Do platies need to be in groups?
Platies are schooling fish, and they generally thrive in small groups of about five fish. They will do well in most community tanks, and a group will also make a beautiful single-species tank.
How many platies can you put in a 10 gallon tank?
Platies are small, so you may think you can keep many of them in a 10-gallon tank. Because these fish are so active and have such big appetites, however, this assumption isn’t true. To keep your platies comfortable in a 10-gallon tank, aim for a group of 5 fish.
Can 2 male platys live together?
I have kept all male platies together (as part of a peaceful community tank) and they do quite well. The only times I’ve seen aggression from them was when there was a female with them. As others have said, individual fish do have individual personalities. There is always that chance.
Do platy fish breed a lot?
Platy fish are relatively easy to breed, and they don’t require a lot of encouragement. As long as you introduced both male and female platy fish to the tank, they should start breeding in a short amount of time. If your platy fish don’t seem to be breeding, make sure you have both male and female fish in the tank.
Can I keep just one platy?
Can platy fish live alone? Yes. While platies do seem to enjoy the company of their own kind, they don’t tend to school together in a tight group unless they think you’re about to feed them.
Can 2 platies live together?
Platies of any color pattern or tail variation will live peacefully together and will even breed with each other. In fact, southern platyfish, variable platyfish and swordtails are closely related enough that they can breed together as well.
What to do with unwanted platys?
Also consider selling or giving away unwanted fry to people with other pets that may use the fish for food, or else contact a local nature center, elementary school or similar organization about free fish for educational purposes.
How to Avoid Unwanted Fish Breeding in Your Tank
- Buy only one gender of fish, preferably males. If you don’t have male and female fish together, there is less chance for baby fish to appear.
- Choose egg-laying species rather than live bearers.
- Adjust tanks conditions to make breeding less comfortable.
Are platy fish hard to keep?
These colorful fish are not only easy to care for but they look great in a tank as well, so there should be nothing stopping you from adding some to yours. Platy fish are easily one of the best saltwater fish to own and they make great tank mates for so many other species.
How do you get rid of fish you don’t want anymore?
Several alternatives exist for getting rid of an unwanted fish. Individuals should consider returning it to a local pet shop for resale or trade, or giving it to another hobbyist including an aquarium in a professional office, museum, school, nursing home or to a public aquarium or zoological park.
What is the lifespan of a platy fish?
What is the lifespan of a platy fish? Healthy platies can live up to 3-4 years when kept in optimal environments with clean water, low stress, and good nutrition.
How can I get rid of baby fish?
Just Leave Them with Their Parents
Not that their parents will take care of them, mind you! Guppy fish don’t have any parental skills or caring instincts, which means they won’t raise their own fry. What they’ll do instead is eat them, decimating their numbers.
All of the following options are preferable to dumping or flushing:
- Reach out to a local fish or pet shop. See if they will take your unwanted fish.
- Ask other fish owners. Advertise if you have to.
- Look for a local fish club.
- Donate to a school, nursing home, or office.
How do you humanely get rid of a pet fish?
Call or visit pet shops that sell fish in your area and explain to them that you have certain fish you are trying to get rid of. Ask if they would be willing to buy any of them from you, trade you other fish if you’re still keeping an aquarium, or simply take them off your hands for free to resell them.
Will PetSmart take fish?
Some people give or sell their pet fish on craigslist or the like. If you bought the specific fish at a PetSmart within 14 days ago, they will take the fish for you. If it has passed 14 days, they may or may not take in the fish. If you didn’t buy it at PetSmart, they won’t take your fish.
Can you sell fish to PetSmart?
No Petsmart will not buy your unwanted fish. If you’re a local breeder looking to sell your stock, you’d have much better luck selling online or to a local fish store. Usually you can call ahead to privately owned aquarium stores and discuss with them their requirements for doing so.
Is there a humane way to get rid of fish?
Humane killing requires that the fish is stunned (rendered instantaneously insensible) before being bled out. Fish should remain in water until immediately prior to stunning. There are two methods that can be used to stun fish caught by hand: percussive stunning and spiking (also known as pithing or iki-jime).
Can you give fish to PetSmart?
The PetSmart fish return policy allows customers 14 days to return a fish, dead or alive. You must return the fish to the store along with your receipt and may need to provide your photo ID or, if the fish has died, a water sample. Keep reading!
What to do with goldfish you no longer want?
Donate your fish to a pet store, school or learning institution, or advertise that you will give your fish away for free. Check out online forums dedicated to the adoption of unwanted pets. Some of them include fish. Reach out to social media groups dedicated to aquariums and fish hobbyists.
How do you dispose of fish humanely?
While too grisly for most aquarists, stunning a fish, decapitating it and then pithing it (physically destroying the brain with a metal rod) is a humane way to euthanize a fish. Because fish can remain conscious for some time after decapitation, the pithing step is essential.
What is the most humane way to euthanize aquarium fish?
One scientific study on Zebra Danios found that a cold water bath (less than 39 degrees Fahrenheit) can be an effective and humane method of killing your fish, so this method may work on tropical fish less than 2 inches.
Is it inhumane to flush a live fish?
NEVER FLUSH ANY FISH, DEAD OR ALIVE, DOWN THE TOILET! THE UNITED STATES HAS STRICT RULES REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF ANY NON NATIVE FISH (DEAD OR ALIVE) INTO THE WATERWAYS. A FISH CAN SUFFER FOR DAYS IN THE COLD WATER OF THE SEWER, PROLONGING ITS DEMISE.