I got my son some fish- platies?

Question

We have 2 red with black tails, 2orangish-yellows, 2 black.
Can they all mate together? What was the lady saying about that they can mate but wont school? Are they vegetarians or meat eaters? (What treats do they like)

Answer 1

Even though they're different colors, they'll all the same species, so they can all mate with any other (of the opposite gender). Platys aren't a schooling species. Rather than stick together in one group, each of the fish will go it's own way (although males will be inclined to follow the females - they seem to have mating on their minds 24/7).

They're considered omnivores, so they'll eat meat or plant matter. A good flake food is okay to use as a staple for their diet, but give them some bloodworms, brine shrimp, pieces of romaine lettluce leaves, sliced squash and cucumber for treats.

On platy care: http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Platy.htm
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/558.htm

On fishkeeping in general: http://www.fishlore.com/
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16

Answer 2

They will absolutely be able to mate together.

When fish school, it's when they all swim in the same direction and move exactly together. Platies don't do that, they just kinda mill around aimlessly. :)

Platies do eat both, but they are more heavily vegetarian than most other tropicals. They will nibble at algae in your tank. You can give them just a few small crumbles of algae wafers if you're nervous about fouling your water with people food. But they do well on plain tropical flakes in between algae treats.

Answer 3

By schooling she means, swin together. Did you see the way the neons and tetras, at the shop, swim together and the other fish swim by them selves. Fish famous for schooling are moutain clouds, tetras, neons, those types of fish.

They will breed, but it's not that likey. If they do and the babies grow and mature, they will be sterile, that means they can't breed.

Platies are vegetarian and meat eaters. feed them fish flakes, for everyday feeding,

and once in a while you can give them frozen or live brine shrimp, blood worms or something like that. BUT make sure you don;t get thinkgs too big like mice shrimp. they won;t eat it.


anyways, hope that helps!

an good luck

by the way-the red ones with black tails are called red wag platies, i have them too.

Answer 4

Platies tend to be loners who will mate with each other but won't hang out. (Mine is sitting under a rock very p'od about something but I have no clue as to what - he should be lucky he's still alive!)
They are both vegetarian and meat-eaters. Most fish foods are about half processed shrimp or flies, half rice or wheat meal cereals. You don't have to feed them every day. Feed them every other day or when they seem to be interested in food.
Swatted house flies make fine treats - so do small insects, dried worms cut in pieces (you know, the ones on the sidewalk after a rain), and they will pick apart large insects in the tank as a group.
Provide plenty of hiding spaces in the form of lots of big rocks in the tank. Plants are okay but hard to keep alive.
Be sure and let your water from the tap stand 24 hours before adding it to the tank to burn off the chlorine most water treatment plants add, especially when doing a water change.
Add a real copper penny or two (anyone dated 1981 or earlier) to prevent water-borne diseases. Supposedly the copper acts as an electrical charge for positive ions to attach to prevent the spread of disease. (At least that's how it was explained to me!)
Enjoy.

Answer 5

yes they can mate together and just feed them flakes and as treats i think bloodworms/brineshrimp *but thats just a guess because most tropical fish eat that so if i were u i would check on just incase*