please help just wondering if my platy is pregnant or not

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Tdukes22

Aquarium Advice Activist
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Jan 12, 2011
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ok i have what i believe to be a pregnant platy. to me when i look at her she seems to be much bigger than the rest of my platys, or it could mean that she eats alot lol. i put her alone in my 14g tank because i have no clue about her condition i have an video for you to look at to see if she really is or not. so please watch the video and tell me what you think about her.

YouTube - My platy is she prego?



thank you:)
 
So what should I do just leave her in there until she does or put her back
 
Leave her wherever you have her right now (assuming she's in there alone) when she gets really close to having her babies.
 
DreD said:
Oh wow...I have a swordtail....this whole time I thought it was a platy! D:

Anywho~ it is pregnant! :D and in the late stages. Looks like you have perhaps a weak left!

I'm pretty sure they're livebearers. You need to separate her from the other fish eventually of the fry will die from being attacked, eaten, or sucked into the filter. I'd suggest getting a separate tank (a 5 gallon would do). If you do not have the necessary funds, then a net breeder or divider will work just as well.

To know when to separate her: male swordtails may begin to nip around her anal fin, her belly starts to look square, she may become territorial, she separates from the others-often near plants or gravel (this is about the last sign that they're about to give birth)

If you choose to get the net breeder, then your goal is to wait until the last signs of pregnancy (try to keep her in their for under 24 hours). This is just a guess but I'd say the belly becomes square like near the last week. Males will nip near the anal fin around the last week. She'll become territorial during the last week and a half (varies on tank size), separates from the group usually a day or hours before birth.

If you're wondering what to feed the babies just feed them crushed flakes. I have no clue on the growth rate of swordtails, but I'd guess it takes two weeks+ before you start to see some serious growth. You can't add them to the tank until they're big enough to not get eaten-even then you may want to wait an extra week just to make sure.

If she is still pregnant after birth FEED her. She will eat her babies. If not then return her to the tank to allow fry to grow.

Hoped this helped! :D

Your fish looks about two weeks into pregnancy. So you have anywhere from two weeks to three weeks before she gives birth. However, that estimation is based on if conditions are met.
 
Ok thanks and she's a platy not a swordtail lol and that'd good to know i have her alone in a 14g and I will defiantly do what you said to do but what are the conditions you are talking about
 
I know she's a platy:) I was quoting something that I posted earlier.

The only condition is stress. Keep the NH3 and NO2 down. Don't over feed or underfeed. Don't keep the lights on for too long, and keep the temperature comfortable :)
 
What do u mean about the lighting like I keep it on for about 10 hours and sorry dude
 
Well I guess live bearers are more ,likely to have their babies in the early morning. If the light is on all day (sunlight + lightbulb) then the fish is kept awake for longer times. A pregnant fish needs lots of rest.
 
I don't know how long the room stays lit. You'll know when she wants to rests-she'll swim slower and go towards the bottom of the tank or around plants.
 
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