new platys

[Coffee12]

I bought 5 "assorted mollies" yesturday asking for 1 male and 4 females, obviously though they were platy's. Honestly, im using these fish to breed which their babies will feed my barra because he wont take dead food, stuff he cant hunt.
I told the lady that and i dont think she liked it, as people in pet shops are theyll do anything to mkake a sale. I thought i saw a male up there, and she had a good look and pulled one out with a little hesistation but now im not sure if it is a male.
The 4 females are dull orange and the 'male' is bright red and smaller like it should be but ( i was thinking maybe hes a juvenille) his anal fin is like a females. Is that possible? can males extended their fins like that? Some of the other females ( i suppose they are) are becoming territoral with the others, their all about 3cm (1 inch?) long exept the 'male', could they be juveniles still?

Also, i was thinking maybe because its a new tank and what not, he looks like hes got some white itch (cant remeber what its called) hes got that flakey dead skin around him. What can i do to help them settle into their tank?

[mac]

How old is your tank? And has it been cycled? Also how big is the tank?

Sounds like you got a problem with your fish. How much water do you change a week?

There are many ways to sex a Platy (these sexing methods, by the way, can be applied to all livebearers). The first method is to observe the shape of the Platy, Females will be longer, and also have wider stomachs (even when not pregnant) than males. The second method (and most accurate) involves observing the three fins on the underbelly of the fish. Female Platy's will have three almost identical fins, two a little further up the belly (closer to the front) than the rear, and with a male, the two frontal fins will be the same, but the aft fin will be much smaller, and pointed.

Hope this helps.
mac

[Coffee12]

Its a 10g tank (tall ratehr than wide) and ive had it ruining for the 2 last weeks, we use bore water (underground, freshwater) here so i dont have to worry with treating the water ect. Changing is just basic 1/4th of the water each week.

I suppose it must be a bit over stocked, I can (I have another... gee itd have to be just under 20g twice the size of the 10g) start ruining that as it would give them alot more space. Thank you for asking ive only just thought of that xp

Im still partly puzzled about the sex of my fish, the samller bright one im hopeing is a male but he is only 2cm. Otherwise ill simply have to go to another petshop and buy a male @.@

[thrakuarium]

The anal fin is the easiest way to sex livebearers as was mentioned. If the anal fin is fanned and open it is a female if it is closed and thin (looks like it is high and tight) it is a male.

[mac]

Its a 10g tank (tall ratehr than wide) and ive had it ruining for the 2 last weeks, we use bore water (underground, freshwater) here so i dont have to worry with treating the water ect. Changing is just basic 1/4th of the water each week.

Sounds like your tank is in a cycle. What I would suggest would be place some of the filter media of your mature tanks into the filter of the 10 gallon to get it stable for the fish's health.

As for getting the larger tank up and running I would do that. The best thing to do would be to add filter media to your tank filter from you mature tanks. Helps speed up the growth of bacteria.

Im still partly puzzled about the sex of my fish, the samller bright one im hopeing is a male but he is only 2cm. Otherwise ill simply have to go to another petshop and buy a male @.@

Well dose the fish you have have this?[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

mac

[Coffee12]

Okay im pretty certain now that i have 5 females. Kind of disappointing as i paid for something else and i wont get paid again till next week Thank you all :'(

[mac]

Okay im pretty certain now that i have 5 females. Kind of disappointing as i paid for something else and i wont get paid again till next week Thank you all :'(

Sorry to hear that. You could go back to the shop and say you asked for a male, and you got a female. And get them to give you a male.

mac