Problems Getting Platies.

Hello.

I am in the process of setting up a 165L tank, I'm hoping to eventually add just Platies to this tank.

I really love these lovely coloured fish.

The problem is getting females, I have been to two different fish shops, the first shop I asked for 1 male & 2 females got them home and
they where one female & 2 males. After a week the female died, so I went to anothe fish shop and asked for 3 females,
got them home and they are 3 males.

I now have 5 male platies all of them are beautifull fish, but still no females.

I am now a little bothered about buying more, in case I get more males. I would have thought that the stores would be
able to tell the differance between the two.

All 5 males are in my 300L tank for the time being.

How can I be sure of getting females and not males.

Regards.
Donna.

Donna, you need to take control at the LFS. Point to the fish that you want and don't accept another that is about the same size and color. The one you want is the only one you are willing to pay for. Be firm but polite and make sure that you get the ones that you want. There is no good excuse for the LFS not giving you the very fish that you want. If you are willing to spend even 5 minutes staring into the tank of mollies that you are buying from, you can pick out exactly which fish you want. At some shops, I would not be surprised to find that some of the employees can't tell a male from a female on something as simple to sex as platies.

I've actually asked and caught my own fish when the employees couldn't get it right...LOL

Thanks for the replys.

I have to be honest with you, I am new to fish keeping and have only had my 300L tank for four months.

I have male and female mollies which I had no problem telling which was which, but I am finding it hard with the platies.

I know you probably find that hard to believe.

I have looked a pictures on here but they dont seem to look like that when you look at them in the shops.

Regards.
Donna.

Males have a gonopodium (instead of anal fin) - a very sharp pointed looking fin, as showed in picture below..





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Females have a anal fin.. as showed in pic below..





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Also there is this to look at, (another member usually posts this)

Thanks for the photos, seeing real fish makes it look a lot easier to tell
them apart.

Regards.
Donna.