Male Platys Only?

[Staccat0]

I'm curious if you can have just two male platys in a community. I've never kept a platy before, but I'm already bored with the idea of dealing with their fry.
I know some swordtails have been known to change sex. Can a platy do this?
I'm having a lot of trouble finding info, because these is too much info about breeding platys to sort through. I often read "1 male to 2 females" but it seems like this is just a way to prevent troubles with the male pestering the female when she has a headache. Is it to prevent stress or do you need 3. Will the males fight eachother? other fish?
What about one male?
I think they are a neat fish, but I'm not interested in breeding them right now or being responsible for the fry being gobbled up.

Sorry if this is a stupid question...

 

[Majjie]

It depends on your individual platys. Sometimes two males can get along ok ... other times one of them will make the life of the other a misery. In the absence of a female, males can ... ummh ... pursue another male in an aggressive way Male platys are just like that.

It's not a good idea to keep just one, though. Platys like company.

If you don't want them to breed you're better off keeping a couple of females (if you can get some which aren't pregnant!)

 

[Staccat0]

It depends on your individual platys. Sometimes two males can get along ok ... other times one of them will make the life of the other a misery. In the absence of a female, males can ... ummh ... pursue another male in an aggressive way Male platys are just like that.

It's not a good idea to keep just one, though. Platys like company.

If you don't want them to breed you're better off keeping a couple of females (if you can get some which aren't pregnant!)

Yeah, thats the only reason I asked about the males. I'm aprehensive about getting one thats already knocked up. Thanks for the info. Its pretty hard to find any on this aspect of such a common fish.

I did learn however in my most recent research that Swordtails are probably not the type to change sex. Instead some are late bloomers no? at least thats what I've found. Funny stuff...

 

[Majjie]

Yes, I don't think there's any properly documented evidence of livebearers changing sex ... but there are a lot of fishkeepers who will swear that they do (especially swordtails).

I've had quite a few platys that look female until young adulthood ... but then turn into males when they are put in with females. It seems quite likely that their development is somehow suppressed by the presence of more dominant males. (Either that, or they're just doing it to annoy me )

It would be quite a good trick if fish could change sex .... because if they found themselves in a single sex group they could change and ... have a field day.

The trouble with fish keeping is that knowledge has been largely built up from hearsay and trial and error. Someone tries a water treatment, in addition to frequent water changes and better maintenance than usual ... and the fish get better. That person then swears blind by that treatment ... whereas in reality the fish were going to get better anyway, or it was the increased water changes and maintenance that caused the cure. That's how incorrect folklore - like salt being a tonic for all fish - gets about.

We never do proper controlled experiments and treat only half the fish - with one thing at a time - and then compare them with the untreated half!

 

[jennybugs]

I have 4 male platys in my community tank and they get one seemingly well. They display to each other but I've never seen them take a bite etc. They're always hanging around together although they also seem happy to wander alone at times as well

 

[vinylman]

You should be ok with male Platies; I have nine and they're absolutely fine. When I had male swordtails, however, things used to get VERY nasty at times, that's why I changed to Platies. Another advantage of Platies (if they're anything like mine) is that you'll have absolutely no waste food rotting away in the gravel. Really, mine are absolutely unbelieveable; I'll swear that they turn over EVERY piece of substrate to fill their bellies. I recently changed to Aquagrit as a substrate and while I had to abandon my plans to have some Corys (the Aquagrit is just too sharp) the Platies do the same job of keeping it clean.

 

[Staccat0]

Cool thanks for the help!
Still not sure if I wanna run the risk of getting rowdy males. Hmmm... I wish I could just get the darn things fixed!
'Nother question. I'm gonna read up on sexing them, but will a person at a store be likely to help me in this endeaver? I know it depends on the person, but typically, is this an unusual request? Do people normally buy platties with a sex in mind or do they just roll the dice? I mean at a specialty store not Petsmart...

 

[jennybugs]

Male platy have two rod like fins underneath behind their fins and the females don't...

Hope that helps

 

[Majjie]

Another advantage of Platies (if they're anything like mine) is that you'll have absolutely no waste food rotting away in the gravel. Really, mine are absolutely unbelieveable; I'll swear that they turn over EVERY piece of substrate to fill their bellies.

That's one thing I'll agree with vinylman about. Platies like their food!
As to getting on .... like I said, it depends on the platys. You could always ask your lfs if they would take one back, if it turns out aggressive. They'll often agree - if you ask before you buy - because they want you to go ahead and buy the fish. (They'll also tell you that you won't have any problems with aggression - they do that for any and all fish seems to me )

 

[Staccat0]

Another advantage of Platies (if they're anything like mine) is that you'll have absolutely no waste food rotting away in the gravel. Really, mine are absolutely unbelieveable; I'll swear that they turn over EVERY piece of substrate to fill their bellies.

That's one thing I'll agree with vinylman about. Platies like their food!
As to getting on .... like I said, it depends on the platys. You could always ask your lfs if they would take one back, if it turns out aggressive. They'll often agree - if you ask before you buy - because they want you to go ahead and buy the fish. (They'll also tell you that you won't have any problems with aggression - they do that for any and all fish seems to me )

Yeah I know what you mean. Every fish store I've been checking I ask about cycling the tank. If any of them give an answer I like they will be chosen as my place of preference. I do not currently have such a place

Anyway, now I feel like my wife and I could probably sex them on our own.
Thanks for all the great help guys. These forums are great.

 

[Luketendo]

I think a group of 3+ platies would be better, would spread aggression.