Single platy in a community

[Gideyon]

I keep going back and forth between a heated and cold water tank. I really want to do the latter, but I really would like a centerpiece. 

So I had a thought.... 

In a 10g (maybe 7g swimming space), if I kept 5 of either standard endlers or white clouds, can I have a singular platy? 

I keep reading they do better in small groups, but I couldn't find if they do well in groups of other fish being the only platy. 

 

[Tihshho]

Platies are semi schooling, but honestly they don't seem to care if the school is other Platies, Mollies, Swordtails or other larger bodied live bearers. The might follow other schooling fish as well, but not like they do other live bearers. If you wanted to have a semi center piece, just add a trio of them and make sure they are all one gender. If they end up being all female and gravid, pull the babies and rehome them and when all is said and done you'll have some nice colorful fish in there.

[Gideyon]

On 9/5/2021 at 6:01 PM, Tihshho said:

Platies are semi schooling, but honestly they don't seem to care if the school is other Platies, Mollies, Swordtails or other larger bodied live bearers. The might follow other schooling fish as well, but not like they do other live bearers. If you wanted to have a semi center piece, just add a trio of them and make sure they are all one gender. If they end up being all female and gravid, pull the babies and rehome them and when all is said and done you'll have some nice colorful fish in there.

3 with 5 white clouds/endlers? Or 3 by itself?   I probably wouldn't mind 3 variatus of different colors by themselves.  I was worried about breeding but I guess having 3 males would solve that problem. 

[Tihshho]

3 platties and the white clouds would be OK. Just keep up with water changes. I said White Clouds over Endlers due to production rate of fry. Going to get babies faster with Endlers than White Clouds since the eggs and tiny fry will most likely get eaten. If you can get 3 young female Platties you will be better off since there won't  be general male aggression. 

[Samanthabea]

I have 1 platy with 9 mollies he doesn't care that he's alone in his species 

[PineSong]

I had two male platies in a community tank with male guppies and endlers, and a group of white clouds. The platies spent most of their time very close to one another and didn't may much attention to where the white clouds or endlers were.

I've moved the male platies to another tank and put 3 female platies in the community tank. They also mostly hang around each other and seem totally uninterested in the whereabouts of the white clouds or endlers.

So I think they prefer their own species as companions, but they're non-violent so they'll get along with either endlers or white clouds.

[Gideyon]

In my further research on platys (and I'm becoming more and more intrigued that I'm considering a platy only tank), I discovered something only mentioned in the comments of a YouTube care guide:

They're big poopers. 

Is this true?   Are we talking pleco amount?  Snail amount? 

I like the small bioload fish.  But if the tank works the way I want it to, maybe it won't matter. 

[Tihshho]

You'd be surprised the amount of waste from large bodied Live Bearers. Once you see them running around the tank with a 2" healthy poop you'll only then understand. 

[Gideyon]

On 9/6/2021 at 9:53 PM, Tihshho said:

You'd be surprised the amount of waste from large bodied Live Bearers. Once you see them running around the tank with a 2" healthy poop you'll only then understand. 

I do remember seeing that during a video that had nothing to do with platys. It was in the background with the long string attached. 

 

[Tihshho]

That's a fairly normal sight after a while, as long as it's not clear/white you have nothing to worry about.

[Phinny]

Will a single full size platy school with a group of dwarf platies? 

Will a mix of full size and dwarf platies school together?

[PineSong]

On 9/15/2021 at 5:49 PM, Phinny said:

Will a single full size platy school with a group of dwarf platies? 

Will a mix of full size and dwarf platies school together?

I don't know. I've only ever kept full size platies. In one tank I have two adults and two juveniles. The two adults are constantly with each other and the two juveniles are with each other. They do not fight, but they don't join each other and travel as a group.

[Brandon p]

I have a single platy in my Community tank 75g. That has discus, angels, lots of corys, plecos. She’s benne in there two year and no issue. I have tried to get her out and with out moving everything in the tank I can’t so she stayed in