# To all platy gazer



## Buddy (Jun 7, 2012)

I know platy might not be the most prized fish in the aquatic world, but for some reason I just adore them. 

The little guy in the back was the most beautiful platy in my world.......2012 -Jan 5 2013


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Everyone has a favourite and just because it's a common type of fish does not make it any less special. My condolences.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

It sucks when you lose your favorite fish. I try not to have favorites, my last favorite to die was a nice rainbow shark, he died for some unknown reason and I bought a new one right away but had to wait a few months for him to grow enough to be in my main semi aggressive tank.


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## Buddy (Jun 7, 2012)

Fishfur said:


> Everyone has a favourite and just because it's a common type of fish does not make it any less special. My condolences.


Thank you for kind words.


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## Buddy (Jun 7, 2012)

pyrrolin said:


> It sucks when you lose your favorite fish. I try not to have favorites, my last favorite to die was a nice rainbow shark, he died for some unknown reason and I bought a new one right away but had to wait a few months for him to grow enough to be in my main semi aggressive tank.


Not having a favorite is a good idea. Thank you. Hope your rainbow shark is doing well.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I can't help but have favorites too... Those little fish always steal my heart too.


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

I think that the Hi Fin Platy variatus is one of the most beautiful livebearers. You used to be able to buy some that were near solid black with a yellow hi fin dorsal and a red tail. I am currently working on developing them again as they are rarely available. I saw some on Aquabid a while ago and it broke my heart that I couldn't get them.


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## rufro1237 (Nov 26, 2012)

I LOVE PLATIES TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those ones are so cool! Right now, I have some Pineapple/Sunburst Platies, but one of them is _seriously_ bullied... but I plan on getting some more in the near future, to spread out the aggression. Tips?
I really love the colours of guppies as well, but for some reason, their little dainty bodies throw me off. They look too fragile!
I would die for a pair of platies like that! I'm sorry that he died! Where did you buy them? Any of the same colouration left?


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

I picked up two female Hi Fin Gold Variatus at the St Catherines fall auction. I then found a short fin black male with a yellow tail and yellow dorsal. My first batch of fry are now a month old and a half inch long with most being 50% black. Some are starting to show hi fin. Some of these will be bred back to the father to get a double dose of black and hopefully what I am after.


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## rufro1237 (Nov 26, 2012)

I would LOVE to buy some! 

Tell me when!


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## Playing God (Dec 13, 2012)

I've never had favourites, but I can't stand bullying. I have a "time-out" cage I stick fish in when they get too aggressive needlessly (a la swordtail vs gourami). Two weeks in the hole and my swordtail is a changed man, haha.


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## rufro1237 (Nov 26, 2012)

The problem for me is that only when I upgrade to my bigger tank will my 10 gallon become my quarantine/punishment tank for my 30 gallon. I now wish that I got female platies instead of males... I'm surprised I haven't had anything "a la swordtail vs. gourami", just needless harassing and chasing. Also, they're in a tank with female bettas, which is basically the same families. The main concern for me is the running into the walls of the tank and the other tankmates getting harassed as well... poor tetras harlequins never stood a chance


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## Playing God (Dec 13, 2012)

Is your tank planted? a few vals in there would soon multiply and break up the tension a bit.



rufro1237 said:


> The problem for me is that only when I upgrade to my bigger tank will my 10 gallon become my quarantine/punishment tank for my 30 gallon. I now wish that I got female platies instead of males... I'm surprised I haven't had anything "a la swordtail vs. gourami", just needless harassing and chasing. Also, they're in a tank with female bettas, which is basically the same families. The main concern for me is the running into the walls of the tank and the other tankmates getting harassed as well... poor tetras harlequins never stood a chance


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## Playing God (Dec 13, 2012)

It seems like most non schooling fish need a bit of alone time without actually "trying" to be alone. Trying to hide stresses them out, but enough plants to break up the sight lines seems to help keep them more secluded naturally without stressing them-- maybe a by-product of us trying to cram way more fish into a few gallons than would happen in nature?


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## rufro1237 (Nov 26, 2012)

My tank is HEAVILY planted (I don't clip for a week and I can barely see the back wall). I have some corskrew vals, but for some reason, it isn't taking off as much as the other plants. I have Water Sprite, Amazon Swords and a Driftwood log, and sight is pretty well broken up. The platy only hides where the foliage is less dense (not very smart). Also, the bullied platy has a very small tail (not rotted) just about a cm in diameter. The aggressive platy has a 1 1/2 cm tail, with colouration on it. That leads me to believe that the bully is starting to stress the little guy out too much... just like the third platy I had who was EXTREMELY bullied, who eventually died... 
Also, when I upgrade, will the platies and female bettas coexist peacefully with rams and guppies? I really love them!


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## Playing God (Dec 13, 2012)

Bigger tank is better chance..
When moving the fish, I would quarantine the aggressive one and give the others a chance to get used to the new location for two weeks or so. Then drop in the mean guy and you'll have the most insecure situation possible for him (entering other fish's territory)--it may be enough to soften him up.

I quarantined my male sword tail in a cage right in my tank for 2 weeks and just moved around a couple plants. Before I let him out, I'd added a ram and a female molly as well. After letting the male swordtail out of his cage, he gets bullied by the female Molly on occassion, haha. A little bit of karma that makes me smile...
Sometimes the order you introduce them makes all the difference (introduce the most timid fish first).


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## Buddy (Jun 7, 2012)

rufro1237 said:


> I LOVE PLATIES TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Those ones are so cool! Right now, I have some Pineapple/Sunburst Platies, but one of them is _seriously_ bullied... but I plan on getting some more in the near future, to spread out the aggression. Tips?
> I really love the colours of guppies as well, but for some reason, their little dainty bodies throw me off. They look too fragile!
> I would die for a pair of platies like that! I'm sorry that he died! Where did you buy them? Any of the same colouration left?


I picked them up at an auction a few months ago. They are hard to find. Over the past several months I never saw one like that at the pet store. And sadly, when I do see a platy I like at the pet store, usually the tank looks like they are all sick so you can't buy them. Once i saw one I really wanted, and even though the tank wasn't healthy, I bought him and brought him home into a QT tank. I could tell he was a little sick when i bought him but i wanted to try to save him. I medicated him, but it didn't help. So sad how poorly they keep the platies in the pet store.

Now I'm looking for a little friend for him. He used to hang out together with his brother and they went everywhere together. Now the little guy thats left gets bullied a little bit by the other platies who are bigger than him. When they were together they wen't bullied.


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## rufro1237 (Nov 26, 2012)

Platies can be treated badly at pet stores... they think just because they are hardy, they can keep them in bad conditions. The pet store that I usually go to, Pj's Pets on Yonge near Lawrence, actually has some relatively neat tanks, most healthy. The only bad tank I have noticed is the Cardinal Tetra one, because those fish usually die a few days after shipping. I really want to try breeding platies, but I'm worried about the amount of fry (my tank is heavily planted, so they can hide  ) I would really love getting some blue platies or black and yellow!


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