Will Platys live with Neons?

[Finzzup]

Just got back from the LFS and just loved the Platy fish! Will they live with 2 Neons and 2 White Clouds? I really want the Platy!!!

The guy who was working there obviously knows less than I do. He said any fish in the store would do fine as long as it was a small one. Even tried to sell me a tiny red-bellied piranha! :rolleyes:

I think I remember reading that Platies want salt -- if this is true, will that hurt the other fish?

Thanks again!

[Bantam]

the platy's will be fine with the neons & white clouds. there isn't really any reason to add salt although i think some people use it ito help fight disease. to be honest i've no idea how your other fish would react if you did add salt.

i'm not sure about buying your fish from a place that tried to sell you a pirhana for that tank...

regards

[PHISH]

Platy's are in my experience about the most mild mannered fish you can get. I've got three I used to cycle one of my tanks still and they are in my 20 gal with 10 neons and a couple rams...They all get along well. I don't know about the salt thing, I know Mollies like salt and they sort of look like mollies in a way so I would go ahead and do some more research or wait until you get an authority on here to respond to your question. As for behaving in the tank...you shouldn't have any problems.

steve

[famman]

Salt is not required for Platys. I raise micky mouse platys without salt and they even breed.
good luck
:)

[irishspy]

The platies will get along really well with the neons and white clouds -- platies are almost perfect aquarium citizens. I used to keep platies with cardinals and it was no problem. :D

Platies, like swordfish, might like a little salt in the water, but I wouldn't put any in since you have neons, too. The area they come from isn't salty at all. I think you can skip the salt safely.

As for that guy at the fish store....:mad:
He obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. Do yourself a favor and tour other local fish stores in your area and talk to the staff. When you find a store you're comfortable with, give that one your business.

And have fun with your new pets!

--Anthony

[Finzzup]

Thanks so much for the answers! I will go the Platy route -- I just loved how colorful and pretty they were.

This is the only LFS in my area except for Walmart. They've actually been wonderful to me the past few months and tested my water when I was first starting and I was so impressed because they told me they wouldn't sell me a fish that had arrived in their store for at least 7 days.

This guy was new. And the store didn't look as 'sharp' today as it has in the past... the magazine rack that held about a dozen varieties of magazines was gone and all the hamster/gerbil/guinea pig cages were basically empty. And the area that had the quarantine tanks was deserted...

I'm wondering if something happened to the nice, elderly gentleman that was always there before! :(

But tomorrow, I am going to Mason City (1.5 hours away) and read about a wonderful store there, so perhaps I will wait to buy something at that store...

Thanks again!

[1 fish 2 fish]

platies are one of the best ways to start breeding fish too