[ninteen66mustang]

Hey everyone, I am new to aqariums. I have had a couple goldfish in the past, which promptly died (nobody ever told me not to keep them in bowls...)

Well, I decided I want some fish in my dorm room so I got a small tank, about 1.5-2 gallons. It has a small foam filter with aerator, and some small decorations, including a fake plant. I went to a local fish store, and ended up getting a pair of Red Wag Platy's, a male and a female. I would like them to breed, which I have heard is pretty easy, but I mostly care about keeping them alive. Recently, I have been second guessing myself on the whole thing, so I'm gonna ask some questions.

1) Is my tank big enough? I have heard anything under 10gal is too little, but I live in a dorm room with hardly any space.

2) Should I have 2 females? When I first got the fish, they seemed fine together, but within the past week or so, I have noticed that the male chases the female around a lot, and seems quite agressive. Some places online recommend a 2:1 ratio of females to males. It also seems like the female hardly eats because the male will chase her away. I would be happy to buy another female, assuming the tank is big enough to handle all three of them. I also figure that would give me a better chance of getting some fry.

3) Once the female is pregnant, would it be okay to let her give birth in the regular tank. I know they will eat some of the fry, but will some of them survive? I would rather not have 2 tanks if I dont need to. Also, how do I know when she is about to give birth?

4) I have been feeding them golfish food, which the fish store guy said would be okay. Do I need to feed them anything else.

Thanks everyone.

 

[petlover516]

welcome! IMO a beginner should start no smaller than a 10gal. in that tank i would either keep a betta, 1 platy, or a guppy. i recommend u beef up your tank to a 2.5 or even better a 5. this way u can keep 2 females with one male, and in a 5, a female betta would make a nice addition, too. if u don't get a female soon the male will chase her to death. hope i am helping.

 

[ninteen66mustang]

Okay, ill try to find a bigger tank that will fit in my dorm, and another female. That way, I can use the small tank I have as a breeder tank (or whatever its called).

So, what are the details on the breeding stuff?

Thanks for the help.