Are my platies pregnant? Are they courting?? Err-- ?

[tanknewbie]

Hello everybody.

About 2 weeks ago I bought 4 platies for my new 5 gal. tank. A risky venture, since I hadn't cycled the tank and had to introduce them to my betta which I was given as a gift in a glass vase (and found out it's inhumane to do that so hence the aquarium).

Okay- 2 weeks later after introducing bacteria colonies to the tank my water tests
0ppm for Ammonia, and
0ppm for Nitrites
7.6ph water

I've been observing the fish closely during this period to make sure they're not going to drop dead on me, since the tank looks cycled, but I'm waiting to be sure.

I have 2 female, 2 male platies. Lately the male has been pursuing the two females in the tank, pretty hardcore. Is that courting? He isn't attacking them, just following them around, while fending off the other male, who sulks in the bottom corner of the aquarium I don't know if I can do an exchange, but I'm thinking about switching that male for a female.

I'm not sure if one of my platies is pregnant, or just full grown. It's bigger than the other female platies and the belly looks more distended. I have no pictures of what female platies should look like.

The betta, by the way, is pretty lacksidasical- at first he was agitated with the fish in the tank and they could never get close without him flaring up, but now they can swim right next to him and he ignores them most of the time.

 

[justDIY]

you need more females, see if the fish store will let you exchange both males for females, and then buy yourself a male from a different store

should be 1 male for ~3 females, or ~3 males and ~5 or more females ... otherwise the females will get harassed a lot ... and your males will fight, since there are only two females to choose from

did you buy male and female pairs hoping to breed them? you should go on google and read-up on breeding livebearers .... I also would recommend against buying male and female pairs from the same tank/store, since they are most likely related to each other, and that can result in weakened / ugly offspring

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they should get along with the betta just fine, although the betta will eat any offspring your pairs produce

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in my humble opinion, it's not inhumane to keep a betta in a vase, as long as it's cared for properly; weekly water changes and regular feeding will result in a healty and happy betta

 

[azn dreamer]

i thought it took 4 weeks for the male platties to mature 8O

Does the males have a gonodium(sp?) the long elongated thing coming out of the anal fin?

If it does then most likely the female is pregant.

Hope you have a lot of fry!

 

[justDIY]

it takes more than 4 weeks ... from spawn to mature is at least 2 months, maybe even 3

it takes 3 or 4 weeks for the female gestation, so you get a new batch every month if your conditions are ideal

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I know it's hard to do, but you want to cull most of your fry, just keep the best looking one or two from each brood - otherwise you'll end up with a ton of fish PQD