The Platy fish is a freshwater fish that is native to South America. They are often kept in aquariums and tanks in homes all around the world. The number one question we receive from people who have Platy fish and they’re not eating is “why?”.
Platy fish who are not eating for a period of time can have many different reasons behind it such s pregnancy, constipation, bad water parameters, large food size, diseases, and infections, overfeeding, etc.
This article will talk about the top seven reasons why your Platy fish is not eating and how to encourage them to eat on their own again.
So we will help you figure out why your Platy Fish is not eating with this blog post!
Reasons Why Platy Fish Are Not Eating
Platy fish are easy to care for and feed. But sometimes, owners complain that their Platy fish are not eating. There are reasons for that, and this article will try to discuss them in detail.
Platy Fish Pregnancy
One of the most common reasons a female Platy fish refuses to eat is because she’s pregnant! Unfortunately, it can be hard to determine whether your female Platy fish has been impregnated or not. So if you suspect that your Platy fish is pregnant, there are some things you can do to check it out yourself.
Constipation And Digestive Issues
Platy fish may stop eating due to constipation and digestive issues. A female Platy fish will also be less inclined to eat after giving birth to a large litter of fry. However, this is a common behavior among all species, and it should not cause any concern if your Platy fish doesn’t eat for a couple of days after birth.
Bad Water Parameters
Water parameters are also an important factor in determining why a female Platy fish is refusing to eat. Make sure that the temperature of the water is stable at around 75°F. Keep the pH level between seven and eight to avoid digestive issues with your female Platy fish.
New Environment
It can take a while for a new environment to “feel homely” for your Platy fish, which might cause stress or anxiety that leads them not to want to eat properly. Therefore, you may want to put your Platy fish in a tank by themselves for two to three weeks before adding other species. This way, they will be able to get comfortable with their new environment.
Bullying And Stress
If you have another more aggressive or larger type of fish in the same tank as your female Platy fish, she may be refusing to eat because the other fish are bullying her. You can solve this problem by secluding your female Platy fish in another tank or putting her with other submissive species that won’t bully her around.
Wrong Type Of Food
Your Platy fish may also refuse to eat if you’re feeding them the wrong type of food. Ensure that you’re only giving your Platy fish fresh and nutritious food, likes live or frozen brine shrimp. If you don’t feel comfortable feeding live animals to your fish, then high-quality freeze-dried flakes will work just fine!
Food Is Too Large
There are some cases where a female Platy fish can refuse to eat because the food you’re offering is too large for her to swallow. Try breaking the food into smaller pieces, or use a pair of tweezers to gently pick up the smallest crumbs left over after feeding your fish.
Diseases And Infections
If your female Platy fish has any disease or infection, she might not want to eat. You can tell if your Platy fish has an infection or disease by checking the color of their scales, gills, and eyes for any discoloration. If you notice anything unusual on these body parts, then take your female Platy fish to a pet store that carries aquarium supplies so they can check her out.
Overfeeding
Your female Platy fish might also stop eating if you’re overfeeding them! Make sure that the amount of food you give your fish is enough to make a dent in their appetite, but not so much that they won’t eat within an hour. It would help if you fed your fish as many times per day as it can handle without causing digestive issues.
How To Encourage Platy Fish To Eat?
Food plays an important role in the growth, development, and well-being of Platies. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the Platy fish food is healthy and nutritious. Additionally, you want to make sure it’s well-timed as well for best results.
Some of the ways to encourage your Platy fish to eat are:
But, first, treat The Diseases And Infections:
If your Platy fish is not eating, then it might be because they are ill. In that case, the best thing to do would be to treat any diseases or infections that may have formed in their body. This way, you can get them back on track with their regular feeding schedule without too much trouble.
Maintain Water Parameters:
It is always important to maintain your tank’s water parameters because if they are not healthy enough, then there is no way that you can expect your fish to be healthy. In addition, you will have a much greater chance of success in encouraging them to eat when their environment is well-maintained and clean.
Take Care Of Pregnant Platy Fish:
In pregnant fish, it is important to make sure that they get plenty of food and nutrition. Therefore you should ensure that your tank has enough food for all the Platies and feed them directly if necessary. Additionally, do not forget to isolate her from any bullies or aggressive fish who might harm or stress her out.
Seclude The Bully:
If you have a particularly aggressive Platy, it is important to seclude them and give them their own tank or a separate feeding bowl. This way, they will not be able to bully the other fish in your aquarium and cause any problems for them.
Treat Digestive Issues:
There are times when a Platy might not be eating because of some digestive issues that may have come up. In such a case, you will need to ensure they get the right medication and proper treatment to ensure their digestive system is back on track again. You can consult your vet and get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
What Is The Best Food For Platy Fish Who Refuse To Eat?
When your fish refuses to eat, you will need to change their diet to start eating again. Some of the best foods that they might be interested in are:
- Live foods
- Flakes or freeze-dried worms/shrimp
- Platies will eat mosquito larvae as well
- Bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia are also popular choices for Platy fish.
However, it would help if you only fed these once a week because they have the high-fat content that might cause obesity in your fish. Then, you can use them as an occasional treat.
Platies also love tubifex worms, but they are not the healthiest option for your fish because they carry diseases that might affect them and other aquatic animals in your aquarium.
How To Feed Your Platy Fish?
When you feed your fish, it is best to do so early in the morning or right before nightfall. This way, they will have time to digest their food and also be active during the day. You can feed your Platy Fish a small amount of food every day. Feed them once in the morning and at night with a good quality flake or pellet fish food.
Additionally, make sure that you are not overfeeding them as this can be a big problem. Be sure only to feed your fish the amount of food they need, not pollute the water or have an excessive waste build-up.
When To See Your Vet?
Platy cannot live long without eating. So, loss of appetite becomes a serious problem and needs the assistance of Vet in the following cases:
- If you do not see any sign of eating from your Platy fish for a day or more.
- You notice that your long-time sick platy is losing weight and appetite as well. Or the other way around, if it eats too much during the recovery process, which does not make sense.
- If your platy keeps eating gravel or other objects that do not belong to the tank.
- If you see signs of bloating on the fish’s stomach and it has no intention of eating at all. In this case, you should quickly seek professional help from a Vet as a bloated condition is a sign of serious internal infection.
You can also ask your Vet about the right type of food to feed sick or pregnant Platy fish along with other medicines and supplements needed for its recovery process.
Do not hesitate any longer if you think that your platy is unwell, even though it may seem like nothing special at first glance.
FAQ
How Long Can Platy Live Without Food?
Platy fish can go for weeks without food. But it is not good for their health.
Do Platy Fish Eat Dead Fish?
Platys do occasionally eat dead fish. But they like their food fresh and alive. So it is not healthy for them to live on a diet of only dead fish.
What Is The Best Food For Platy?
The best food for Platy fish is live or frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, and tubifex worms. These platies also eat live shrimp as well as you might find Platy fish eating snails present in the tank.
Similarly, these fish are omnivores, meaning platy fish will eat plants as well as algae present in the tank. Also, if you are looking for commercial food, then platy happily eats pellets, wafers, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if your Platy fish is not eating, it could be for various reasons such as pregnancy, bad water parameters, and more. If this happens to you, don’t worry because I covered all the most common reasons why they are not eating in my blog post today so keep on reading if you want to find out more.