead bodies might come up due to other factors like if they are lonely.
Some say no while others say yes. There are pros and cons to each answer. The one that seems most beneficial is letting your fish eat the dead ones as it will reduce waste and provide protein and other nutrients for them.
What Do Platies Eat?
There is a whole range of things they can feed on but it primarily depends on what type of habitat they live in for their food source and whether the area has any plant life such as weeds or plants. Your platies will even eat the algae growing inside the tank. If not then dead bodies of their own kind or other species are a good substitute.
Platy fish eats pellets, wafers, and other commercial foods as well. Also, you might find your platies munching betta food too.
What Does Platies Fry Eat?
Younger generations of these types of freshwater aquatic animals would most likely feed on living material such as small organisms in the water such as insects, algae, or other microscopic organisms that are living in the water.
The fry will generally feed on living material such as small organisms in the water such as insects, algae, or other microscopic creatures that are living in the water.
Do Platy Fish Eat Vegetables?
Yes, platy fish love to eat vegetables. Some common vegetables that platy fish enjoy are cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, and peas.
Platy fish are omnivores and love to eat both animal and vegetable matter. You can also feed them small pieces of meat like shrimp or liver paste too.
The best way is to use a floating plant as the main part of the diet for your pet such as water lettuce or duckweed.
A little bit of live food every now and then is a good way to keep your fish healthy, but it should not make up the main part of their diet as they need vegetables too.
Why Are All My Platy Fish Dying?
This is most likely because your tank’s water has been contaminated in some way and the fish cannot process it properly. Remove all of them, clean the tank with a mixture that will kill parasites, bacteria, and disease which should also help to eliminate any traces of existing toxins or pollutants, and then reintroduce the fish.
If you’ve recently added new plants that have been treated with chemicals or fertilizers, your platy fish may be dying. If not this is the case it might be that they’re overcrowded and you need a larger tank for them to live in.
Do Platy Fish Get Lonely?
Yes, they do get lonely but like mentioned before they are a social species of fish so it is best to keep them in groups or at least pairs if possible. If that’s not an option, you can buy something called “Platy Sleeves” which are like small tubes that will help create the feeling of being in a school.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if your platy fry is eating dead fish then it is a good thing because they’re getting the protein that’s needed to grow up big and strong. However, if they are picking on other tank mates or nipping fins then this behavior needs to be corrected for everyone in the community to live in harmony.
If you decide to let your platy fish eat the dead fish then make sure they are not a type of predatory fish like a piranha because this could potentially harm other tank mates. In addition, if there is an issue with overpopulation and starving them is out of the question then it may be best to let them eat the dead fish.