shooter_tx

I've found a couple good datasheets on platys, here:

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...ry.php?id=3232

and, of course, the best one of all:

http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Platy.htm

but I still had a couple questions:

How much light do platys need? In other words, should I leave the aquarium-spectrum flourescent tank lamp on 24/7, or should i cycle it to simulate night/day?

Should I rely on the pet store to test my water, should I do it myself, or should I supplement their tests with my own? As far as the DIY testing, what test kits are recommended?

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Update: Missed the LFS yesterday (they keep short, weird hours), so I went to PetSmart. They were out of Master Test Kits for freshwater, so I picked up some Jungle 5-N-1 test strips (will try to make it to the LFS on Monday and pray that they're open). Also picked up a Mardel in-tank ammonia meter.

I'm surprised at my ammonia level, because PetSmart always told me that my ammonia was "OMG, so high." Yet the meter that I bought from them says 0.0ppm.

Next step, nitrites..... also 0.0ppm. Last step, nitrates: 20ppm (today's Sunday, so I'll do my weekly water change, which should bring this down).

My pH was 7.8, which is within the range of the 7.0-8.0 that the FishLore datasheet for platys suggests.

What's really freaking me out is my hardness. 300 (GH) ppm.

The datasheet says:
I don't know how to convert that, but I'm not optimistic that it's good....

I can't imagine how high it would be if I'd used straight tap water, as we have an under-the-sink R/O filter and water softener. (time to test both, however)

And for what it's worth, my alkalinity is 180 (KH) ppm, although the datasheet doesn't suggest a range for that, so I don't know if I'm good or bad there.

sirdarksol

Night/Day simulation is best. Fish, like people, can get severely stressed if the day and night cycle is messed with.

Getting your own API Master Test Kit (the liquid kind) is the best way to go. Pet stores usually use the test strips, which are faster, but are also less accurate.

And welcome to Fishlore.

shooter_tx

That makes sense; thanks.

Any opinions as to whether it's better to match day/night in the aquarium to what's outside?

I was just thinking that the aquarium makes a nice night light, and that I could turn it off before leaving for work in the morning and let them sleep during the day instead of at night.

Sort of like putting the fish on the graveyard shift....
I'm assuming they sell these at pet/fish stores? Or online?
Thank you very much. I think I'm gonna like it here.

shooter_tx

update in first post (platy-specific water chemistry questions)

susitna-flower

Hi shooter, did you ever get the API master test kit?

What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings now?

I don't worry too much about the ph or any of the rest of it for platties, they are very forgiving....Mostly have to watch them for parasites and miscellaneous bacterial /fungal infections.....be sure to quarantine them when first brought home from the LFS....

Good Luck and let us know how it's going..

shooter_tx

Grrrr, no. PetSmart stacks 'em deep.... for "Reef" and "Saltwater."

They don't even *sell* saltwater fish.
me -----> <----- PetSmart

They're out of the freshwater test kits and don't know when they'll receive more ("They just send us what they send us.").

None of the Wal-Marts have them, and I just missed the LFS yesterday. Today? Closed for Easter.

Hence, running back to PetSmart and Wal-Mart and getting the Jungle 5-N-1 test strips, as well as the Mardel in-tank ammonia monitor.
Again, this is just from the 5-N-1 strips and the Mardel ammonia monitor, so take it for as many grains of aquarium salt as you think it's worth:

Ammonia: 0.0ppm
Nitrite: 0.0ppm
Nitrate: 20.0ppm

I'll be doing my weekly 20% (2gal) water change in a few minutes, so that oughtta bring my nitrates down a bit.
Thanks for the advice and well-wishes. They're technically not even mine; I just want to do right by them.

Fish Addict

At least what I do, and what I think is the easiest, is just turning it off a bit before I got to bed, and then turning it on after Breakfast. This works very well into my schedule, and it usually isn't too hard to forget...

mrsmuffin

I am still a newbie myself, but here is what I do.

I have my 5 gallon tank set on a timer which turnes the lights on for a couple of hours in the morning before I go to work and then back on again in the evening right before I get home and off right after I typically go to bed. That way I get to enjoy them.

My new (to me) 30 gallon that doesn't have fish in it yet wont work on a timer, so I am having to get myself used to turning them on and off. Generally I just want the lights on when I am around to enjoy looking at the tanks.

shooter_tx

I finally did, and I love it!

The LPS (Local Pet Smart) has them for $30 (and I shudder to think what they'd go for at the actual LFS).

I got mine from Aquarium Guys for $15 at the same time I picked up my Aqueon Water Changer (similar to a Python).
I keep an Excel spreadsheet, so I can track changes over time. The cool thing is, as I add aquariums (and I *will* add aquariums!), all I have to do is create a new datasheet within the same file.

My readings are:

ammonia...... 0.0
nitrite.......... 0.0
nitrate....... 10.0 (actually, more like "10-20")
That's good, because I'm not even sure which pH test to use for platys, since most of the care sheets that I've seen put them in the range where the "regular pH" and "high pH" tests overlap.

For what it's worth, here's what my box tests:

pH (reg)...... 7.6
pH (high)..... 8.0
Thanks for all the help. I love this site!