Fat Mickey Mouse Platy's

[Annie/Aggie]

Hi
I bought these two mickey mouse platy's a few weeks ago and they seem pretty fat through the stomach area. Is this normal? At first I thought they may be pregnant as both are females but it has since passed the time they should have gave birth. Do they just build up eggs on a continuing basis, even if they aren't getting fertilized? I would have swore they looked skinnier for a day or so them they blew up again. I don't seriously think it's dropsy, they eat well enough and my tank specs are unchanged from when they got here.

[OceanMaiden]

My high fin MickeyMouse platys were fat when I got them too. Both are females aswell. Have you had them more than 2 months? I read it takes 60 days for them to give birth to fry. So they may indeed be pregnant if it hasn't been two months yet. Yes they keep storing eggs and sperm in them to fertilize at a later time. If they looked a litter thinner and then round again, they could have released some fry and then started fertilizing and growing more fry in their bellies with what sperm and eggs they had storedaway. Also if youo cant see any fry they may have been eaten as they require hiding spaces ora breeders net tosurvive the other fishs appetites. HTH

[Annie/Aggie]

Thanks I'm relieved to hear that. It hasn't been two months yet so I'll keep a close watch. I don't particularly want more of them as my tank isn't big enough yet, I'll just let them survive or not I think. I have some plants they can hide in. Thanks for the information on their eggs, I'm only now starting to watch them more as I was occupied with another aquarium project. I really like that "mickey mouse head" in their tail and am impressed with the way they don't leave much food laying around LOL.

[Devilishturtles]

Do they just build up eggs on a continuing basis, even if they aren't getting fertilized?

Platies actually lay live fish. No eggs. The male fertilizers her, and she pops them out. Mollies, swordtails, and platies are all livebearing fish. So don't be surprised if, when you get a male, you see live little ones swimming around and no eggs.

As for the fish, likely just your imagination. Fish can eat a whole lot and develop a bulge, and then it can dissapear.

Also, when a livebearing fish is pregnant, it will have a very dark and prominent spot behind it's anal fin called a gravid spot. If you google that, you will find all kinds of cool pictures of gravid spots on fish.

HTH

[Annie/Aggie]

Duh! Actually I knew they were livebearing I somehow just thought of females in general I guess, hence thinking they started as eggs, and on going there are you telling me these live fish just hang about in there until a male fertilizes them. I feel really dumb here like I'm missing something plain as day, LOL
I'll check for dark spot.

[Devilishturtles]

Haha. No problem. When I first started fishkeeping, I thought all fish fertilized each other, and not the eggs laid. It confused me forever. But rest assured, all platies are born live, never starting as an egg, no matter the gender.

[Annie/Aggie]

There is so much to learn here.
The smaller platy does have a gravid spot and I think you are right about my imagination on the larger one. I did have a male in with them for a few days but I mistakenly fed them peas for a "change" and didn't blanch them, just crushed one up and threw it in. The male was the only one to eat it and a few hours later he swan around the tank like crazy and then died!
I was under the impression when I bought my first tank a couple of months ago that, dare I say it here LOL, you just fill it with water and throw the fish in. I guess I don't have to tell you how I am laughing at myself now huh. You guys have been such a help. In fact I now have 2 healthy tanks up and running although one is ADF only. Thanks

[Devilishturtles]

I was under the impression when I bought my first tank a couple of months ago that, dare I say it here LOL, you just fill it with water and throw the fish in.

I think we all were. Luckily I had a friend who introduced me to the hobby and explained all about cycling and such before I even started, but withouth him I would have had no idea!

Best of luck with the platies.

[Annie/Aggie]

Thanks, there was no friend to fill me in, I started with a betta in a 2 gallon and felt sorry for the small space he was in, it just grew from there and cycling was a nightmare etc etc. Now I'm having so much fun with them I can't wait to get a bigger tank, this time I'll get everything ready FIRST. LOL