My tank and Platy?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Nathan,

I hope you'll be able to help me. I saw this really cool looking fish at my local store, called a Platy. They were really active and stunningly solid red. They were so appealing to me that I even bought a Marineland 5 gallon kit to bring home. I really want to purchase the Platy, but I'm not sure if it would be okay for my tank. I've just set up the tank, bought a 25 watt heater, and I've gotten everything up and running. I set the heater to 75F, (that's what the employee told me) and added the water conditioner. So, basically, everythings complete... except i don't have any fish. I researched the new tank syndrome, and I've decided that I will perform daily water changes (i don't know how much though) to help remove ammonia. I think I'm ready for some fish, but is the Platy suitable!?!?! I really want one...

Thank you so much, hope to hear back from you!

ANSWER: Hi Kathryn,

You'll be delighted to know that yes, a Platy would do fine in your tank! With good filtration like you have (Marineland bio-wheel filters are excellent), they'll be comfortable. With your tank size, you could have a maximum of three Platy fish. However, there's a very important point to note. I highly recommend that you get three MALES ONLY. The reason is that with females, they will give birth effortlessly. Platy are livebearers, which means they give birth to live fry instead of laying eggs. Livebearers are prolific breeders, and you can expect a brood almost every month or two! Soon, you'll find that you'll need more and more tanks to keep up, or you'll have to get all your friends interested in fishkeeping to accommodate the new babies. Trust me, they breed A LOT.

So why not get all FEMALES? Well, there's one little problem. Female Livebearers can store sperm. So, one mating with a male can potentially give up to 6 different births! So, if the females have been in contact with a male, they can give birth. ONLY MALES is the best choice for smaller tanks like yours.

You can do daily 10% water changes for the ammonia. After a month, you can start doing weekly water changes of 10-30%.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Nathan. I have another question. The pet store owner said that the Platy is an omnivore, and needs both animal and plant matter. How can I provide both? What kinds of food is there that will fulfill this requirement? I already have hagen nutrafin max flakes, which they are happily eating. I feed twice a day.

ANSWER: Hi Kathryn,

The flakes make a good staple food that satisfies the 'animal matter' component. For the vegetable component, Algae Wafers are the best choice. Just buy some Algae Wafers (I personally use Hikari Algae Wafers, as they're top quality, but other brands are fine, too.)

It's actually very simple. You feed them twice daily, right? Well, it's going to work on a day 1/day 2 kind of schedule. Here's how:

Day 1
-Morning Flakes
-Evening Flakes

Day 2
-Morning Flakes
-Evening Algae Wafers

Then, just alternate!

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Nathan,

Is it possible to mix Serpae Tetras with Black Phantoms? I have a 20 gallon tank with 6 Black Phantoms.

Thank you in advance.

Answer
Hi Mikhail,

Yes, you can mix Tetras together. A special note on Serpae Tetras - they are prone to nip the fins of other fish if you do not keep them in groups of five or more. They are great fish, and will mix and contrast well with the Black Phantom Tetras already in your tank. I recommend getting 6 Serpae Tetras. (Also known as the Red Minor Tetra)

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!