1" Per Gallon

[robertherrington]

Ok I Think I Finally Have My Setup Good After Disaster. I Have A 10G With 5 Platies That isnt overstocked right? I got a breeder net for when the females pop out fry. I only have one male and 4 females I also have a 9g tank and 5g for the fry

 

[Tolak]

The 10 gallon sounds like a good setup, I would try to get more tank space for the fry. Most shops won't take the fry until they are 1", and it is easy to get overrun with fry.

Growout tanks don't have to be tanks, Rubbermaid bins work just as well, and are cheaper.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Honestly, I think it's overstocked, not biologically, but ethically. After seeing my platies in my 29g, they're too active for a 10g. I had 3 platies in my 10g once, and they didn't seem happy. They just stayed in the corner all day. But maybe that's just my platies. Maybe yours will be more energetic. But personally, I wouldn't do it.

EDIT: Make sure you have a filter and heater for the fry tanks.

 

[robertherrington]

The 10 gallon sounds like a good setup, I would try to get more tank space for the fry. Most shops won't take the fry until they are 1", and it is easy to get overrun with fry.

Growout tanks don't have to be tanks, Rubbermaid bins work just as well, and are cheaper.

Rubbermaid's Dont Have Toxic In The Plastic??

 

[Tolak]

No they don't, I've never had a problem with them. I use tupperware bowls for hatching, as do plenty of other breeders. The bins & tubs are safe for potable water.

 

[*Fishkies*]

Ok I Think I Finally Have My Setup Good After Disaster. I Have A 10G With 5 Platies That isnt overstocked right? I got a breeder net for when the females pop out fry. I only have one male and 4 females ....

Sounds like you've got the right idea to me! Good Luck with those platys!!!

 

[K.J.]

Not going to be a mansion for them, but suitable.

 

[Yazan]

Honestly, I think it's overstocked, not biologically, but ethically. After seeing my platies in my 29g, they're too active for a 10g. I had 3 platies in my 10g once, and they didn't seem happy. They just stayed in the corner all day. But maybe that's just my platies. Maybe yours will be more energetic. But personally, I wouldn't do it.

EDIT: Make sure you have a filter and heater for the fry tanks.

Actually he/she is overstocked with the whole tank but not with the fish.
Platies = 2 inch,(5cm)
you have - 5 platies,
so 5x2 = 10.
So your 10 gallon with fish is not overstocked, but how about the space taken up bby decorations etc. With the decorations etc it would take about 2-3-4 gallons, so you will be over stocked in tank space,but, what realy matters is the biologicall stock.

 

[K.J.]

If he has overfiltering, it's fine... My tank is really far too overstocked right now until I get the other one up and running but all levels are fine, because I'm overfiltering.

 

[robertherrington]

Overfiltering would be considered using a filter with a higher gph? Right now I have a whisper 10, and a couple other ones if i get a filter cartridge for them. I plan on changing 20% of the water weekly. does anyone have any suggestions on how often i should change my bio bag

 

[K.J.]

If I think a bio bag is the media that filter bacteria cycles on (read Fishless Cycling in NTTH) then you don't change it. Every week or every other week, have a bucket of used fish water from your water changes that day and just soak it in there. DON'T use chlorinated water and don't change it. Generally for an HOB filter pushing 10 times the tank size is considered overfiltering. I have a Penguin 20 or something in my 10G and it runs 100GPH perfectly.

 

[timmystood]

See, this is where I really detest people using the 1" per gallon rule. 5 Platties in a tank Gallon isn't anywhere near overstocked.

 

[penguin22]

Ok I Think I Finally Have My Setup Good After Disaster. I Have A 10G With 5 Platies That isnt overstocked right? I got a breeder net for when the females pop out fry. I only have one male and 4 females I also have a 9g tank and 5g for the fry

Sounds a nice little setup I dont think your overstocked, just keep doing your water changes

 

[Tolak]

See, this is where I really detest people using the 1" per gallon rule. 5 Platties in a tank Gallon isn't anywhere near overstocked.

This is no where near a rule, it is a guideline designed for beginning aquarists. This guildeline is to prevent overstocking while giving a safe margin for beginner's mistakes. More experienced aquarists go beyond this guideline every day, some very much so, with no problems. They also have the experience and equipment to deal with a situation that starts to go south, as well as being able to forsee problems in most cases. Platys, like many livebearers, are one of the more forgiving fish in regards to stocking and maintenance.

 

[half baked idiot]

when you say that most shops won't take fry unless they are 1", are you talking about selling fsh back to shops? What sort of prices do they pay for that?