Sexing Platy's

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Chad

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Feb 4, 2003
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Bellingham, WA
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Hello again! Question of Platy's this time...I really don't want to deal with babies for awhile. How do I make sure the LFS gets me all of one sex of Platy? Is it ok to have all of one sex? Any aggression problems with the males? I plan on having about 4 of them in my tank to start with.
Thanks again! I brought my wife (who doesn't like to look at fish) into our LFS and showed her what I wanted to buy and discussed the costs involved. She thought it was a good time to go ahead and buy the stuff and get started. Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!

:D
Chad
 
Males have a gonopodium, a modified fin. I tried to find a pic quickly - it is of a male swordtail but all livebearers look the same in that respect. The arrow shows it is a male. A female will just have a normal rounded fin.

http://www.****************/images_01/sword_tail_young_male.jpg

If you mix sexes, the male can be aggressive to the female, you should get 2 to 3 females for each male. I've only had mixed platys but I think if you get all one sex, get females.

edit.... Come to think of it may not be a good idea to get females if they are mixed in the fish store tank, because most likely the females will already be pregnant!

Anybody else keep all male platys? Should be ok, would be your best bet for not breeding.
 
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A reputable fish store will permit you to purchase just one gender, providing they aren't labeled as pairs only. Make sure you don't jump the gun and forget to cycle the tank (check out http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/ under Setup).

If you intend to have other fish, they will likely take care of any babies rather quickly--the parents will cannibilize as well. I had thre guppies in my planted 40, and I never had a baby get past about one month.
 
I plan on keeping the 4 platy's, 6 or so monk tetra's (red eye tetra's), 5-6 oto's, and a handful of algae eating shrimp.
How many babies do they have at one time? If they put out just a couple then I won't worry about it. I'll let nature take it's course. If they put out a bunch then I don't want mixed sexes in there!!! As I said, I want to be concerned more with keeping the adults alive more than worrying about babies.
Thanks!!
Chad
 
In a good sized female whose had a couple pregnancies behind her, can have at least 30 fry a month.

My experience is different than OrionGirl's. The first half year no babies survived... then it was 1 or 2, but now the adults are just plain lazy, or have decided they don't like the taste, or the babies are being born way too smart, I don't know, but I have guppy fry coming out of the rafters, and nobody's eating them.
 
Thanks to all

:D Thank you all for your replies, It was just what I thought, just wasn't sure, I have two female dalmation mollies, and was was pregnat,but none lived and one black mollie died now I know it was the female. thanks again
 
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