Platys

[Matty24]

Evening all, ive not thought much about it but I noticed a week or so ago the 4 platys in my sons 19l tank seems to be really shy and hiding, normally I will walk in the room each morning turn the light on check they are all fine and go about my daily business come home from work feed them, again check things are OK but over the last few days they seem really unhappy with me they see me come upto the glass for a look, they know its time for food, tonight they were almost angry fins up flering gills darting about.. I dropped a tiny bit of good in to check if they were going to come up and feed 1 of the 4 was happy feeding the other 3 were hiding so I walked out the room and stood out of sight and popped my head round the corner and they were all then feeding together within a few seconds of me walking out the room anyone experienced anything like this before or am I that ugly

 

[emeraldking]

or am I that ugly

LOL! Your words...

 

[Colin_T]

Check the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

If fish act nervous or skittish there is usually a water quality issue or something has startled them.

If you don't have test kits, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. That usually fixed any water quality issues.

 

[Sgooosh]

Check the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

If fish act nervous or skittish there is usually a water quality issue or something has startled them.

If you don't have test kits, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. That usually fixed any water quality issues.

^^^
I've never had swordtails flare gills before...

 

[Matty24]

Just for the record I moved the 4 platys into a bigger tank with other platys and mollies and they have gone back to their usual greedy selves and don't get spooked no more

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Just for the record I moved the 4 platys into a bigger tank with other platys and mollies and they have gone back to their usual greedy selves and don't get spooked no more

Good to hear! Did you test the water in the previous tank? That tank being too small for platies was likely the main issue, very possible that they were experiencing an ammonia or nitrite spike.

 

[Matty24]

The tank was only running around 3 months never had any problems with ammonia/nitrites other than abit of algea here and there which was my own fault for not having the light on a timer was my sons tank which of course I had to look after it, even did a fish in cycle without knowing what I was doing (don't worry I have learnt alot since then @Essjay taught me well ) within the 3 months the 4 platys got slightly bigger in size not that you would really notice but when you watch your fish you notice any change like you say im guessing they just needed abit more room