New platys hiding is this normal?

[IHaventStoppedCravingYet]

First time fish owner and worried if the platys are ok. Set up tank a couple of weeks ago and have followed all instructions given by shops. Readings of all levels in water good. Bought two male platys yesterday. They seemed ok although spent more time hiding/siting at bottom than swimming. One died Overnight which we were devastated about! Replaced today but the new fish has spent most of the day hiding in the bottom of the tank inside a log cave. Original fish is a bit more active but seems to like sitting under pump is corner best. But is moving about too and ate this morning. I'm so scared to lose another one and my son was so so upset. Is this normal behaviour? Shop said they can take a few days to settle. Also worried airpump is too powerful. It came with tank which is 23l. Pump says 500 l/h. A few times they seem to be moving fins but not moving forwards so could it be too strong movement of water? But at other times darting about fine. Really appreciate any advice how to keep them safe and happy. It's making me very anxious as not sure what to do and if they are ok.

Uhoh, unfortunately most shop advice is poor to woeful. A 23 litre is unfortunately far too small for Platys - they need 70-100 litres minimum. A 23 litre is only really big enough for shrimp :(

How did you prepare the tank over the last few weeks? Did you properly follow guides for fishless cycling - adding ammonia and lots of water tests with a good liquid test kit?

What are the water parameters now? Do you have your own test kits?

It can take fish time to settle in new tanks though, how were they acclimated? Is the tank heated?

Thank you for taking time to reply. Both fish are now a lot less shy and swimming about lots thank goodness. We do have test strips and all levels are correct. Tank is not heated but shop said not required as room temp is ok? We didn’t add ammonia as far as I know but added something to tap water to make it safe? Thank you for advice about tank size. We were told this was fine and could even add some more fish/shrimp! I don’t have any space/money for a massive tank. The fish are tiny I am shocked they need such a huge space. Will they be safe in there for the time being while I decide what to do?

@bunnygeek is right, unfortunately. It's so wrong of shops to sell these tiny ranks and tell you they're fine for fish. Though I know how expensive bigger tanks are, I'm looking for one now and some of them are eye watering. I would say that in a correct sized tank, the sex ratio for platys is usually 1 male to 2 females, I believe. They are also live bearers so frequently shoot out babies! You can quite easily get overrun. I think the ones you have will be ok while you think what to do; they're hardy enough, just need a bigger tank to thrive.

The prices for even second hand tanks in the UK is crazy compared to somewhere like the US. Keeping an eye on Gumtree/Marketplace/eBay for a bargain is probably your best bet! There is also a few Facebook groups you could check out. They are helpful with any questions 👍🏻

Platys do get fairly chunky - females up to about 2" long. And remember that tank of water is their whole entire world. They don't get taken out for walks, no running in the park, that is their entire environment. They need room to swim and explore. PLUS the larger the volume of water - the easier it is for you to look after.

Not to be crass, but would you rather be with a toxic fart in a wardrobe or Wembley Arena? Fish are constantly excreting - both poop and waste from their gills - that stuff will build up toxins in the water, which is why we need to do partial water changes and keep the filter well maintained. In a small volume of water those toxins will build up in a matter of a day or two.

And that is where cycling comes into play. I don't mean the fish need to jump on a bike. The Nitrogen Cycle. This takes time to develop and unfortunately no bottles or chemicals off the shelf in a pet store can make it speed up. The ONLY way to have an instantly cycled tank is to use cloned filter media (those would be the sponges inside the filter) from an already established and healthy tank.

It's water keeping really, not fish keeping. You keep the water healthy, the water keeps the fish healthy. To do that, the nitrogen cycle builds bacteria in the filter media that eats up those toxins from fish waste and converts it from poison to nitrates the fish can cope with. There's loads of websites on this:
modestfish.com/how-to-cycle-your-aquarium/
www.algaebarn.com/blog/beginners/understanding-the-nitrogen-cycle/
fishlab.com/nitrogen-cycle/

I have yet to meet ANY pet shop that advises on the nitrogen cycle correctly. They are much more interested in sales.

As for tank sizes - second hand is definitely the way to go (but fill up second hand tanks in the garden first to check for broken seals!!).

I'd also add that test strips are garbage and inaccurate, unfortunately. They don't always test for the most important thing either - Ammonia.

You need a liquid kit - it's like a proper little science experiment. The API Master Test Kit or Tetra Liquid Test Kit are the ones to seek out - they aren't particularly cheap but they will test your water accurately so long as you follow the instructions.

This is also why I would never trust a pet shop to test my water - I've seen them use strips, or out of date test kits, and just not know what they're doing.