Help with Platy

[George50]

My first post, but not the first time I've gotten help from the site. Just taking the first leap.

I have a 55 gal FW tank and I'm taking it slow. It's been set up for about 2 1/2 months and houses 6 long fin zebra danios and four platys. I have finished cycling with long-fin zebra danios (a nice variation on the standard zebra). I recently added the male platy and three female platys. Here's the problem; I bought three females (1 wag platy and two sunburst platys). I went to a different aquarium shop and bought a male platy. The male shows NO interest in the two sunburst platys. He and the female wag platy are very friendly (family forum). I thought all platys were the same. Let me stress, I'm not trying to raise platys. I know I will have some fry and most (if not all) will not make it. I'm mostly trying to keep happy healthy fish. The female wag has got to be getting a little tired! I don't want her pestered and miserable. Once I have stablized the platy scene, I have other fish in mind.

Now the questions:

Are all platys the same species and will interbreed?

Do I need to buy another couple of wag platys to keep the male busy?

Should I enroll the male platy in a sex education course at the local fish store? LOL

Thanks for help on this topic and the thousands more that you all have already answered....

 

[hockeydude1510]

from my expierence not all of the species will breed

 

[wabyrd]

I'm not interested in all women, and my experience with platies and mollies leads me to believe that fish are the same. My males always seem to pick out one female that they always go after. In fact, I had one on my most bothered females die the other day. The male that was always after her is showing no interest in the other females now. Kinda sad, I guess he misses his woman. If you don't want to raise fish, don't fret over it. You'd actually be surprised how many fish you actually do end up with when they give birth. I've got a whole tank of fry to prove that!

 

[justDIY]

your platy might just be more interested in one fish than the others, but it might mate with all of them, can't watch them 24/7

the two male mollies I have seem to keep my 7 females pretty busy, although the "24 caret" male (Bright yellow) was first interested in the yellow/orange platies ... I guess it figured out they were'nt mollies and gave up.... now he chases which ever female molly happens to be closest.

 

[platylover]

I actually have the same situation. I have a male red mickey mouse platy, a female neon orange mickey mouse platy, a female blue mickey mouse platy, and 3 female sunset wag platies. The male is glued to the orange mickey mouse and will only chase the other females if they get too close to him. He will chase them all over the tank until they seek shelter. He then gives up and resumes his position by the orange mickey mouse platy. I don't think he is interested in breeding because the female that he is always with hasn't been gravid for about a month and a half. Strange behavior these platies have.

 

[webmoose]

I nicknamed my mickey mouse platy "peppi le pew" he has been trying to mate with neons, guppys and my bronze corries..... 8)