Platies

[jrskater1999]

I am planning on getting some platies for my ten gal to breed? What kinds should I get?

 

[phoenixkiller]

I wouldn't try to breed a large livebearer in a ten gallon. You could keep a couple females, but my vote is that to breed them, you need a twenty gallon.

Platies have a decent bio-load for their size, so it would be more comfortable and safer (water parameter-wise) for a 20 gallon or larger for breeding.

Maybe I'm crazy, but breeding needs a large(r) tank, or several small tanks.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Phoenix is absolutely correct. I started with a 29 for there intention of breeding guppies and now I have the 29g for my females, a 10g nursery tank for just the fry, and a 10g just for my males to try to control the breeding. Its very easy to breed livebearers keeping them under control is the harder part

 

[maxwellag]

I wouldn't try to breed a large livebearer in a ten gallon. You could keep a couple females, but my vote is that to breed them, you need a twenty gallon.

Platies have a decent bio-load for their size, so it would be more comfortable and safer (water parameter-wise) for a 20 gallon or larger for breeding.

Maybe I'm crazy, but breeding needs a large(r) tank, or several small tanks.

A 10g is fine if they have a trio and nothing else, but they would need some place to grow out the fry.

 

[phoenixkiller]

A 10g is fine if they have a trio and nothing else, but they would need some place to grow out the fry.

Yeah, no, a ten gallon would be the absolute minimum for three, but for breeding, you need a 20 gallon, maybe more (depending on the size of the breeding program.).

 

[maxwellag]

Yeah, no, a ten gallon would be the absolute minimum for three, but for breeding, you need a 20 gallon, maybe more (depending on the size of the breeding program.).

No, that isn't really necessary unless it's a HUGE breeding project. You could always grow fry (after being big enough to not get eaten) in the tank with the adults and then move them out, as long as there is enough filtration. The smallest breeding project possible IMO is a trio of something not too big in a 10g with lots of hiding places for fry. That would work, but even better would be 3 10gs- one for the trio, one for the tiny fry, and one for culls. Knowing that you don't have a 20 gallon, I'm wondering where you are coming up with this...

 

[okapizebra]

I agree with maxwellag... 10 gallons is perfectly fine for a trio of platies.

 

[butterfly_koi]

No, that isn't really necessary unless it's a HUGE breeding project. You could always grow fry (after being big enough to not get eaten) in the tank with the adults and then move them out, as long as there is enough filtration. The smallest breeding project possible IMO is a trio of something not too big in a 10g with lots of hiding places for fry. That would work, but even better would be 3 10gs- one for the trio, one for the tiny fry, and one for culls. Knowing that you don't have a 20 gallon, I'm wondering where you are coming up with this...

I agree with this to an extent. If you don't have a separate nursery tank for the fry than you can be overrun by the fish, just like guppies they breed like crazy. With a 20 you can keep a trio and the fry all in one tank

 

[maxwellag]

I agree with this to an extent. If you don't have a separate nursery tank for the fry than you can be overrun by the fish, just like guppies they breed like crazy. With a 20 you can keep a trio and the fry all in one tank

I meant with a 10g only, you would sell or get rid of the fry as soon as possible. That is why the 3 10g tank setup is better.

 

[phoenixkiller]

No, that isn't really necessary unless it's a HUGE breeding project. You could always grow fry (after being big enough to not get eaten) in the tank with the adults and then move them out, as long as there is enough filtration. The smallest breeding project possible IMO is a trio of something not too big in a 10g with lots of hiding places for fry. That would work, but even better would be 3 10gs- one for the trio, one for the tiny fry, and one for culls. Knowing that you don't have a 20 gallon, I'm wondering where you are coming up with this...

And water quality could be perfectly maintained? You think that performing a breeding project in a ten gallon tank could be successful? Of course not! Eventually the ammonia and nitrIte levels would spike, and you would pay dearly for not getting an aquarium 10 gallons bigger and be much safer. If you are wanting to breed fish and all you have is a ten gallon, sure, you can do it, but you are gonna regret it.

And you COULD keep a fully grown arowana in a 30 gallon, and you COULD keep an adult stingray in a 20 gallon, but would it live very long? Is that healthy at ALL? You COULD do a lot of things, but it is silly and sooner or later you are gonna pay for it.

So by all means, breed a trio, but you WILL regret it. Just sayin.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Its not just that Phoenix, it also isn't advised to have just three. With livebearers there should be 3-5 females per male. if you put just two females to a male he can stress them out too much

 

[maxwellag]

And water quality could be perfectly maintained? You think that performing a breeding project in a ten gallon tank could be successful? Of course not! Eventually the ammonia and nitrIte levels would spike, and you would pay dearly for not getting an aquarium 10 gallons bigger and be much safer. If you are wanting to breed fish and all you have is a ten gallon, sure, you can do it, but you are gonna regret it.

And you COULD keep a fully grown arowana in a 30 gallon, and you COULD keep an adult stingray in a 20 gallon, but would it live very long? Is that healthy at ALL? You COULD do a lot of things, but it is silly and sooner or later you are gonna pay for it.

So by all means, breed a trio, but you WILL regret it. Just sayin.

A breeding project can and will be successful in a 10g. With tiny livebearers (least killifish for example) there are only 2-3 fry born each day from each female, and they get an inch at max. I have bred a trio of guppies in a 10g and did not regret it... Water Quality isn't an issue if you clean it enough, do enough water changes and have proper filtration. Do you have any experience with this? Have you ever need anything other than guppies or mollies in a 10g? IMO you need more experience to be the judge of this... Of course the fry would be moved out after they are born. It's common sense... I have been breeding guppies and least killifish and platies for 2 years now. I have kept trios in 10gs successfully. It is not a problem.

 

[maxwellag]

Its not just that Phoenix, it also isn't advised to have just three. With livebearers there should be 3-5 females per male. if you put just two females to a male he can stress them out too much

Even with 3 females the 10g would be fine... The purpose of having just one trio or 3 females and a male in a 10g is to keep strains separated.

 

[butterfly_koi]

A breeding project can and will be successful in a 10g. With tiny livebearers (least killifish for example) there are only 2-3 fry born each day from each female, and they get an inch at max. I have bred a trio of guppies in a 10g and did not regret it... Water Quality isn't an issue if you clean it enough, do enough water changes and have proper filtration. Do you have any experience with this? Have you ever need anything other than guppies or mollies in a 10g? IMO you need more experience to be the judge of this... Of course the fry would be moved out after they are born. It's common sense... I have been breeding guppies and least killifish and platies for 2 years now. I have kept trios in 10gs successfully. It is not a problem.

I breed guppies, Mollies, and platies and one of my platies had a drop of 23 in one day. 10 is a good size to breed in I'm not arguing that fact but another tank is required for a nursery tank, that we agree on as well. But some people don't have room or can't afford the three tanks it requires for breeding livebearers. That's why I had recommended a 20 because you can just let the fry be born and grow in the larger tank along with the parents

 

[maxwellag]

I breed guppies, Mollies, and platies and one of my platies had a drop of 23 in one day. 10 is a good size to breed in I'm not arguing that fact but another tank is required for a nursery tank, that we agree on as well. But some people don't have room or can't afford the three tanks it requires for breeding livebearers. That's why I had recommended a 20 because you can just let the fry be born and grow in the larger tank along with the parents

Even without multiple tanks the fry could always be removed and taken to the LFS right away.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Even without multiple tanks the fry could always be removed and taken to the LFS right away.

If the lfs will take them mine always won't. But understand that I live in a small one horse town in bigger cities there is more of a demand for certain fish and more lfs will be willing to take them.

 

[maxwellag]

If the lfs will take them mine always won't. But understand that I live in a small one horse town in bigger cities there is more of a demand for certain fish and more lfs will be willing to take them.

Yeah good point. They could always take them to a friends tank or something. With breeding livebearers, it's not bigger tanks that is better, but more tanks. It is important to seperate fry and adults, and sexes.

 

[matt869]

Sorry to hijack your thread but there seems to be a lot of knowledge here on breeding live bearers. I have 4 platies (1m, 3f) and have so for a few weeks. I have noticed the male swimming alongside each of the females at some point or another and chasing them but am yet to see and signs of pregnancy etc. I have kept platies and other livebearers before and all have readily bred. This is the longest time I have experienced. Is there anything I can do to speed them along? What sort of timescale normally applies?

Cheers
Matt

 

[maxwellag]

Sorry to hijack your thread but there seems to be a lot of knowledge here on breeding live bearers. I have 4 platies (1m, 3f) and have so for a few weeks. I have noticed the male swimming alongside each of the females at some point or another and chasing them but am yet to see and signs of pregnancy etc. I have kept platies and other livebearers before and all have readily bred. This is the longest time I have experienced. Is there anything I can do to speed them along? What sort of timescale normally applies?

Cheers
Matt

Usually it takes about a month for the fry to develop in the female, before she gives birth. There isn't really anything you can do to help them other than feed well and keep the tank clean.

 

[matt869]

Thanks, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and keep my fingers crossed cheers