3 pregnant fish what to do - Aquarium Advice

fish_are_family · 11-10-2003, 04:30 PM

I have three pregnant fish in my ten gallon fish tank and have no idea what to do.

The weird thing is that in the fish tank there are 3 zebra dandios and 1 mickey mouse platy. Now 2 of the dandios are pregnant and so is the mickey mouse platy. (Is it possible for fish to cross breed?)

I am at a loss because I have never had a pregnant fish before and now all of a sudden I have 3. So I have a couple of questions:

Do I need to keep them separated? How long is a fish pregnancy? Will they eat eachothers eggs? Should the male be allowed to stay in the tank? How many eggs do fish usually lay?

If anybody could help me with this it would really make my day! I am so confused! [/b]

grimlock3000 · 11-10-2003, 04:35 PM

First up, welcome to the messageboard!

Danios and Platies are not compatible for breeding. The non pregnant Danio is probably a male, and the Platy was likely pregnant when you got it (like most livebearers). If it is the only Platy you have, and you have had it for a while, it could be sick and swollen. Or really fat.

fish_are_family · 11-10-2003, 04:52 PM

The platy he eats a lot so he might just be really fat you are right thank you for the advice.

myriam · 11-10-2003, 05:55 PM

Welcome to the AA.com board!

I know platies and mollies can crossbreed, but I'm pretty sure danios and platies cannot. Your platy was likely already pregnant, or got pregnant again, sort of by itself--a platy can hold sperm for months from a mating, and so even if you had no male for it to breed with, the female could get repeatedly pregnant for many months using this stored sperm.

Platies are also livebearers, so they won't lay eggs. They definitely eat their own young. My guess is the danios would eat the fry (baby fish) as well.

ScottS · 11-10-2003, 06:49 PM

The platy is either pregnant from the fish store, ill, or overeating. As mentioned, it is a live bearer, so there's no way it was associated with the danios, which are egg layers, in breeding. I'd be hesitant to guess that the danios are actually egg laden. If they are, they are pretty good at eating their own eggs. Shallow water and a porous bootm with larger stones are recommended so that the danios can't eat their own eggs (or any other fish for that matter).

View Poll Results: How you ever had fish cross breed?
yes	1	25.00%
no	3	75.00%
Voters: 4. You may not vote on this poll

11-10-2003, 04:30 PM	#1
fish_are_family Aquarium Advice Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nevada USA Posts: 4	3 pregnant fish what to do I have three pregnant fish in my ten gallon fish tank and have no idea what to do. The weird thing is that in the fish tank there are 3 zebra dandios and 1 mickey mouse platy. Now 2 of the dandios are pregnant and so is the mickey mouse platy. (Is it possible for fish to cross breed?) I am at a loss because I have never had a pregnant fish before and now all of a sudden I have 3. So I have a couple of questions: Do I need to keep them separated? How long is a fish pregnancy? Will they eat eachothers eggs? Should the male be allowed to stay in the tank? How many eggs do fish usually lay? If anybody could help me with this it would really make my day! I am so confused! [/b]

11-10-2003, 04:35 PM	#2
grimlock3000 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: maine Posts: 1,971 Images: 1	First up, welcome to the messageboard! Danios and Platies are not compatible for breeding. The non pregnant Danio is probably a male, and the Platy was likely pregnant when you got it (like most livebearers). If it is the only Platy you have, and you have had it for a while, it could be sick and swollen. Or really fat. __________________ 26 freshwater 2x Sunburst Platys (2M, 2F) // 3x Neon Tetras (?) // 2x Cherry Barbs (1M, 1F) // 2x YoYo Loaches (?) // 1x Bushy Nose Pleco (M) // 1x Clown Pleco (?) // 15H marine -30# Live Rock -Mixed Snails (Nassarius // Cerith // Astrea // Black Turbo // Mexican Turbo) -8x Blue Leg Hermit Crabs // 1x Banded Serpent Star // 1x Cleaner Shrimp -1x Royal Gramma // 1x Percula Clownfish -2x Mushroom Leather // Metallic Green Star Polyps // Pulsing Xenia // Striped Xenia // Blue Mushroom -Remora + Maxi-Jet 1200 // 2x Maxi-Jet 600 // Maxi-Jet 400 // Visi-Therm Deluxe 50 // Current USA Orbit 2x 40w [acronym:f2db8017b4="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:f2db8017b4]

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11-10-2003, 04:52 PM	#3
fish_are_family Aquarium Advice Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nevada USA Posts: 4	The platy he eats a lot so he might just be really fat you are right thank you for the advice.

11-10-2003, 05:55 PM	#4
myriam Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 500 Images: 6	Welcome to the AA.com board! I know platies and mollies can crossbreed, but I'm pretty sure danios and platies cannot. Your platy was likely already pregnant, or got pregnant again, sort of by itself--a platy can hold sperm for months from a mating, and so even if you had no male for it to breed with, the female could get repeatedly pregnant for many months using this stored sperm. Platies are also livebearers, so they won't lay eggs. They definitely eat their own young. My guess is the danios would eat the fry (baby fish) as well.

11-10-2003, 06:49 PM	#5
ScottS Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: NW Illinois Posts: 198 Images: 7	The platy is either pregnant from the fish store, ill, or overeating. As mentioned, it is a live bearer, so there's no way it was associated with the danios, which are egg layers, in breeding. I'd be hesitant to guess that the danios are actually egg laden. If they are, they are pretty good at eating their own eggs. Shallow water and a porous bootm with larger stones are recommended so that the danios can't eat their own eggs (or any other fish for that matter).