Platy fish is a common form of fish for peoples moving from community tanks to tanks that contains livebearing fish species. Platy fish are one of the most common choices for those moving into livebearer tanks because platy fish are colorful fish that grow quick. Because platy fish grow quick, individuals can view the entire life cycle of platy fish within a few month.
The chart that is provided gives each owner of platy fish a timeline for the growth of platy fish, as well as provides size benchmarks for platy fish growth. By utilizing this chart, owners can ensure that the fry of platy fish are growing at the correct rate for the species; if the fry do not grow at the correct rate, the adult platy fish may become stunted in growth or have poor color overall. The growth stages of platy fish includes five periods.
Platy Fish Growth and Care Guide
During the first two weeks of the life of platy fish, the fry of platy fish are small and will tend to hide in the planted tanks of platy fish owners. At six weeks of age, the platy fish will begin to develop a lengthening body and the colors of adult platy fish will begin to emerge. Between three and four months of age, platy fish will reach sexual maturity, which allow for the differentiation of male and female platy fish.
At six months of age, platy fish will reach their final size and the colors of their bodies will deepen. These stages are represented on the chart to allow platy fish owners to remember these stages without having to memorize the life cycle stages of platy fish. The size of adult platy fish can vary depending on the variety of platy fish that the owner possesses.
For instance, southern platy fish may grow to be more smaller than variatus platy fish, and balloon platy fish may be more compact in size due to the breed of platy fish being a specific strain. Additionally, female platy fish tend to grow to be larger than male platy fish; the female platy fish may grow to twice the length of the male platy fish of the same breed. These size difference are represented on the chart for platy fish owners to consider the needs for tank space to accommodate adult platy fish.
The sex of platy fish can be discerned after the platy fish reach three months of age. Male platy fish will have a gonopodium that is rod shaped, while the females will have a rounded anal fin. Additionally, females will have a dark spot on the anal fin that is a sign that the platy fish is pregnant, while males will not have such a spot.
These characteristics allow for owners to determine the sex of platy fish, as well as ensure that there are not too many male platy fish that may harass the females of the species. The feeding requirements of platy fish change with their age. For fry platy fish, the owner feeds fine powder to the platy fish to allow for the fry to eat in small bite.
For juvenile platy fish, the owner feeds micro pellets to provide protein to platy fish without polluting the water. For sub-adult platy fish, flakes and frozen foods can be fed. For adult platy fish, vegetable matter should be included in its diet.
These feeding schedules are represented on the chart to ensure platy fish owners do not underfeed their platy fish, nor do they overfeed their platy fish; overfeeding platy fish can lead to crashes in the water chemistry in the fish tanks. The chemistry of the water in which platy fish live is similar throughout their life cycle, but the tolerance of platy fish to changes in the water chemistry change with their age. For instance, warmer water will lead to the development of platy fish to occur at a faster rate, while cooler water will slow the growth of platy fish.
However, platy fish of all ages require hard and slightly alkaline water to thrive. Small amounts of salt can be added to the water to kill any parasite that may enter the tank, but adding salt will not stress the platy fish. These ranges for water chemistry are represented on the chart for platy fish owners to set their heaters and test kits for platy fish water chemistry.
For platy fish to breed, the male and female platy fish must be housed within the same tank. The female platy fish will carry their young live for approximately one month, during which time the female platy fish can give birth to between twenty and eighty fry platy fish. During this time, if the owner does not provide the adult platy fish with breeding traps or cover for the fry platy fish, the adults will eat the fry platy fish.
Thus, owners must plan for this behavior prior to the first birth of the female platy fish of the tank. The most common reasons for platy fish growth problems include providing insufficient plant cover for platy fish fry, failing to perform water changes every week, and maintaining inappropriate light cycles for platy fish. If platy fish fry do not have access to plant cover, they will spend their energy hiding from other platy fish.
Thus, water changes once a week are necessary to keep the water clean for platy fish, but also to trigger growth hormone in the platy fish. Additionally, light cycles of ten to twelve hours per day are required to maintain the platy fish’s metabolism steady. Each of these factors is important to provide to platy fish, but each impact the platy fish’ life cycle during its first six months of life.
The chart shows platy fish owners the expected growth of platy fish over time; if platy fish are not growing as depicted on the chart, the owner should recognize the deviation from healthy growth, and take steps to address the issues; feeding, cover, and temperature for platy fish can all be adjusted based on the knowledge of healthy platy fish growth. Overall, if platy fish are provided with proper care, they will display steady color, as well as give birth to numerous batches of fry throughout their lifetime.
