Pregnant Platy

[Marion]

I think 1 or 2 of our sunburst platies are going to have baby fish.
How do I know for sure ? Both these fish seem to be getting fatter by
the day. If they are, about how many fish will they each have ?
I did purchase a breeder net/tank & set it up. I put the fatter of the 2
platies in it. This fish does seem to be a little slower & was hiding in the
plants.

 

[caz]

they get really fat, i have one that is about ready to pop i think, but ive thought that for the last few days, ive been told that if you raise the temp a few degrees that might encourage her to give birth. you gotta experiment with it i guess. they breed faster than bunnies so im sure in a few months youll know when they are ready

 

[caz]

my platy just gave birth last night, and i only kept her in the breeder tank for about 2 or 3 hours. we put her in there becasue she started to get really active and her pooper was really swollen, kinda looked like she was taking a white poop anyone else experience this? oh yeah, she gave birth to over 30 babies!!

 

[cichlidgirl57]

Her tummy will start squaring off at the bottom. When this happens, get ready. Its an amazing experience to see.

 

[cpr4cpu]

good for you Marion.
Baby Plattys are really cute to watch as they grow up. I have 7 in my tank right now that are about 1/8 long.
You need to figure out what to feed the fry. I didn't try to remove any of mine from the tank, instead they have found powder flakes the other fish ignore and as it circulates near thier hidey holes they dart out, grab it, and head back into the plants or bogwood to wait for the next bite.
I try to crush some flake food for them at each feeding, plus one or two more times per day, but keep in mind that means more stuff to have to clean out of the tank later.

 

[caz]

i use frozen baby brine shrimp. its like 3 bucks or less, and it lasts quite a while. i found that the fish like it alot. but after a few weeks, they start to accept flake food.

 

[Starry]

I suggest you throw out the breeder. I hate those things. For one, platies give birth to tons of fry, depending on their age and size. Do you really want 30 platies surviving, and then reproducing further? Also, at least you'll know that the ones that make it are the strong ones. Might sound cruel, but it's not, it's nature. Also, those breeders put a lot of stress on the mother, it's really not necessary. If you have light over your tank, buy some cheap plants for cover. The fry will eat stuff off it until they're a few weeks old and then they come out of hiding and start feeding at the surface. Try any cheap plant, but in particular look for hornwort, water wisteria, water sprite, egeria/anacharis/elodea. It will make your tank look better and the fish will appreciate it. Good luck with your fry. The trick is to not try to save them all, but give the ones that live a good home.