Platy fry help needed!!!

[pat123123]

One of my new platies (about a month here) had her first baby today (or the first we've found...) We finally got the little critter netted and temporarily floated it in a gladware (with holes in the lid) til I could run to the store and pick up another 2.5 gallon tank for fry. I just can't set up another 10+ gallon anywhere right now -- too many in this room already and I can't put them in other parts of the house (cats and rambunctious dog, plus husband who tolerates but doesn't really like fish)

Here's the current setup for the fry:
2.5 gallon tank
water from the tank he was born in (will change out a quart first thing tomorrow and again in the evening to make sure it is as perfect as possible)
2-3" natural color gravel, not the super fine stuff
large fake plant that he seems to like, small fake plant
Heater
Thermometer is reading 79 degrees right now
Mama moved into a breeding box in the main tank to try to save babies (one with the second bottom)

1) Is there anything I can do to improve this setup for him and others to follow?
2) Am I correct that there is no real need for him to have a filter yet so long as I stay on top of the water changes? (I do 50% water changes 2-3 times weekly for bettas and figure I'll do his at the same time -- more if needed) I have a filter for this tank BUT don't want to stress him with it.
3) Feeding -- what to do? I bought Hikari First Bites -- it's the only thing I could get here. How much and how often?
4) I know platies like to be in a group-- if I don't end up with any more fry right away, will he/she be okay anyway? I sure don't want her/him in the big tank as a snack.
5) Will it be okay to add fry of different ages when the need arises, so long as they aren't of a size to become lunch?
6) Should I get some guppies too, can the fry co-mingle in the same fry tank?

Thanks!

 

[Roan Art]

Pat,

What you've done sounds great to me. I'd only add a cheap sponge filter and you've got a great setup. Here's my regime:

Housing:
2.5g Explorer
Cheap sponge filter
Temp around 79*

Feeding:
I smush up/crumble/pulverize flake food with my fingers, stick my fingers in the tank and let go so that it falls slowly to the bottom OR the baby food you bought OR you can even go all out and feed baby brine shrimp, but IME it's not necessary. Platy babies will try to eat anything

There will be or are or might be more babies. Keep checking momma. Go over the tank THOROUGHLY. They can hide extremely well.

I've mixed fry from two batches, but I don't think I'd mix anything older than that. The three older ones (about a month) chased the four new ones for about 30 seconds, probably thought they were food, and then quit. The little ones, maybe a day or two old, got away easy. They're pretty quick. They're all living in the same tank now with no problems.

Dunno about the guppy/platy mix. Someone else will have to field that one

Have you named him yet?

Roan

 

[pat123123]

Nope, haven't named him. We'll wait to make sure he survives to a reasonable size first. I will admit the male bettas always get names (we currently have Rainbow and Bluebird--my husband thinks I give sissy names to male bettas but oh well! I also recycle male betta names and almost ALWAYS have a rainbow and Bluebird, lol.)

I'm thinking of naming the Plecostomus Fido. After all...we have cats named Squirrel, Rat, and Mouse...so why not a fish with a dog name?

 

[pat123123]

Oh, also, thanks for the tips. I'll check on a sponge filter in a couple days when I can get back to the store. Is this something Petco would have with the regular filters or is it something I'll need to rig up?

We went over the big tank pretty good -- it was no easy trick catching this one OR the mother in the 55. I had to keep all the big fish chased to one end, tear out all the plants and decor in 1/3 of the 55 to catch this guy, then repeat the process for half of the rest of the tank to get the sneaky mother to put her in a breeding box.

I added a couple more plants and some floating breeding grass to the big tank too (there is also breeding grass--fake of course) on the floor plus a bunch of fake plants to help give cover. If I find any more, I'll transfer them pronto. Going to need my little guy's help probably to find them though, his eyes are much sharper than mine.

Thanks again.

 

[Roan Art]

Nope, haven't named him. We'll wait to make sure he survives to a reasonable size first.

He will I have 8? 9? baby platies. All surprises. The first two are in my 36g and have always been there. They were born in there, probably with a zillion others, but they survived clown loaches (who still try to eat them now and then, but they are too fast), rainbowfish, the filter, vacumming before I knew they were there, who knows what else. They're about an 1" in size now. Spickles and Speckles, are their names. Their daddy is Spackles and momma is Goldie. She's in a tank all to herself because she won't stop having babies!

The next three are Stink, Stank and Stunk, but my daughter hates those names Then there are the 4 new ones that are about a week old. No names yet.

I'm thinking of naming the Plecostomus Fido. After all...we have cats named Squirrel, Rat, and Mouse...so why not a fish with a dog name?

Heh, friend of mine had a dog named Dog and a cat named Cat
Good luck with the babies. Don't you love those huge eyes?

Roan

 

[pat123123]

It's not letting me get close enough to look at its eyes. It's preferring to stay hidden behind one of the 2" wide plant leaves or behind the heater cord. I didn't even think to look at the eyes when I had it in the gladware -- I was too worried about getting it in a proper habitat. Still no more babies from mama...wondering if she already had them all or if she's waiting til I turn out all the lights.

I do believe the little thing is eating some though. The baby fish food is still floating on the top (a bit is anyway) and it looked like he took bites a couple times anyway.

 

[Boohoo]

Keep an eye on your water change bucket when you gravel vac. I don't know how many of my platy fry have gone for a ride up the syphon and into my bucket. They never seem to be hurt though, so maybe it's like an ammusement park ride. Along with the crushed flakes, I would take a knife and shave of a little frozen brine shrimp.

 

[pat123123]

Awwww he got friendly enough today to let me see his eyes. You are right, they are HUGE. He's still swimming around well, up and down the whole tank. The 2.5 gallon seems just right for him...he'd have looked so LOST in a 10 gallon (even if I could have found a place for a 10 gallon fry tank...heck I don't know where I'll put the HOSPITAL tank when I need it, if that comes before spring...)

 

[Roan Art]

Keep an eye on your water change bucket when you gravel vac. I don't know how many of my platy fry have gone for a ride up the syphon and into my bucket. They never seem to be hurt though, so maybe it's like an ammusement park ride. Along with the crushed flakes, I would take a knife and shave of a little frozen brine shrimp.

The water change bucket is how I found the first two

When I clean the "baby platy tank" I use a dixie cup and take all the babies out and put them all in a big bowl. Then I gravel vac real well and rinse the sponge filter in the dirty tank water.

Roan

OH! Almost forgot -- older baby platys love hair algae. I haven't seen the really young ones eating it, but that may be because the older guys hog it all.

If you have any plants with some hair algae, cut a few stems off and toss them in the tank for them when they get older. Speckles and Spickles, the oldest ones in the 36g, have pretty much eaten all the hair algae in the tank. I seriously think they do a better job than the otos do.

Roan