My Platies are pigs!

[kenyth]

At first I thought my platies were pregnant, but now I think they're just getting fat! There's no real dark spots to speak of by the anal fin, the dark spots are on the underside of the belly. They gulp the lions share of the food every feeding and won't stop till it's all gone! The Danio's are nearly as bad. All of them are getting Buddha bellies. I'm probably feeding too much, but I didn't notice because they eat it all.

[jeffs99dime]

how often do you feed them?

[kenyth]

I was feeding twice a day, but have since cut back to once. I also let my toddler give them a tiny pinch once a day for fun when he asks. I feed Tetra color flake food and either some bloodworms or tubifex worms. I was going to start giving them some canned green beans and/or peas instead of the worms most of the time. I was thinking the worms are more like treats and will cause them to gorge.

[Lady Hobbs]

Mine got huge, as well. In fact, I ended up losing two of them. I think they just ate and ate until they were constipated and ill. I had them with my juvie angels and couldn't help it as I feed my angels 3 times daily so they were really eating it up. It's claimed that fish have a stomach about as large as their eye. Guess it doesn't mean they don't like stretching it to the max. :)

I moved mine to a 10 gallon with some neons and now feed once a day. They're still fat as they were only moved this week but they are getting a better color to them.

I have only these two out of 4 left. I'd like to get a couple bright yellows but want NO females for obvious reasons.

[jeffs99dime]

i would cut back on feeding. maybe once a day max.

[kenyth]

Mine got huge, as well. In fact, I ended up losing two of them. I think they just ate and ate until they were constipated and ill. I had them with my juvie angels and couldn't help it as I feed my angels 3 times daily so they were really eating it up. It's claimed that fish have a stomach about as large as their eye. Guess it doesn't mean they don't like stretching it to the max. :)

I moved mine to a 10 gallon with some neons and now feed once a day. They're still fat as they were only moved this week but they are getting a better color to them.

I have only these two out of 4 left. I'd like to get a couple bright yellows but want NO females for obvious reasons.

Yup, that's what mine look like all right. As a matter of fact, my Mickey Mouse female is even bigger. She's the biggest eater of the bunch.

[Fishguy2727]

Hikari has a 'Baby' sized pellet. It is Hikari Cichlid Gold Baby. I feed that and TetraMin Pro Crisps to my community tank. The pellets won't be eaten immediately because they are little too large for the fish to swallow whole, but the fish will grab one and swim around with it while it softens, then they bite off what they can swallow. This fills them up better and slows down how fast they eat.

[kenyth]

I skipped a day feeding and they look better already. I gave them two green bean pieces to munch on in the interim.

[kenyth]

I think I give up on the Mickey Mouse Platy. She eats and eats and eats, everything and anything. Off the top, off the bottom, off the plants, etc. She pushes other fish out of the way to get it. Outside of starving some of the less enthusiastic eaters in the tank, I don't know what to do. I'm guessing this one fish might eat 20%-30% of the food I put in the tank. She's huge! I don't have another tank and really don't think that's the best solution anyway. What good is constantly quarantining a fish to keep it from eating? I'll just let her eat her fill and be fat and happy. The other female Platy is a bit rotund compared to the males, but nothing like this one!

I'm renaming her from Mickey Finn, to Mama Cass. ;)

[sergo]

if it makes you feel any better i have a couple of red serpae tetras that will eat like your platty and they are fat as hell too.

[gourami15]

I have the same problem with mine. I figured i was over feeding them so i cut back a bit. Now I feed them once a day but as you said they eat and eat and eat. I thought so, but i guess im not the only one with fat platties!

[kenyth]

The Mickey Mouse Platy died. I can only guess from the excessive eating.