Male platies like these can be clearly identified by their gonopodiums, but in immature males they
may not be evident.
A
This is something of a
reversal of gender roles, as
you usually hear of situations
where the male platy is
females in overly aggressive
breeding overtures. That makes me wonder
whether your aggressive female is actually
an immature male that hasn’t developed
a gonopodium yet. It’s not uncommon for
a platy that was believed to be female to
suddenly reveal that it’s actually male. Of
course, it could also be the case that you
simply have an especially assertive female
on your hands.
harassing
In either case, I think that, rather than
banish the male to a different tank, I’d
be inclined to see whether your dealer
would be willing to exchange the aggressive
specimen for another female platy, and then
try again to establish a peaceful trio in your
10-gallon display.
Q
Brine Shrimp
and Nutrition
I’ve heard that brine shrimp
have no nutritional value. Is
My fish love to eat frozen brine
shrimp, so I hate to stop feeding it, but I
don’t want to give them something that’s
not good for them either.
that true?
Julie Pierce
via email
across this
Dither Fish
What exactly is a “dither
fish”? I’m new to the aquarium
hobby, and I keep coming
term in books and online.
Chuck Navarre
Wichita, Kansas
called naup
The nutritional value of live
brine shrimp depends on when
you offer them to your fish.
Newly hatched brine shrimp,
lii, are generally considered to be
more nutritious than the adults, because they
are still carrying a yolk sac. After the yolk
has been utilized, the shrimp’s nutritional
value rapidly deteriorates. That’s why many
hobbyists who culture live brine shrimp feed
them some form of enrichment formula before
offering them to their fish, and most fish
food manufacturers enrich their frozen brine
shrimp products with vitamins, spirulina,
HUFAs, and so forth.
Even without such supplementation, though,
I wouldn’t say that adult brine shrimp are
completely devoid of nutritional value. They
do provide some protein, and their chitonous
exoskeletons serve as roughage. So while I
wouldn’t rely on brine shrimp as a staple food,
I would certainly include it as one element of
a diverse diet that incorporates various dry,
frozen, and fresh offerings.
Q
A