My brother had a 10 gallon tank and eventually lost interest in it once all but a couple platies died. After a few months the water level was way down to just 3 inches, most of the live plants had died or were in the process. Anyway, I assumed everything had died from my brother's neglect, but after going into the tank to get a rock he said I could use, I saw the 2 platies in there alive! The had lost most of their color, but after nursing them back to health, they regained their color and are still alive about a year later. Tough little guys.