New Platys Won't Come Out And Play

[amcalab]

Hi. I added three female red wadtail platys to a 29 gallon tank with a school of whiteclouds. It has been over 36 hours and the platys are still hiding. They come out to eat but then go back under the heater or in the plants. How long before they are comfortable in the tank? Is there anything I can do to make them more comfortable. I turned off the light. Anything else?

 

[Annastasia]

Whiteclouds can be very active fish, which might initially frighten the Platies. I'd try adding in lots of hiding places, plants, etc, so the Platies won't feel like they need to be in one place to feel safe. Other than that, just give them time, and make sure they aren't exhibiting any signs of disease.

 

[Piltdownpaul]

Hmmm i have wagtails and mine have been active since they went in the main tank-maybe they need to chill for a while-(not literally!)

 

[amcalab]

THanks for the quick reply. I just hope they aren't too stressed out. They are really cool fish. Would increasing their numbers help? I could add a few more.

 

[Annastasia]

Possibly, but you don't want to overstock your tank and you need to plan for fry. How many males and females do you have now, and what size is your tank? How long has it been set-up?

 

[amcalab]

All females - If and when they give birth, I have folks willing to take any fry I don't wish to keep.

The tank is newly cycled. The reason I added so many (3 Platy, 9 WC) is that I didn't want to waste all that bacteria I worked so hard to cultivate. According to the fishless cycle guide, I should be OK. And I don't think I overstocked;but, I could be wrong.

 

[Annastasia]

Ah, okay, sounds good. You could add a few more, if you wanted. How many gallons is your tank?

And yes, if you fishless cycled, you should be fine. Just keep an eye on the water stats, and do water changes as needed.