Too many Platy fry

[Audie]

My 6yo daughter has a 10 gallon tank with a few ghost shrimp. I bought her 4 Platys to add to it, however they had multiplied out of control. I have at least 20 platys now in this 10 gallon and I need to control the population. Are there fish out there that I could add to the tank that would help control the fry population? I’m not sure what to do with all of these fish. 

[Keeg]

There are definitely fish out there that will take care of the issue. Pea puffers are a great way to get the fry eaten, but they can nip your other fish as well. Dwarf gourami can also be a good option, as they are colorful and will hunt the fry. A cool addition would be African dwarf frogs, they're around the same price in my area and are relatively easy to find. If you end up not wanting to get another fish as every fish has its consequences, maybe upgrade the filter cap to something with larger holes so that the adults are fine but the fry are sucked up. Or grow a few fry out and sell them/ give them to other hobbyists around you as many people would be happy to have them. 

[Audie]

Thank you! That is very helpful. I’ve been interested in African dwarf frogs, but do you know if they’ll bother the ghost shrimp? 

[Keeg]

2 hours ago, Audie said:

Thank you! That is very helpful. I’ve been interested in African dwarf frogs, but do you know if they’ll bother the ghost shrimp? 

If the dwarf frogs can get ahold of them, then yes. For me they didn't have an issue with each other. Shrimp are a very easy target for a lot of aquatic creatures. Maybe look into fish like a swordtail, they'll eat fry too. I'm surprised that the platys aren't eating the fry themselves. Must be a good pair. 😂

[Audie]

Good to know! If my 6yo isn’t creeped out by frogs, I’ll definitely get some of those 😄 And I like the dwarf gourami suggestion, they’re very pretty! Hopefully I can get this Platy population under control 😬

[Kirsten]

Call ahead to your local fish or pet store and see if they'll take them. They may even buy them off you or give you a store credit. Self-sustaining fish!

[Kat_Rigel]

Use caution because anything that will eat the fry will likely eat the shrimp too. Ideally you could have a second tank with a larger inhabitant that likes to eat other fish, although it seems like that might not suit your situation.

[Fish Folk]

21 hours ago, Audie said:

I have at least 20 platys now in this 10 gallon and I need to control the population.

We have done this multiple times: start out with one or two pairs of Livebearers, and end up with a large colony! They’ll eventually find a limit. Once first generation fry grow large enough, they’ll  eat 2nd generation fry. Then you can do what @Kirsten suggests, and sell off grown stock to your LFS for credit, etc. 

Here’s a 10-gal tank we did this with. Started with one male and one female...

 

[Brandy]

1 hour ago, Fish Folk said:

We have done this multiple times: start out with one or two pairs of Livebearers, and end up with a large colony! They’ll eventually find a limit. Once first generation fry grow large enough, they’ll  eat 2nd generation fry. Then you can do what @Kirsten suggests, and sell off grown stock to your LFS for credit, etc. 

Here’s a 10-gal tank we did this with. Started with one male and one female...

 

This is literally my next project. I can't wait! I want the dwarf red coral platys!! or alternatively red gold wag tail platys. Just need to clear out a few more guppies..

Edited February 11, 2021 by Brandy

[Audie]

5 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

We have done this multiple times: start out with one or two pairs of Livebearers, and end up with a large colony! They’ll eventually find a limit. Once first generation fry grow large enough, they’ll  eat 2nd generation fry. Then you can do what @Kirsten suggests, and sell off grown stock to your LFS for credit, etc. 

Here’s a 10-gal tank we did this with. Started with one male and one female...

 

That is good to know! I think it’s beautiful, Platys are a wonderful fish. I just didn’t expect that they’d be so prolific 😆 It’s a little more reassuring to know the population will plateau in time. Thanks for your input!

[PineSong]

I realize this is an old thread, but just FYI it's also possible to remove all the female fish and rehome them or bring them back to your LFS, and only keep male platies in the tank. This is how I solved my platy over-production problems in the past. My kids didn't like the idea of fry being eaten by anyone, so it was a good solution.