Child’s first fish(es)
Discussion
Caddyshack said:
Fish often perk up after a water change as rain is often the stimulant to breed so you may be seeing that activity. Colder water can do the same thing.
That does not cause them to go reclusive inbetween times; also I kept platties for many years and I can assure you they do not need any stimulation to breed 
When they are reclusive the water needs to be tested for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
A great tool you can get to help 'debug' this issue, is a Seachem Ammonia Alert. £8 from Amazon and it will give you a constant readout of the ammonia level for a year. Takes all the guesswork out of it.
Edited by budgie smuggler on Wednesday 27th November 20:30
Sway said:
somewhere around 19C, then rise by 1C a day (ending at perhaps 23-24C).
Have settled on 26c for the last couple of weeks. Appreciate it’s not an exact figure using the fairly coarse scale on the heater dial.Seems to be just right though and the fish are the most active they’ve been.
It gets better.....
Clean and water change today. Thought it was probably about time to drag the filter out and give it a rinse too.
Lifted the lid and had a look down the back of the tank (behind the false back where the filter and pump live) and could see something flitting around.
“Crikey,” thinks I. “That shrimp has got big. Wondered where he’d got to”.
Ah, hang on, that’s not a big shrimp, that’s a small fish.
We have a baby.
Clean and water change today. Thought it was probably about time to drag the filter out and give it a rinse too.
Lifted the lid and had a look down the back of the tank (behind the false back where the filter and pump live) and could see something flitting around.
“Crikey,” thinks I. “That shrimp has got big. Wondered where he’d got to”.
Ah, hang on, that’s not a big shrimp, that’s a small fish.
We have a baby.
Crossflow Kid said:
It gets better.....
Clean and water change today. Thought it was probably about time to drag the filter out and give it a rinse too.
Lifted the lid and had a look down the back of the tank (behind the false back where the filter and pump live) and could see something flitting around.
“Crikey,” thinks I. “That shrimp has got big. Wondered where he’d got to”.
Ah, hang on, that’s not a big shrimp, that’s a small fish.
We have a baby.
Clean and water change today. Thought it was probably about time to drag the filter out and give it a rinse too.
Lifted the lid and had a look down the back of the tank (behind the false back where the filter and pump live) and could see something flitting around.
“Crikey,” thinks I. “That shrimp has got big. Wondered where he’d got to”.
Ah, hang on, that’s not a big shrimp, that’s a small fish.
We have a baby.
and so it begins...
Are you sure you have just one?
The platy baby making machine rumbles on, ahh the memories!
I had about 3 or 4 reach full maturity in the couple of years I had a tank, very satisfying.
Try to get some foliage in the tank if you haven't already, reduces their chances of becoming dinner when they are fry, I had a couple of plants in the subsstrate and a floating one that gave good cover.
I had about 3 or 4 reach full maturity in the couple of years I had a tank, very satisfying.
Try to get some foliage in the tank if you haven't already, reduces their chances of becoming dinner when they are fry, I had a couple of plants in the subsstrate and a floating one that gave good cover.
Pretty sure it’s just one.
There are lots of tiny “things” darting about at the bottom of the filter header but I suspect they’re baby shrimp (which also seems to have thrived since adding the heater).
I reckon Jnr avoided being dined upon by getting though to the filter area which has protected it from the grown ups while growing a bit. It’s now of a size where I doubt the adults would take it. Too big.
Netted it and transferred to the main area of the tank. Seems ok. Has fed a little but is now hiding in a corner. Probably thinking “Whoa! This place is MASSIVE!”
There are lots of tiny “things” darting about at the bottom of the filter header but I suspect they’re baby shrimp (which also seems to have thrived since adding the heater).
I reckon Jnr avoided being dined upon by getting though to the filter area which has protected it from the grown ups while growing a bit. It’s now of a size where I doubt the adults would take it. Too big.
Netted it and transferred to the main area of the tank. Seems ok. Has fed a little but is now hiding in a corner. Probably thinking “Whoa! This place is MASSIVE!”
otolith said:
I still think it's pretty appalling that you were sold that tank without a heater - and that it wasn't an oversight, it appears to be policy.
True. Interestingly enough, local pet store has now re-categorised its fish stock and has cold, tropical and a newly-introduced temperate section where the platy reside.
Wonder if they read PH?
Variatus platties are okay down to about 15c, most likely they mistakenly applied that to all platyfish.
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