You need to know that Platy Fish is a great fish for beginners. The Platy fish is a popular pet due to its small size and ease of taking care of. However, there are many things you need to know about the platy before you get it! They don’t lay eggs, they reproduce quickly, and they aren’t fussy eaters. Male Platy Fish can be bullies at times, but it’s nothing that you can’t handle! If you have an aquarium with other fish in it, then the platies will do well too!
For anyone just starting to keep freshwater fish, this article will provide some information about Platy fish you need to know. Of course, this article does not cover all aspects of keeping these incredible animals alive and healthy, but it should give newbie aquarists a good start to what they need to know before getting their first platy!
Where Are Platy Fish From?
Platy fish come from Central America in the countries of Panama and Costa Rica. These fish are originally from Mexico but have been introduced to other countries worldwide.
Platy fish aren’t fussy eaters; they will pretty much eat anything you can put into their tank. They are bottom feeders, but they also have a natural ability to eat off the surface, so you don’t need to worry about finding different types of food.
Platy fish reproduce like crazy, which can be both good and bad. Good because it means that your tank will not go without them for too long if some die-off, but bad because they can quickly overcrowd your tank.
Male Platy fish is a bit of a bully, which is why it’s good to have more than one in the same aquarium, so there is no fighting for dominance.
Platies Have Short Lifespan
Many people have the misconception that they can keep platies for a very long time. In fact, the opposite is true, and they have short lifespans because their bodies are not made to survive in captivity.
They only live up to about two or three years at maximum when kept in aquariums which can be quite shocking if you ask beginners who try to purchase them.
Platy Fish Are Livebearers
These fish are live-bearing, so all fry will need to be removed for the mother’s health not to become compromised. However, they can give birth until they die, usually when their lifespan reaches one year old or less.
Platy fish give birth to live young in the wild. Thus, they are livebearers, like guppies, mollies, swordtails, and many other species.
Platy Fish Are Easy To Take Care Of
These fish are not fussy eaters, easy to take care of and come in a wide range of different colors. They are also safe with other species as long as the tank is well established for at least six weeks or more before they’re introduced into it.
Platy Fish Are Very Hardy And Easy To Breed.
They are very hardy and can adapt quickly, so it’s best to introduce new fish slowly without shocking them.
You should know that they don’t lay eggs. Instead, they give birth to live fry, and the number of young a female can have at one time is up to 300, so it’s clear how fast their population in an aquarium can increase.
Also, it only takes them about two weeks from conception for the fry to be born, which is why they are straightforward to breed.
Platy Fish Reproduce Like Crazy
The platies population in an aquarium can increase exponentially fast because of how easily they reproduce. Still, you must keep the tank size appropriate for your fish, or else the population will grow out of control and cause problems.
Platy fish do well with other livebearers, and platies can be housed in various community aquarium setups. Still, because they are so active, you should avoid housing them with slow-moving or long-finned types of fish.
Platy Fish Aren’t Fussy Eaters.
What they have to eat depends on what you feed them and where you are located as they vary diet based on climate. Platy fish will even happily eat mosquito larvae if you give them properly.
As you know, Platy fish do well with other livebearers, and you can house platies in various community aquarium setups. Still, because they are so active, you should avoid housing them with slow-moving or long-finned types of fish.
Platy Fish Are Great For Beginners
These little fish can be great for beginner aquarists because they’re fairly easy to care for, inexpensive, and are not picky eaters.
In addition, they are beginners fish because they can live in most water conditions and temperatures, which makes them a great choice for someone who doesn’t own an aquarium yet but wants one.
The platy is a great beginner’s livebearer, and it doesn’t require any special equipment to keep them healthy. They are easy to breed and keep alive as long as you provide them with a proper environment.
Platies are the “starter” fish for aquariums. This is because they are easy to take care of and will eat a wide variety of foods.
These small fish are not fussy eaters and will allow the beginner to experiment with different foods for your water garden or tank on a budget. They do well when placed with other species of livebearers that get along but be sure they are all equal in size.
Platy Fish Do Well With Other Fish
Platy fish can live with other fish of similar size and temperament. However, as they are peaceful community-type fish, it is best not to keep them with any aggressive or fin nipping types of fish that may harm their fins.
You can keep them together as they will not fight for territory if two females or more live in the same container. However, there is no guarantee that Platy fish won’t bully each other. So make sure that you recognize the bullying behavior and separate them.
Do Platies Like Roommates?
Platy fish do well with other types of tank mates, and they don’t really mind sharing. They are not picky eaters, so keep that in mind when you go shopping for food. Also, keep an eye out for how much your Platies are eating because if there are too many, it might cause issues later on.
There isn’t really anything special you need to do when adding new fish to your aquarium that you haven’t already done before. You don’t need to do any special acclimation or quarantine process because of their hardiness and ability to adapt quickly.
They are not picky eaters and will also feed on veggies and dried foods, but make sure that you don’t overfeed them or underfeed them either because this can cause many health problems.
Male Platy Fish Are A Bit Of A Bully
If you have lots of males in your aquarium, they may fight with one another and show aggression towards their female counterparts.
Males who are not kept in a group will often display more feminine traits because they are genetically programmed to become more female.
Platy Fish Vary In Size And Color
Platy Fish are popular because they come in a variety of colors and have different sizes. The smallest one is about an inch long, and the biggest ones reach up to three inches. Some Platies can grow bigger depending on how well you take care of them, what kind of feed you give them.
Platy Fish Eat Their Babies
Yes, they eat their babies, but only if there is a lack of food available in the aquarium or tank. However, this doesn’t mean that you should not provide enough food to these fish. You need to know that Platy fish will start looking for other food sources like their own babies.
When there is not enough space in the aquarium, Platies will eat their own fry (babies). This is why it’s best to have at least 20 gallons for a few of these fish.
Platy Fish Can Mate With Some Livebearers
When two types of livebearers mate, they produce offspring who can also reproduce right off the bat. This is why Platies are often crossbred with Guppies to produce more variations of this species, like the GloFish and the Dalmatian molly.
Platy Fish Like Planted Aquarium
Platies are deficient maintenance and will work well in a planted aquarium. In addition, they often eat algae, which is great for keeping the tank clean of excess debris and uneaten food.
Are Platy Fish Genetically Inclined To Any Diseases?
Well, they are prone to ich. This parasite can attack fish’s skin and cause ick disease, which is highly contagious. To prevent this from happening, you need to resist buying sickly-looking platy fishes as they may already be infected with it. If your pet gets affected by this infection, make sure you put it in a separate tank and treat it with some ich medication.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important that you know to have a planted aquarium to keep Platy fish. In general, these fish get along well with other types of fish. But there may be some cases where they don’t. The biggest issue with these fish is their babies-eating habit. So you should definitely keep them in mind when owning them and planning to breed them.
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