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I am setting up a 7 gallon with 5 platys in it. (all female or all male) It will probably be near a window so it might build up algae.
Would thsi be ok?

Tank: 7 gallon - 25cm wide x 25cm high x 45cm long (26 litres)

Fish:
5 platys
2 otos

Filtration: Eheim aquaball 2208 (internal)

Heater: Tronic 55wtt

Plants: heavily live planted

Aquascaping: natural gravel, rocks, pebbels, a piece of bogwood with java moss growing on it and small swords at the back, maybe some whysteria.

Maintenance: weekly 25% water changes

Water chemistry: 10dGH, 7.0 Ph, Am0, Nitri0, Nitra0

So would this be ok?

I think that would be fine. You don't say if your using a heater.

I have to say I set-up a 5 gallon tank for my son with NO heater. A few plants (java fern, hygrophila, java moss). The fish include:

2 Platys
3 Zebras
1 Cory
2 Otos

And these fish have been in for about 1 year with no loses.



My Scapes

I would say dont, cant you just wipe the alge? anyway if your too lazy to do that then only if you actually GET alge I *think* you could try a couple of otto's

Heater: Tronic 55wtt

I do say if I am using a heater and I am. How delicate are otos? I am not to lazy to wipe the alge I have an algae cleaner, it is just that I would love ot have some otos if i can. What food do otos like? I need some information on otos.

Thanks, guys for replying so quickly, and thanks for the help!

sounds good.

Thanks dude!

Last edited by labrakitty at 02-Apr-2005 17:47

Thanks, I think I will go ahead with:
5 platys
2 otos
I will add the otos a while after so the tank is very stable. (I am doing a fishless cycle with ammonia)

Thanks for your help guys!

Sorry labrakitty,

Didn't see you posted heated info.
I send by my original statement.
Yes, I agree what to the water is established for it while.
Like I said my son's tank is a 5 gallon bowfront, no heater and the otos have done fine after a full year.

I also notice they do favor the java fern in the tank.




My Scapes

Someone beat me to it.

Tips to remember by the way Labrakitty, include this: when you set out to collect your Otocinclus, try and ensure that you perform a water change on the aqaurium before picking them up, as Otocinclus like new, fresh water. You can actually cycle an aquarium with them if you exercise a certain amount of care and attention, and make sure that they have algae to eat when they arrive. You could aways use the Otocinclus Pet Rock™ tirck I cited in my article to make sure that they have a decent supply of algae. In my case, I use my Panda breeding aquarium as a site for cultivating the algae on my rocks, because it doesn't have any algae eaters in and usually ends up needing brown algae (diatoms) remonving from the front glass once a week. Since Otocinclus love munching on diatoms, what better way to cultivate them than put the rocks in my breeding aquarium and cycle through them?

So, if you have more than one aquarium, and you have one that is devoid of algae eaters, but regularly in need of cleaning of the front glass, you could always use that as your Pet Rock farm. Just as I've cited above.



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks Cali, I will definitely not use them for cycling as I am doing a fishless cycle, and I wouldn't want to risk their lives. I will need to quarantine them and wait till there is a good supply of algae for them to eat before i put them in. The tnak will probably be near a window so it should have a good supply of algae!

Thanks for the help everyone!

Get all male platies, because the females can reach up to 3" long (I personally have seen them that big). The males stay much smaller.

Also, oftentimes the females will already be pregnant when you by them.

---

I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Yeah, my females are not at 3". I am definitely not buying any more fish as I already ahve plenty, at the moment the adults I have are 2 females and 1 male. The female came pregnant, that is why I have so many babies.

I will put males in one tank and females in the other tank. A 3"female platy would have been crossed with a swordtail, pure bred platys ony get to about 6-6.5cm.:%)

Last edited by labrakitty at 03-Apr-2005 01:37