Platys and Algae

[TKOS]

So I just bought 3 platys. After a nice long acclimation period I placed them in the tank. I normally wait until the next day to feed my new fish but I have seen them munching some algae off of my plants. Do platys normally eat algae or are they just super hungry?

 

[mogurnda]

Mine love the stuff, grazing all day. I bought them because my books said they were herbivores and several entries at the krib mentioned that they eat black beard algae. Only problem is that I just had to set up a growout tank to rear the growing number of babies.

 

[TKOS]

Does that mean they eat regular tropical fish food or do they need something higher in veggie matter?

 

[tricksterpup]

Platies, love eating alage and plant material. Actually most of the common types of live bearers we see are alage eaters.
I feed mine a mix of alage flakes with regular tropical flakes together.
jim