Useful for beginners, platy fish are easy to care for.Unlike most fish, platy fish give birth to live fry.If you want to raise and breed platy fish, all you need to do is establish a suitable habitat and feed and care for your fish.Once your fish are in their new aquarium, they will quickly start breeding and producing fry.
Step 1: The aquarium tank needs to hold at least 29 gallons.
It's a good idea to get a bigger tank if you want to breed platy fish.As your platy fish start to reproduce and the fry grow into adults, your tank won't get overcrowded.With a tank that's at least 29 gallons, you'll be able to breed your fish and take your time finding new homes for the adults without the tank getting too crowded.At your local pet store, you can find a large aquarium tank.Since platy fish can jump, make sure the tank you get has a secure lid.Your fish are more prone to fighting in an overcrowded tank.
Step 2: Use aquarium gravel to line the bottom of the tank.
It will make your aquarium look better and more natural, and it will also provide a surface for beneficialbacteria to grow on in the tank.For your platy fish, you can use any kind of aquarium gravel, but make sure it's clean before adding it to the tank so your fish don't get sick.If you want to clean your aquarium gravel, rinse it in a sieve over a bucket.Aquarium gravel can be found at your local pet store.
Step 3: Plants and hiding places can be added to the tank.
When you're breeding platy fish, the young fry need places to hide from the adults.Young fry may be eaten by older fish if there is not enough shelter.There are some sheltered resting places for your adult platy fish.Live aquarium plants can be used to recreate the fish's natural environment.Plants floating in the tank are great hiding places for young fry.You can buy plastic aquarium shelters at your local pet store or online.
Step 4: An air-powered sponge filter is needed to clean and aerate the water.
Without a filter, the water in the aquarium will become stagnant and dirty, and there won't be enough oxygen for your fish to survive.Since other types of aquarium filters can kill small fry, make sure you use an air-powered sponge filter.You can buy an air-powered sponge filter at your local pet store.
Step 5: The tank water should be kept at 70–77.
The temperature range is ideal for platy fish.Attach a thermometer to the inside of the aquarium so you can make adjustments if necessary.If the water is too cold, you may need to use a heating device.You can buy aquarium water heaters online or at your local pet store.The bigger the aquarium, the stronger the heater you'll need.You'll need a heater that's between 75 and 200 watt for a 29 US gal aquarium.The room that your aquarium is in will affect the amount of power you need.If you're worried about the water in the tank being too hot, you can buy an aquarium chiller.
Step 6: The aquarium has a cycle of the water.
The process of starting a natural nitrogen cycle in the ammonia tank helps filter out harmful ammonia that kills fish.If you want to cycle your tank, you should only add 1 fish for every 2 gallons of water.After about 6 weeks, you can add the rest of your platy fish.If you're using a 29 US gal tank, you might want to start with a few platy fish.The water would be safe enough for you to add more fish after around 6 weeks.Adding too many platy fish before the tank has cycled can put stress on the fishes' bodies and cause them to die.
Step 7: The ratio of male and female fish should be maintained.
The males might fight over the females if there are too many in the tank.If you have a lot of male fish, it's a good idea to have 3 females for every 1 male.It's easier to determine the sex of your platy fish before you add them to your tank since they're all swimming around in the aquarium together.
Step 8: The majority of your platy fishes' diet should be commercial fish food.
In the wild, platy fish eat live organisms and plant matter.In captivity, platy fish thrive on commercial fish.Make sure the majority of the food you give your fish is this kind.Commercial fish food can be found at your local pet store.
Step 9: Meat and vegetable-based foods can be added to your fishes' diet.
You can give your platy fish small amounts of meat and vegetables with their daily feedings.Make sure the majority of their diet is made up of these foods.Live or frozen brine shrimp, tubifex, and blood worms are good for meat-based foods.Try cauliflower, broccoli, or zucchini for vegetables.Don't add organic vegetables to the tank unless you wash them thoroughly.
Step 10: Feed your fish a small amount of food.
Give your fish as much food as they can eat in 3 minutes.Cut back on how much you give your fish at each feeding if they aren't finishing all of the food within 3 minutes.Too much food in the tank can make your fish sick.In the morning, you could give your platy fish as much food as they can eat in 3 minutes.You could feed them the same amount at both lunch and dinner.
Step 11: The water should be replaced 25% of the time.
Replacing a quarter of the water will prevent the build-up of toxins that could make your fish sick.It will prevent pH changes that aren't good for platy fish.Don't replace all of the water at once since it will ruin the natural nitrogen cycle that you started in the tank.If you have a 29 US gal tank, you would need to replace 7 gallons of water every 2 weeks.The more platy fish you have, the more often you should change out the water.If you have a lot of fish for the size of your aquarium, you may want to replace the water every 2 weeks, whereas if you don't have that many fish in your tank you can probably get away with it once a month.
Step 12: After introducing your platy fish to the aquarium, wait for them to start breeding.
The platy fish are easy to breed and don't require much encouragement.Male and female platy fish should start breeding in a short amount of time if you introduce them to the tank.Make sure you have both male and female fish in the tank if your platy fish don't seem to be breeding.Make sure your fish are healthy and that you're feeding and caring for them properly since platy fish might not breed.
Step 13: Female fish can be pregnant if they have a dark spot.
There is a dark spot on the abdomen of a female platy fish when she is pregnant.Try to check your female fish daily for dark spots.If you discover that one of them is pregnant, you should keep a record of how long it has been pregnant.
Step 14: For pregnant fish to give birth, you have to wait 24 to 30 days.
This is the average period for platy fish.The fry should be born about 30 days after you wrote down when your fish was pregnant.It can be hard to estimate when your female platy fish will give birth if you don't keep track of it.When you notice they're pregnant, it will be within 30 days.You don't need to do anything special for your pregnant platy fish.The pregnancy should go smoothly if you feed and care for them properly.
Step 15: The fry should be separated.
Most of the fry should be able to hide from the adults as they grow if you provide enough hiding places in the aquarium.If you don't want the fry to be eaten, you may want to transfer them to a new tank or put a breeding trap in the tank.The mother can be moved to a separate tank before she gives birth, or you can separate the fry after.Transfer the fry from the tank to a new one by using a fishing net.Depending on where the fry are hiding, you may need to scoop up a shelter or floating plant in order to catch them.
Step 16: Feed the baby fish food and baby brine shrimp.
The baby fish food is easy for the small fry to eat.Similar to how you supplement your adult platy fishes' diet, you should also supplement their diet with baby brine shrimp.You should feed the fry in small amounts several times a day.
Step 17: Sell or give your platy fish as you breed them, or move them to a new tank.
It's important that you have a plan in place for what to do with the fry as they grow and mature since platy fish can quickly overpopulate an aquarium.When platy fish fry reach sexual maturity at 4 months of age, you can either give them to someone else or put them in their own tank.Your fish will suffer and get sick if your tank becomes overcrowded.You could turn your platy fish fry into a side business.They can be given to friends who are also aquarium enthusiasts.