Platy Help Required

[platyoutofwater]

No need to apologise, you have both been extremely helpful throughout.

Ordered the 60 litre tank, just need to try and find a sponge filter that won't suck up the babies now! Will hopefully be delivered tomorrow so I can get it set up and cycling for the next week. Need to clean out the breeder trap again in the next couple of days to ensure the water remains alright, it was an ordeal last time but I successfully navigated so fingers crossed again.

 

[Canary bird]

Apologies OP for going off topic but Canary bird, how is it trying to keep aquariums in Tenerife. Are there many pet stores to get supplies??

Nightmare Ian , absolutely useless ! I usually get everything I need online , unless I absolutely need to get it urgently ! I even get my food online it's so expensive here , but obviously I have to get the fish here well I did buy fish until mine started breeding , now I'm selling them at 1 euro each which is 3 euros cheaper than the pet shop !
And there are 2 pet shops in my area so I guess I'm lucky if having 2 totally useless pet shops is lucky
Thanks for asking

Suzanne

 

[platyoutofwater]

I'm struggling to find what I am looking for in terms of sponge filters online, most seems to be sponges you can add on to existing filters, which don't seem to solve my problem of the fry being sucked up.

Any suggestions?

 

[Canary bird]

I'm struggling to find what I am looking for in terms of sponge filters online, most seems to be sponges you can add on to existing filters, which don't seem to solve my problem of the fry being sucked up. Any suggestions?

I have an cheap sponge filter in my fry tank, it was about 20 euros, it's only got one point of suction so the fry steer clear of it, as long as it's not too powerful I think you should be ok, I'll have a quick look on eBay

 

[Canary bird]

TETRA IN-400 PLUS
AQUARIUM FILTER

ADVANCED INTERNAL FILTER FOR AQUARIUMS FROM 30 - 60 LITRE

VERY POWERFUL AND RELIABLE

EASY TO MAINTAIN

ADJUSTABLE FLOW RATE AND DIRECTION

ADJUSTABLE AIR SUPPLY TO OXYGENATE THE WATER

SUITABLE FOR ALL TYPES OF AQUARIUM

£16.69 on eBay ..

 

[platyoutofwater]

I've found the item. So long as the fry don't end up going for a spin inside it it is fine by me!

They are growing to the point of being too big to be sucked up now anyway in fairness, but if she gives birth again then I was the new fry to be alright.

 

[Canary bird]

I've found the item. So long as the fry don't end up going for a spin inside it it is fine by me! They are growing to the point of being too big to be sucked up now anyway in fairness, but if she gives birth again then I was the new fry to be alright.

I haven't used one of those myself mine is a non descript make but for the money it's good value, and you can always put a pop sock over the intake part so the tiny ones don't get sucked in,

I'm in the process of shopping for bits for the fish as I'm booking a visit back in November ..... Must be mad brrrrr

 

[Canary bird]

I've just ordered a eheim miniup it's only for a small tank 25 litres, but the non descript one I have buzzes like nothing on earth !

 

[Ian086]

No need to apologise, you have both been extremely helpful throughout.

Ordered the 60 litre tank, just need to try and find a sponge filter that won't suck up the babies now! Will hopefully be delivered tomorrow so I can get it set up and cycling for the next week. Need to clean out the breeder trap again in the next couple of days to ensure the water remains alright, it was an ordeal last time but I successfully navigated so fingers crossed again.

When you get your sponge filter, squeeze out the 'old' filter sponges on the new filter. This won't cycle the new one but give it a head start. Those nets are a pain to keep clean. I use the plastic traps, secured to the side of the tank with glass magnetic cleaners. Easier to clean out, imo. A turkey baster is a handy tool to have. Can be a bit tricky at first to master but you'll soon get the hang of it.....

 

[Ian086]

Nightmare Ian , absolutely useless ! I usually get everything I need online , unless I absolutely need to get it urgently ! I even get my food online it's so expensive here , but obviously I have to get the fish here well I did buy fish until mine started breeding , now I'm selling them at 1 euro each which is 3 euros cheaper than the pet shop !
And there are 2 pet shops in my area so I guess I'm lucky if having 2 totally useless pet shops is lucky
Thanks for asking

Suzanne

Sounds like the pet shops in my town!!!

 

[Canary bird]

Useless and there's no need for it, it's their job to know things not mine to tell them ! :/ moan over for today

 

[platyoutofwater]

Amen to that, I gave up taking their advice after my first and only trip to one pet shop where I was sold a fish with a rotting fin.

Proven far more useful, and friendly, to seek the advice of you on here who know through experience, which I am amassing now!

 

[Canary bird]

Amen to that, I gave up taking their advice after my first and only trip to one pet shop where I was sold a fish with a rotting fin. Proven far more useful, and friendly, to seek the advice of you on here who know through experience, which I am amassing now!

Me too

 

[platyoutofwater]

Received the new 60 litre tank now, going to get it set up and the filter cycling, it came with a standard filter, so I'll get that one cycling whilst I await the filter for my fry, can I put two filters in the one tank when the other one is received and then take the standard filter out after a couple of days of the sponge filter working? Or will having two filters working in the one tank be counter productive?

I also have a dilemma as to which fish to place into the larger tank. The choices are the two big fish or the fourteen fry. The fry remain quite small at the minute so don't need a great amount of space, I'm also worried that a change in water at so young an age may not do them well, so have been leaning towards putting the larger fish in the big tank for now, though as the fry grow the smaller tank won't quite cut it with so many of them in there.

Any suggestions are more than welcome as you are far more experienced than I!

 

[Canary bird]

I would put the bigger fish in the bigger tank, the fry will be ok for a good while in the other, if you get up and running check out somewhere on here about squeezing media onto new filters to give them a kick start ..

 

[platyoutofwater]

I would put the bigger fish in the bigger tank, the fry will be ok for a good while in the other, if you get up and running check out somewhere on here about squeezing media onto new filters to give them a kick start ..

Thanks, that confirms what I was thinking of doing. I am hoping it will stop the white/transparent one from bullying the mother too, since the breeder trap has been in there she has been constantly at her, which I've put down to a lack of space.

I'll have a look into that thanks .

The fry have been with me for two weeks now, once I have moved the larger fish into the other tank next week, what should I be doing with the breeder trap? How long do people usually leave the fry in there for? I'm worried about releasing them and ensuring that they are fed, at least in the trap they can see the food easily, but if they are in the main tank I fear that some will miss out.

 

[Canary bird]

How big is the tank they are in ?

Mine are in a 25 litre for the tiny ones and an 80 litre for the bigger ones, and the 3 month old ones are in my 200 community,
Don't over think things they will all get adequate food, the bits that drop to the floor they will pick at, I was so worried with my first lot but now I'm on my 7th batch I don't worry half as much, I feed them baby food 3 times a day and the bigger ones get normal new life spectrum h2o flakes crushed in to little flakes, they all get food and they thrive because there is no danger of getting eaten,I even gave the 2 month old fry some frozen blood worm yesterday it was funny to watch but they really enjoyed it I defrosted it in a glass with some tank water then poured it in

 

[platyoutofwater]

How big is the tank they are in ?

Mine are in a 25 litre for the tiny ones and an 80 litre for the bigger ones, and the 3 month old ones are in my 200 community,
Don't over think things they will all get adequate food, the bits that drop to the floor they will pick at, I was so worried with my first lot but now I'm on my 7th batch I don't worry half as much, I feed them baby food 3 times a day and the bigger ones get normal new life spectrum h2o flakes crushed in to little flakes, they all get food and they thrive because there is no danger of getting eaten,I even gave the 2 month old fry some frozen blood worm yesterday it was funny to watch but they really enjoyed it I defrosted it in a glass with some tank water then poured it in

I currently have two adult platys and the fourteen fry in a 30 litre tank, hence the problems I would imagine and hence my desire to provide something far larger for them.

I shall wait for the new tank to be fully operational then transfer the adults into it and let the babies roam free in the 30 litre tank free from the fear of being devoured!

2 weeks also means I have only two weeks before the mommy will likely give birth again and it starts all over again!

 

[Canary bird]

Please keep me updated

 

[platyoutofwater]

Good morning.

Set up the tank over the weekend, which looks thus so far:



I need to pick up some more gravel, mistakenly thought two bags would be enough, it was note, left me with only a light covering at the bottom of the tank, another three bags required I reckon!

I have powered it all up to get the filter working through the water and the heater bringing it to the right temperature whilst I get further gravel. I have used a couple of balls to speed up the process, can't think of the name of them off the top of my head. Will give it a few days to cycle and then test the water, probably next Saturday, when the tank will have been in operation for a week and the balls speeding it up.

Be glad to get the larger fish in there now and release the fry into the breeder tank to get them out of the floating breeder trap, can't be much fun for them in there!

Also planning to buy more ornaments for inside the tank, I've only filled it with a few little things for now so it doesn't look so bare!