# Rainbows and platy?



## blusue2 (Sep 9, 2010)

I just got a new 36 gallon tank to move my platys and zebra danios to from a 10 gallon kids tank--(they were my first fish-got me hooked.) Now I'd like to move my Rainbow Cichlids from my 55 gallon tank into this ne3w 36 one, as I read that they are OK with guppies. Will this work? I will have to add aquarium salt (not much) to the water, as it's good for the platys. Will this hurt the Rainbows. Or should I just leave the rainbows where they are?
FYI--want to move the rainbows so I can get Salvini cichlids for the 55 gallon tank.
Thanks, Sue
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55 gallon: 3 Firemouths, 1 blood parrot, 1 rainbow shark and 2 rainbow cichlids
New 36 gallon: 6 platys, 4 zebra danios


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

My rainbows will not hurt anybody. I have Engler's livebearers and angelfish with my rainbow. Most cichlids are much tougher than the normal community fish and a small amount of salt will not hurt. I'm not up on the need for salt with platys. What does it do for them?


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

The only concern that I'd have is the move from a larger to a smaller tank...depending on the number of cichlids it could cause increased aggression between them, especially when spawning.

How many do you have?

The platys should be fine no matter what.


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## blusue2 (Sep 9, 2010)

The two rainbows will be the only cichlids in the new tank. In the larger tank they are currently in, the firemouths really bully them. So now they will be the tank bosses! 
As to why platy's need salt, they are brackish water fish but are so hardy that they don't have to have it. 
Thanks for all the information. Once I get the 36 gallon set up, I'll move the rainbows and will get some salvinis for the 55 gallon! Can't wait!!
Sue


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

Two Rainbows should be fine.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I agree that two Rainbows will be fine. You may find they are really shy after the move. I find my rainbows get really scared when I do any work in their tank. I currently have four rainbow in a 75 with lots of wood and rocks. When I took two Rainbow, a bristlenose and five tetras out, I added two smaller angelfish thinking they may be a pair. The Rainbows all stay out of sight almost all the time now. The angelfish are not scary size and certainly have done nothing as they are pretty shy themselves. The rainbow are the most meek fish I have ever had. I have one lone lemon tetra and at one inch long he seems to be the boldest guy in the tank!


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Platys are brackish water fish? Are you sure your not confusing it with the molly in this regard. Never heard or known of anyone adding salt to their platy tank, though I would supose they would still do O.K. with some salt in their tank. It's well known that mollies do better with some salt, though it's not neccessarily a requirement for most species of mollies. Even guppies can come from brackish water, though I can't say I have ever seen or heard of anyone keeping their guppies in brackish water.

Wikipedia notes that the genus Poecilia (mollies and the guppy) are brackish water fishes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilia

Wikipedia makes no mention of platys being brackish water fish (nor the swordtail for that matter)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variatus_platy


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Oops, linked to X. variatus and not X. maculatus. But same thing, no mention of platys being brackish water fishes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_platyfish


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I was thinking there was some type of confusion but thought maybe the aquarium salt might be being used to adjust the PH, etc. a bit. For them being brackish, not anything I've heard before. Most fish shops that I go to don't keep them brackish.


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## blusue2 (Sep 9, 2010)

Oh--LFS told me platys were brackish--and I have used a bit of aquarium salt ever since--they are doing fine--reproduce like CRAZY--always a problem. (I actually have more than tenof them now--have gotten rid of most offspring, or fry have gotten eaten--and i'm only going to keep six when I combine my fish.) Well, thanks for the info--to salt or not to salt will not be an issue!


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