Strange Platy Behavior

[jamesbarr]

hey,

I got a bunch of platies from a friend of mine. I am pretty unfamiliar with them but I am told by my friend that they are pretty prolific with their breeding habits.

Lately Ive noticed them hanging out on the tank floor and it looks like they are rubbing their bellies on the sand... normally when the fish hang out at the bottom I get worried, but the fish dont seem distressed at all. No dicoloration, they dont seem to have any kind of vertigo or anything.

Anyway, just wondering how they are since I have no idea. I actually only took them because I liked the look of a few of the cross bred ones with guppies. I have a few that are platy in shape but instead of being red, they have a red tail and silver bodies. I assume that the cross breeds are like a mule and are not able to breed. I took a few others that arent cross bred and I have no idea if they were bred prior....

Whatever the case....Im just wondering if anyone has any experience with them or other live bearers doing this.

[SuperGuppyGirl]

Ummmm...when mine do that, they're...ahem...frustrated LOL, sexing is pretty much the same as guppies, and as for the cross breeds, I know the platy/molly crosses are fertile but I have had guppies and platies in the same tank for months on end and never seen them attempt my girls, any pics so want to see

[AJanzen]

As far as anything I`ve ever read or experienced guppies and platy`s cannot crossbreed. What you may have is a crossbreed between a guppy and a molly. Don`t know the logistics and such but in that respect I would say there`s a good chance you may be right on the `mule` aspect. Everything I`ve ever read basically states that a molly and a guppy can breed, or a swordtail and a platy can breed, but not any other combination. Could be wrong, but I don`t think so. Sometimes confusion can arise in a tank as many of these livebearers will actually carry viable male sperm for months on end, so when you see your guppy doing a little dance with a platy female it doesn`t actually mean she was impregnated. She may become pregnant again from a mating that happened months and months ago.

[jamesbarr]

As far as anything I`ve ever read or experienced guppies and platy`s cannot crossbreed. What you may have is a crossbreed between a guppy and a molly. Don`t know the logistics and such but in that respect I would say there`s a good chance you may be right on the `mule` aspect. Everything I`ve ever read basically states that a molly and a guppy can breed, or a swordtail and a platy can breed, but not any other combination. Could be wrong, but I don`t think so. Sometimes confusion can arise in a tank as many of these livebearers will actually carry viable male sperm for months on end, so when you see your guppy doing a little dance with a platy female it doesn`t actually mean she was impregnated. She may become pregnant again from a mating that happened months and months ago.

Well, what I am watching doesnt involve a guppy at all any more. It involves two normal platies and two cross bred platies. The guy i got them from bought his orignal platies and guppies probably a couple years ago give or take. These fish that I have are no more than a few months old. Since, he has more than double the population in his tanks. He stocks no mollies (if he did I have taken them instead :P). In his tank he has danios, guppies, platies, pleco, yoyo loach, and a couple runty minnows. The only thing that made sense was platy and guppies....

It is odd however because it seems that the concensus is that they cannot breed. Ill have to post some pictures as SuperGuppyGirl is requesting. Perhaps buddy has a bit of an anomaly tank.....lol

Edited April 15, 2012 by jamesbarr

[AJanzen]

Sounds weird, every once in a while somebody claims a guppy platy cross. Don`t know how legit it actually is, would probably need a geneticist to actually come up with a definitive answer. Another possibility is that the guy you bought them from was sold some mollies as platys. They can look very similar sometimes.

[jamesbarr]

ok wow, I bet you are right sir Janzen. I hit up the trusty google. Platies and mollies could easlity be mistaken for one another...

Thank you for helping me clear that up. So that just leaves the confusion on what the heck they are doing rubbing up on the sandy bottom. Would the gollies try and breed the platies?

Thats awesome tho because it really explains a lot. He has some fish (previously thought to be platies) that are inexplicably large. however if they are mollies, their size would also make more sense.

[jeanie1978]

I myself have seen and (accidentally) crossbred guppies with other livebearers. They are just as fertile as the parents. The mixes are sometimes beautiful and sometimes a little strange. Guppies, Platys, wags and mollies can all cross breed with each other. Doesn't always happen but guppies are sl*tty fish LOL. They are easy care fish. 24 to 28C temp, pH 6 to 8. They'll eat flake or pellet and like the occasional treat. When they hang around the bottom it could mean two things. You could have a spike in your levels or they are starting to get constipated. It's more likely your your levels. Good luck and enjoy.

[Fisher]

Thank you for helping me clear that up. So that just leaves the confusion on what the heck they are doing rubbing up on the sandy bottom.

:rofl: Hence the thread title eh? :rofl: I love this forum, I really do. :rofl:

Now tell me... are all three laughing faces turning at the same rate?

[Sprucegruve]

I myself have seen and (accidentally) crossbred guppies with other livebearers. They are just as fertile as the parents. The mixes are sometimes beautiful and sometimes a little strange. Guppies, Platys, wags and mollies can all cross breed with each other. Doesn't always happen but guppies are sl*tty fish LOL. They are easy care fish. 24 to 28C temp, pH 6 to 8. They'll eat flake or pellet and like the occasional treat. When they hang around the bottom it could mean two things. You could have a spike in your levels or they are starting to get constipated. It's more likely your your levels. Good luck and enjoy.

1+ but also

i do regular testing on my tank paramaters,all normal levels.

and my female golddust mollys sometimes rub on the sand when giving birth.....maybe it helps push it out?

[AJanzen]

My favourite part of this entire thread is that it has all taken place on a Saturday night. Makes me feel a little better that the best things I have to do are hang out with my daughter and post on the aquatica forum. Thanks everyone.

[jamesbarr]

Thank you for helping me clear that up. So that just leaves the confusion on what the heck they are doing rubbing up on the sandy bottom.

:rofl: Hence the thread title eh? :rofl: I love this forum, I really do. :rofl:

Now tell me... are all three laughing faces turning at the same rate?

Dad. yep, they sure are wiggling at the same rate Janzen, I have to say that I share the same sentiment. Although watching the blackhawks score with 5.5 sec on the clock to tie the game was something else to watch too

I myself have seen and (accidentally) crossbred guppies with other livebearers. They are just as fertile as the parents. The mixes are sometimes beautiful and sometimes a little strange. Guppies, Platys, wags and mollies can all cross breed with each other. Doesn't always happen but guppies are sl*tty fish LOL. They are easy care fish. 24 to 28C temp, pH 6 to 8. They'll eat flake or pellet and like the occasional treat. When they hang around the bottom it could mean two things. You could have a spike in your levels or they are starting to get constipated. It's more likely your your levels. Good luck and enjoy.

1+ but also

i do regular testing on my tank paramaters,all normal levels.

and my female golddust mollys sometimes rub on the sand when giving birth.....maybe it helps push it out?

So are you suggesting that my original assumptions could actually be true too? Platy guppy crosses could happen? I should really get some picture up on here to show you guy what I have here. Might help. All this is making me wish I had taken bio more seriously back in highschool :P

[Sprucegruve]

well i haven't seen platyXguppy cross personally yet but i have heard of it happening.

my black molly's cross bread with my red tuxedo guppys 3 months ago,they were all black,wiith a slight reddish hue on their tail fin.

but i culled them with clove oil because i don't have room for them and i didden't want my black mollys unpure.

-edit-

like i said tho,my female golddust molly's sometimes rub on the sand when giving birth.....maybe it helps push it out?

if your tank parameters are good then the top-swimming fish shoulden't hang out on the bottom of the tank for longer than 30seconds-2mins at a time.basically just enough to get a rest

also like someone else said if they are stessed by a tankmate they will hangout on the bottom of the tank,but with non aggresive tankmates like guppys i wouldent think its stressed,unless the tank is over stocked.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Sprucegruve

[jamesbarr]

These are the best pictures that I could get. Little buggers are hard to get a good picture of since they are so fast moving! This one is one of the fish not involved in the sand sitting behavior.

I should clear up that I dont have any guppies. The guy that I got the platies from has guppies. My tank has 4 spotted danios, 5 serpea tetras, 5 platies (or gollies or mollis) and 3 hifin albino plecos(juvies). I have them in a planted 36gal tank.

Edited April 16, 2012 by jamesbarr

[Sprucegruve]

your tank doesent looked overstocked.and corys and bristle noses wouldent stress them out.

are you using liquid tests for your tank or those 5-in1 strips? i find the strips arn't that accurate.

edit-

i keep my mollys in a group of 8-14,they seem happy.

maybe its lonely??

Edited April 16, 2012 by Sprucegruve

[jamesbarr]

i don't know, maybe i should grab some more from that guy. I have 5 already thou, and they all came from the same tank....

As for the testing, I actually don't test right now. I just do weekly water changes....Maybe I should get a kit. I have never kept a tank larger than a 15 gal prior to this. I had a canister filter on that one back then (regrettably sold that). I once tested it with a liquid test kit that I cant remember the name of but it was an expensive one and it was at zero nitrates so I guess I just figured that if I kept the same formula it would be the same results... maybe im wrong. thou I have an ac50 and an ac20 on my tank now.

The only thing that I can think of that I haven't mentioned is that I have a 1 litre of diy co2 running on my tank as well. I'm pretty sure that its not the problem tho since all the other fish are behaving as usual.