When can I release...

[Elle2]

... my platy fry? I have them in one of those floating containers. They are about 3 weeks old I think and about 1/3 to 1/2 an inch.

Their parents are VERY large and enthusiastic predators, so I don't want to take any chances. But I also don't have a nursery tank and don't want to keep them too cooped up. Also I just added 6 more new-born fry so things may start to get fairly crowded.

Thanks,
Elle

 

[Jaybird]

As soon as they are too big for a mouthful, they could be added back to the tank. So long as they can fit in the mouth of another fish, they will be food.

You could always let them free in the tank to let nature take its course. Platies, like mollies and guppies, drop fry like Paris Hilton drops her pants! Losing a few won't make any difference in the course of time.

 

[crazyred]

Gee, I never kept mine in the net breeder for long (I got sick of looking at thing in my tank) I released the first batch and never rescued any of the other batches (I've had MANY) LOL. The babies just seem to instinctively hide until they sense that they are too big to be eaten. You won't see them at first, then, as they get a little size on them, they will start swimming out into the open areas of the tank and they will be brave little boogers.

Of course, my tank is fully planted and they have lots of spots to hide, but I would just imagine that would do the same in a tank full of plastic plants. Then, when you have so many platy babies you HOPE your fish will eat them....they won't! LOL

 

[crazyred]

Platies, like mollies and guppies, drop fry like Paris Hilton drops her pants! Losing a few won't make any difference in the course of time.

I second that opinion. ROFLMAO!!!!!

 

[Elle2]

yah my plan was not to rescue any and make sure that there were enough good predators... but I was also hoping not to see them.. and now when I do I feel so badly for the little dopes I scoop them up.

I do have a fairly heavily planted tank and many good hiding spots so I am going to fight the urge to save future fry... I really don't want a tank full of platies so I have no choice.

 

[Jaybird]

With live breeders, unless I want to see how the'll turn out, I just let nature take it's course. With my cons I am doing the same. When I first saw the swarm of babies, and how aggressively the parents guarded them, I was terrified that my tank would be overrun. Silly me. There are now only about 15-20 fry left. Baby cons must be tasty if the others are risking mom and dad's wrath for a little mouthful.

You can be assured that some will survive. If you have lots of plants and ornaments they should be fine. Floating plants will pretty much guarantee survival of some. As for predators, the platies will eat them, but the fry will quickly grow to be too large for that. You would need someone with a larger mouth to keep the population down.

What colour are the platies? I remember having baby swords once, and they looked like little orange dots swimming in the tank.

 

[kyektulu]

I release my fry as soon as they are too large to be consumed by the other fish in the tank.
I cannot give a general time limit on this as fish growth varies with amount of food given and water changes etc.

If you have an abundence of them I would just release them into the tank anyway, a cheap free food source...
Some more adept hiders may survive.

 

[Elle2]

With live breeders, unless I want to see how the'll turn out, I just let nature take it's course. With my cons I am doing the same. When I first saw the swarm of babies, and how aggressively the parents guarded them, I was terrified that my tank would be overrun. Silly me. There are now only about 15-20 fry left. Baby cons must be tasty if the others are risking mom and dad's wrath for a little mouthful.

You can be assured that some will survive. If you have lots of plants and ornaments they should be fine. Floating plants will pretty much guarantee survival of some. As for predators, the platies will eat them, but the fry will quickly grow to be too large for that. You would need someone with a larger mouth to keep the population down.

What colour are the platies? I remember having baby swords once, and they looked like little orange dots swimming in the tank.

the fry are just tiny dolden dots.. they remind me of fireflies. But their parents are brilliant sunburst platies- they are the biggest platies I think I have seen and their colour is extremely vibrant.

 

[Jaybird]

They must add a nice colour to the tank. The only livebearers I have at the moment are two black mollies and one male dalmation sailfin molly.

I have 5 fry that I have saved that are now a cross between the black molly and the sailfin. Each of the five has developed into a different colour and pattern. Right now they are just 1/2" long.

 

[Elle2]

That's really neat. I would like to cross some variations and see what happens but at the moment I only have the one breeding pair and no alternative tank for fry. I have a swordfish that i have never seen anything like. Sort of looks like a pineapple sword but with a brilliant blue streak and white under side. I wouldlove to get him a mate and see what they produce... but again, need to find something to do with the fry. But yes, the platies are fabulous for colour... I really lucked out with this pair.