Platy fish are small, colorful freshwater fish that make great starter pets for new aquarists. They can be found in most pet stores and come in various colors, including orange, blue, white, yellow, and black. Platy fish are not too difficult to care for, but they have specific needs that you must meet before bringing them home! So, What Aquarium Equipment Are Necessary For Platy Fish?
You will need aquarium equipment like a heater, filter, aquarium light, air pump, gravel vacuum, and hood for your Platy fish. You will also need to buy substrate, decorations, and live plants.
The tank size for Platy fish should be around 20-gallon long with a narrow shape like hexagon or rectangle so they can swim easily. A heater is necessary, along with an aquarium thermometer that measures the temperature precisely. You must have gravel in your tank but do not use a substrate with sharp edges or rough surfaces. Instead, decorate your tank with gravel, driftwood, and live plants to make it look natural.
In this blog post, we will go over what aquarium equipment are necessary for Platy fish tanks, as well as some other considerations before starting your first tank.
What Aquarium Equipment Are Necessary For Platy Fish? Platy Fish Tank Must-Haves
When you bring home Platy fish, you need to make sure you have the proper equipment for them. Here is the aquarium equipment that is necessary for your Platy fish to thrive in captivity:
Tank Size:
The first thing you need to ensure is that your tank is properly sized for Platy fish.
A standard aquarium tank for a school of Platy fish is around 20 gallons or more with at least 15 inches of space in length and width combined.
Heater And Thermometer:
In addition to the tank size, you need a heater and thermometer for your Platy fish tank as well.
You will want to make sure the water stays between 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit as Platy fish can and die if exposed to cold water.
It’s important to have a heater and thermometer in the aquarium so you can keep track of water temperature. There are different types of heaters like under gravel, hang on back, or submersible.
Eheim Jager aquarium heater is the one I recommend to you.
Filter:
A filter is necessary to keep your fish safe and healthy. It also helps maintain the tank clean and clear of debris. There are different filters like HOB (hang on back), canister, or internal power filters for smaller tanks. Make sure you choose a durable filter that’s not too powerful not to stress your fish.
A filter of some kind is necessary for keeping the tank clean. You can use sponge filters or under gravel filters, but make sure that there is no backflow when it comes on, so Platy fish do not get sucked up in them.
Use Penn Plax Cascade 400 Submersible Aquarium Filter if you are struggling to find the right one for your Platy fish.
Aquarium Lights And Hoods:
In general, aquarium lighting is not necessary, but some people choose to have it on their tanks because they like its aesthetic look.
If you want to use lighting for your tank, make sure it is a fish-friendly LED light because normal lights can be too bright and possibly cause harm to Platy fish. You can use NICREW Single Channel LED Light Timer that you can buy online.
Platy fish like to eat and hide in live plants. They also need a light on their tank even if it is very dim, or you can use some aquarium plant grow bulb that will help promote the growth of the plant life inside your Platy Fish Tank.
Aquarium Decorations And Live Plants:
Platy fish love to swim and explore their surroundings.
Adding a few aquarium decorations like rocks, wood, or plastic plants will make your Platy Fish Tank look more aesthetically pleasing as well as provide hiding spots for your fish. You can also add silk or plastic plants if you wish but make sure they are sturdy enough so your Platy fish don’t easily eat the leaves.
Live plants in an aquarium are great for a Platy fish because they look nice and provide hiding spots and help with the Nitrogen cycle in aquariums, which is essentially keeping waste at bay.
Substrate:
You can choose to use gravel or sand as substrate, depending on what you like best.
If you use gravel, make sure it is not sharp and will not hurt your Platy fish if they also ingest it. Also, be mindful of the size because there are different sizes to choose from in terms of a substrate for aquariums.
Air Pump:
The last thing that’s necessary when setting up an aquarium is an air pump. This is necessary for the filter and keeping your tank healthy and aerated so Platy fish can breathe properly. The air pump will maintain the oxygen level in the tank.
An air pump and some tubing are beneficial in sick, injured, or dying platys. You can use them to get them up to the surface so they can breathe if needed.
Extra Things That May Come In Handy For Platy Fish
Some other things may come in handy when setting up a new aquarium, especially if you had never had one before or perhaps just bought a new tank.
Bucket:
A bucket is a must-have for any new fish owner as this can be used to transport water from the old aquarium to the new one, and make sure you do not spill it on your way! It will also come in handy when changing or cleaning your tank so that you have somewhere safe to put the fish when you need to pick up your aquarium.
Breeding Box:
You can use a breeding box for many purposes, but in this case, it will be necessary if you plan on keeping any baby or small Platy fish safe until they are bigger and ready to join the main tank again. A good tip is that if you decide to use a breeding box, make sure the gap is not too wide, as this can sometimes mean that your fish will swim out.
Bacteria Starters:
A bacteria starter consists of some gravel or substrate from an existing tank which contains beneficial ‘good’ bacteria and helps introduce them into your new aquarium quickly so that you do not have to wait for them to develop over time.
Dechlorinator:
A dechlorinator neutralizes chlorine and other harmful chemicals that may be present in your tap water. Chlorine is bad for fish if not removed or reduced before adding it into your tank. You can buy specific aquarium products specifically for this purpose, but regular household dechlorinator will do just fine.
Gravel Vacuum:
A gravel vacuum can be used for many purposes, but again is mainly useful when you need to clean the substrate in your aquarium. It works by sucking up any dirt or waste that may have settled on the bottom of your tank and has a compartment at the end where it collects this debris so that you do not have to remove it by hand.
Fish Net:
A fishnet is another essential that will come in handy if you plan on adding any new fish into your tank and need to catch them, or perhaps for catching a sick one you may need to take out of the main tank and treat elsewhere.
Test Kit:
It is important to buy a test kit so that you can keep an eye on the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate in your aquarium water. This will help ensure that your tank stays healthy for both you and your fish! In addition, you should always take out any uneaten food before it sinks to the bottom and begins to rot. If not removed, this can cause dangerous spikes in Ammonia levels which is harmful to your fish (and the beneficial bacteria in the tank).
Important Things To Keep In Mind Before Starting A Platy Fish Tank
There are a few important things to keep in mind before starting a Platy fish tank.
Tank Size
The first thing is the size of your aquarium. Platies are an active swimming species, so it’s best to have at least 20 gallons for one or two small males or females and 30-40 gallons for more than that. The filtration system should also be able to handle at least 50 gallons per hour.
Nitrogen Cycle
The next thing to consider is the nitrogen cycle. Aquarium ammonia poisoning can prove fatal to fish, and you need a stable nitrogen cycle for your tank.
This process needs to occur before adding fish, so you’ll need a water testing kit and dechlorinator to keep an eye on the cycling process.
The nitrogen cycle is the process by which ammonia and nitrite levels rise and then fall. It is an essential process for any aquarium because ammonia toxicity can kill your fish.
The aquarium nitrogen cycle starts with ammonia accumulating in the tank, where bacteria convert it into nitrite. There, different types of bacteria convert the nitrite into nitrate.
These beneficial bacteria also consume organic material as part of the breakdown process, so a cycled tank with established populations of these organisms will have lower ammonia and nitrite levels than a newly set up tank.
Changing Water
You’ll have to change the water every week, but be careful not to disturb the substrate.
The last thing you want is for your fish’s environment to stay dirty because this will cause health problems. Also, don’t forget that pregnant or baby platies are especially sensitive, so changing the water more often may be necessary if there are many babies.
FAQ:
Can I Keep A Single Platy Fish?
A single Platy fish will likely be lonely and bored since they’re a schooling species that needs company to stay happy and healthy. So some people keep them in odd numbers like three or five, but it can work with just one as long as you give it plenty of places to hide and things to do.
Do Platy Fish Need Tank Mates?
Platies are friendly, peaceful fish that can be kept together without problems as long as you keep them in groups with at least three or more platies per group. They will school together happily as well as breed if the conditions are right.
This depends largely on what type of tank you have. If your tank is quite large with plenty of space, then it is possible to keep Platy fish on their own. However, if they are kept in a smaller aquarium or community tank where there isn’t much room for each fish, they may become stressed and aggressive. This can result in injury or death, so always be careful when choosing who to keep Platy fish with.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of necessary things for your aquarium before you even get started! However, it is important to remember that what works well in one tank may not necessarily work so well in another due to different size requirements and types of fish.
It is important that you do your research and consults with an experienced aquarium specialist. If you’re not sure, it’s always better to be safe than sorry! There is plenty of beautiful Platy fish out there just waiting for the right home so make sure yours has everything they need before adding them.