Unexpected platy fry - advice?

[SquareBubble]

So one of my platies gave birth a couple of days ago (not exactly sure when) - I was expecting it at some point (I've got an all female tank but they weren't separated by sex at the store), but I've only had them a week and none of them really looked pregnant, let alone readyto give birth xP
I've managed to seperate two fry into a smaller tank on their own, there's still a least one in the main tank, but I'm gonna try again at catching it tomorrow - if it survives that long xP
Anyway - my dilemma is that I'm going to my parents house for Christmas for a couple of days and I'm not sure what to do with them?
I plan to just leave the main tank to its own devices, as everything I've read seems to say adult platies are fine to go without food for the two days - but what I've read about fry seems to say they need feeding at least three times a day if not more
My parents house is only a short train ride away, so I could take then with me in a 1 litre container - but I'm not sure if that would stress them out too much?
The only other thing I can think to do is to leave them with some of that weekend food that stays in the tank - but I hear they're horrible for fouling your water - and although I've seeded it with stuff from my main tank, the little tank doesn't have an established nitrogen cycle yet =\
So yeah, any advice would be greatly appreciated c:

 

[Reaper216]

As much as people seem to dislike them, I love my HOB breeder box. I have a small Marina one, and leave my molly fry in there for right around 2 - 3 weeks. It connects to an air pump to cycle some water around and the 3 fry I had in there are now about an inch and a half long each.

I just found 2 fry last night and they are both swimming around in there just fine.

 

[SquareBubble]

Thankyou for your reply, but I don't understand how this would help with feeding them whilst I'm away? Unless - would they just get nutrients from the water in my established tank? c:

 

[Reaper216]

I'm unsure of the Platys but I have seen the molly fry eating the algae that grows on the sides of the box.

I feed my fry the same way I feed my tank, once in the morning and once at night. And every 3 - 4 days I dont feed at all. And any fry I've kept in the box have survived.

Plus the way my water circulates within the tank, whenever I put flake food in it gets pushed towards the water intake for the fry box. Have you thought of getting one of the vacation feeders? Not that white tablet thing, the actual timed feeder that you fill with food.

 

[SquareBubble]

Yeah, I'll be getting one of those at some time after I get paid - but I don't have enough money to between now and christmas :c
So, you think the fry will be ok for 2 days without food?

 

[Reaper216]

I think they will be fine. Feed a little heavy right before you leave. I'd imagine what food does make it to the bottom will sit there and be available for them to nibble at while you are away.

I've done some searching online and come up with a mixed bag. Some people say that fry MUST! be fed at least 3 times a day, while others say that fry in the wild dont have anyone to feed them.

Im going to lean with the latter in the debate, as my fry are doing just fine. I actually just found 2 more little guys this morning. If I can get a clear enough picture I will post it

 

[Reaper216]

The first picture is of my 4 new fry that I caught and put in the breeder box yesterday and this morning.

The second is of the very first fry I have ever had. They are just about a month and a half old.

 

[SquareBubble]

Ok, thankyou very much C:
And yeah, yours are looking good

 

[SquareBubble]

(Also, just a quick update for anyone reading this thread with a similar problem - My fry survived fine whilst I was away with no food, they were even bigger when I got back and looking healthy as ever )

 

[Fishfur]

It can be surprising how well fish do without help from us. But in case of future babies, one thing you can do that helps fry both grow well and not need feeding so often is to keep a microworm culture. They are very tiny, fish love them, and they live for four or more days once you drop them in the tank.

So they won't ruin the water by dying off suddenly and the fish can hunt for them in the gravel. I keep fry in a breeder box too, and because the bottom is bare, fry can find every worm, they just lie there wriggling, waiting to be eaten.

The cultures are not expensive to buy, and need only a two cup deli container, or margarine tub or similar, some oatmeal for substrate and baker's yeast to eat. If you renew the culture every few weeks you will always have them handy, and adult fish eat them too. Just don't feed them daily to adult fish, as they are a bit too fatty for every day. The fat is what makes them such great fry food, as baby fish need a lot of fats to grow well.

I can feed a big pinch of worms every couple of days and the fry all grow very well. In my case, they are Endlers, also a live bearer and a reasonably large baby fish, compared to those that hatch from eggs that are laid.. so the worms are a fine size and I can feed them other stuff as well, but the worms are handy, especially if I have to be away for a day or two.