Platys

[mariposa]

So I'm looking for information on Platys. I got a few this week and Im well aware of the general care but I'm just looking for anything extra. Anyone have any special info from their personal care? Is there anything I should be on the look out for or anything I should offer them? I read they like variety in their meals and they like live food also. Would the flightless fruit flies go over well? They arent too hot on the flake food I've been feeding my zebra danios. Its actually some betta food that is supposed to be high in protien and made to increase the betta colors. My betta passed away early last month but I didnt want it to go to waste and the Danios go crazy for it. lol..silly fish! I do have dried blood worms I fed my betta..he would take them from my fingers. (now I miss him again!!! **sob**) I think I'll try that on them later. So as far as food goes what is the one thing they LOVE and cant live without? I like to treat my little pets to their favs if I can. :)

[mariposa]

I originally over looked this section and posted this in the wrong spot..so in an effort to rectify my mistake I'll repost it here...under livebearers. :D

So I'm looking for information on Platys. I got a few this week (actually yesterday) and Im well aware of the general care but I'm just looking for anything extra. Anyone have any special info from their personal care? Is there anything I should be on the look out for or anything I should offer them? I read they like variety in their meals and they like live food also. Would the flightless fruit flies go over well? They arent too hot on the flake food I've been feeding my zebra danios. Its actually some betta food that is supposed to be high in protien and made to increase the betta colors. My betta passed away early last month but I didnt want it to go to waste and the Danios go crazy for it. lol..silly fish! I do have dried blood worms I fed my betta..he would take them from my fingers. (now I miss him again!!! **sob**) I think I'll try that on them later. So as far as food goes what is the one thing they LOVE and cant live without? I like to treat my little pets to their favs if I can. :)

[Lady Hobbs]

Platys eat about everything. I gave mine color enhancing food and they really keep nice bright colors and blood worm treats a couple times a week.




I merged your two threads together since they were of the same nature.

[*Sarah*]

I do the same as Hobbs. Mine are real food hounds...try to eat my fingers when I stick them in the tank.

[Dave66]

Wingless Dropsilia flies would go a storm with your platys. The flies aren't difficult to culture yourself if you're interested. You have a good slant on feeding them. I'd suggest adding a vegetative menu item as well. Platys aren't mollie-like in their algae needs, but something containing spirolina occasionally wouldn't be amiss. If you want to do flies, get D. magna instead of D. melengaster. The former is a good deal larger - more bug for the punch.

Dave

[Sasquatch]

As far as food goes, ours aren't picky eaters. We feed them three different kinds of flake (basic, livebearer and spirulina flakes), freeze dried blood worms and Hikari Micro Wafers. The also jump all over the stuff we feed out catfish (Brine shrimp, beef heart, fish, shrimp pellets and Hikari Carnivore Pellets). Once the females get pregnant, they'll eat just about anything that moves.

For general care, a few little things:
- If you have both sexes, try to keep 3 females per male, it reduces tension
- If your platies are pregnant, try to feed high protein stuff regularly, it'll make for healthier females, and healthier fry.
- Keep an eye out for overcrowding. Platies reproduce faster than rabbits and if you have decent cover, you can quickly find yourself with an overloaded tank.
- They love live plants. They'll "hang around" the artificials, but if you have live plants, they'll swim through them. It keeps their stress down and look nice too.

Hope this helps.

[mariposa]

Thanks ya'll for all the feedback. I've been enjoying my platys so much I dont want to turn their light off. :P They actually munch on the algea waffers I drop in for the pleco. The Zebra Danios do also so I'm not much surprised. I offered blood worms this morning...just a few and then offered a small amount of flake tonight since I didnt give them much of the blood worms this morning.

[A340]

Mine get their flaked food in the morning and some micro pellets in the evening. During the day, they munch on some algae on the rocks or nip at the plant leaves. That is something you may want to keep at eye on, I've already lost many plants because of them. Beautiful fish though.