After cycling my 10 gallon tank, I got two gold-and-black platies last weekend. They seem to be doing well, and the tank's water readings still look good (no ammonia or nitrites, nitrates at 20). My question is what I should do next. I read the ratio for platies should be 1 male to 2 female, though I was wondering if it would be OK if I stick with 1 male to 1 female. I would like to add three neon and three cardinal tetras (one group this weekend, the second group two weeks from now). Second, the AqAdvisor calculator says that puts me at 100% capacity, but I should add another 10 gallon filter. That seems like _a lot_ of filter capacity for a 10 gallon tank (it's essentially filtering for a 20 gallon tank), so I just wanted to see what people thought about that advice. Thanks in advance!
Need advice on next fish for new tank
- Thread starter Wired76
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BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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- May 24, 2011
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Wir...
Platys are a medium sized fish. Females can grow to more than 2 inches and males half this size. Live bearing fish are also fast breeders, given good water conditions. They really need a tank no smaller than 30 gallons. I keep many Platys and the smallest tank I have is 45 gallons. I'd return the Platys and go with the Tetras. They're much smaller and would be better in a small tank.
In the mean time, change half the water every 3 to 4 days to keep the dissolved nitrogen from the fish waste out of the tank.
B
Platys are a medium sized fish. Females can grow to more than 2 inches and males half this size. Live bearing fish are also fast breeders, given good water conditions. They really need a tank no smaller than 30 gallons. I keep many Platys and the smallest tank I have is 45 gallons. I'd return the Platys and go with the Tetras. They're much smaller and would be better in a small tank.
In the mean time, change half the water every 3 to 4 days to keep the dissolved nitrogen from the fish waste out of the tank.
B
Ashenwelt
Aquarium Advice Freak
So lets start from the top here. What are you envisioning? Schooling fish like most tetras need a school... Aim for 6 of the same.
Now platys... They are great fish but you realize your going to be buried in babbies right? Like figure 10-20 survivors a month per female average with that tank setup?
I honestly would recommend you reconsider some of your setup a bit. For example 4 plays is a lot for a 10... Normally they are recommended for a 15. But a well designed 10 can sometimes do. How are you designing it for them? Will your local LFS take mixed type platys as trade credit? Most that will take would want a specific type not a mix like will happen in a mixed tank.
Just think on some of this. And good luck!
Thanks for the advice! My LFS recommended the platies because they thought tetras weren't a great first fish for a tank. I hadn't planned on getting them, so I didn't realize I had the drowning-in-babies problem until I got home and read about them. I've got two live plants in the tank now that are doing pretty well; I put them in there on the first day I started the nitrogen cycle, two months ago. I also added a decent-sized piece of driftwood last week that has nooks-and-crannies the (smaller) female seems to like. They seem pretty happy in the tank so far so I'm happy to keep them. That said, it's not like I have tons of time to be running a full-scale breeding operation. 
Are there fish where breeding is less of a problem? Or should I think about replacing the male with two female platys and call it a day for this tank? (Yes, I'm already thinking about a second tank...)
Are there fish where breeding is less of a problem? Or should I think about replacing the male with two female platys and call it a day for this tank? (Yes, I'm already thinking about a second tank...)
Ashenwelt
Aquarium Advice Freak
I would trade back the female for a male actually... Money is on her already being pregnant and the males are smaller. Then maybe 6 ember tetras to contrast color? As long as its a wide ten and not a hex or tall tank.
