Help! Platy just gave birth!

[Fishie]

My Red wag platy gave birth and had her in breeders trap and put breeders trap in little weird bucket like a tray filled water with it. Because some of the fry escape so far i have 6 fry birthed got 5 and put in tray momma still in breeders trap. had her in 10g will 4 other platy and 2 guppies. Dont have to many hiding places. also got 29G. She maybe still birthing idk what to need if they neeed to be in a tank with filter and heater! neeedd help!

 

[Fishie]

never mind moving fish in 10g to 29g platys with cichlids make 10g fry tank!

 

[gabysapha]

Try using the search feature to look through the forums for how to raise platy fry. It comes up very often and you'll find all the info you need

 

[gabysapha]

Oh and unless your tank stays at 78 or higher without a heater, yes you need a heater. I highly suggest using a seeded sponge filter too. Good luck, platy fry are very easy to raise.

 

[F-8 pufferman]

Hi sorry no one replied before you moved em. Platty will have huge births much like there cousins the guppi and swortails, Depending on age of the fish, size of fish, how many batches of fry she has laid out in the past, and the water and food quality provided for and before the birth. If all of these are mature, large, 2 or more, and excelent you could have alot more babies on the way. btw what are you feeding them?

 

[Fishie]

Hi sorry no one replied before you moved em. Platty will have huge births much like there cousins the guppi and swortails, Depending on age of the fish, size of fish, how many batches of fry she has laid out in the past, and the water and food quality provided for and before the birth. If all of these are mature, large, 2 or more, and excelent you could have alot more babies on the way. btw what are you feeding them?

32 birthed so far! :O put them in 10G and they are just sitting there at bottom and i try to feed them some crushed up fish flakes but they didnt really come up to top. Pretty sure she is still birthing! now 35 . she never got prego before. Fed flakes to her and cleaned tank for new ones.

 

[gabysapha]

32 birthed so far! :O put them in 10G and they are just sitting there at bottom and i try to feed them some crushed up fish flakes but they didnt really come up to top. Pretty sure she is still birthing! now 35 . she never got prego before. Fed flakes to her and cleaned tank for new ones.

Like most newborn fish they won't eat until they absorb their yolk sac. Then they will forage and you should feed. Youre just fouling the water if they don't eat. Add some snails or harmless shrimp (be safe and dont use ghost shrimp) as a clean up crew

 

[Fishie]

Like most newborn fish they won't eat until they absorb their yolk sac. Then they will forage and you should feed. Youre just fouling the water if they don't eat. Add some snails or harmless shrimp (be safe and dont use ghost shrimp) as a clean up crew

When will they absorb yolk sac? When you said shrimp I thought ghost shrimp then you said no but I will get some might tear up plants though. When will she have other batches? Week from now? But nylon over filter so they don't get sucked up.

 

[F-8 pufferman]

should be roughly every month or so. btw do you have any males in your tank? it takes roughly 24 hours for the yolk sac to be absorbed.

 

[Fishie]

should be roughly every month or so. btw do you have any males in your tank? it takes roughly 24 hours for the yolk sac to be absorbed.

I put all males and females in 29G mating partner hangs out with the one that just gave birth to 43 fry . All fry in 10G.

 

[gabysapha]

When will they absorb yolk sac? When you said shrimp I thought ghost shrimp then you said no but I will get some might tear up plants though. When will she have other batches? Week from now? But nylon over filter so they don't get sucked up.

You may want to try googling how to raise platties, to supplement the information you get here. What breeders feed them, how fast they grow under certain conditions... You get better result when you look up how to raise swordtail fry.

I have great success with microworms and decapped brine shrimp eggs. I highly recommend feeding that if you can!

Yes the reason I firmly advise against using ghost shrimp is because they are predatory to small fish such as fry. There are several forum members who have lost fry to ghost shrimp, and I myself have lost adult platties. I do not keep ghost shrimp at all anymore. Plus they are so annoying to breed, neocardinias are much more harmless and pretty and easier to breed

And I'm not sure why you think ghosties will tear up plants. ghost shrimp won't tear up plants, they are far too puny for that. Do you have shrimp that do that? They may not be ghost shrimp at all in that case.

The other responder is correct. My platties drop fry every 4 weeks like clockwork!

 

[F-8 pufferman]

Sounds like youve got it all figured out. the 10 gal should be sufficent for quite some time but eventually as they reach maturity you will need to spread them around a bit more 43 fish in a ten gal will be way too much in about two months.

 

[Fishie]

You may want to try googling how to raise platties, to supplement the information you get here. What breeders feed them, how fast they grow under certain conditions... You get better result when you look up how to raise swordtail fry.

I have great success with microworms and decapped brine shrimp eggs. I highly recommend feeding that if you can!

Yes the reason I firmly advise against using ghost shrimp is because they are predatory to small fish such as fry. There are several forum members who have lost fry to ghost shrimp, and I myself have lost adult platties. I do not keep ghost shrimp at all anymore. Plus they are so annoying to breed, neocardinias are much more harmless and pretty and easier to breed

And I'm not sure why you think ghosties will tear up plants. ghost shrimp won't tear up plants, they are far too puny for that. Do you have shrimp that do that? They may not be ghost shrimp at all in that case.

The other responder is correct. My platties drop fry every 4 weeks like clockwork!

When I said I was going to get some I meant shrimp not ghost kind but don't know what kind. Every 4 weeks for batches? Neocardinais? Wow do you sell your fry or what? I'm feeding crushed up flake food and now crushing up cichlid pellet made of shrimp omega kind.

 

[Fishie]

Sounds like youve got it all figured out. the 10 gal should be sufficent for quite some time but eventually as they reach maturity you will need to spread them around a bit more 43 fish in a ten gal will be way too much in about two months.

Thanks how long till they grow up so can't get eaten? All alive so far .

 

[gabysapha]

Thanks how long till they grow up so can't get eaten? All alive so far .

That depends on how mean your platties are. Mine are .5 inch long at 3 months. They are fast enough to outswim adults, but if the adults really want them they can certainly get them.

I of course don't keep all the fry they have. Keeping them all would be silly.

It will take several months before they can be sold to an lfs, and even then my lfs may not take them. I'll give them away or sell on craigslist.

Ghost shrimp are not the only kind of shrimp appropriate for tanks, and I think they are the ugliest anyway. A lot of people talk about other kinds of shrimp on the forums, you may want to prowl those threads to learn more. Neocardinias include the color morphs of red cherry shrimp. They are super peaceful and very pretty. Jetajockey sells them if you want to buy from him. I have and they are great. Tiger and amano shrimp are also popular.

 

[Fishie]

That depends on how mean your platties are. Mine are .5 inch long at 3 months. They are fast enough to outswim adults, but if the adults really want them they can certainly get them.

I of course don't keep all the fry they have. Keeping them all would be silly.

It will take several months before they can be sold to an lfs, and even then my lfs may not take them. I'll give them away or sell on craigslist.

Ghost shrimp are not the only kind of shrimp appropriate for tanks, and I think they are the ugliest anyway. A lot of people talk about other kinds of shrimp on the forums, you may want to prowl those threads to learn more. Neocardinias include the color morphs of red cherry shrimp. They are super peaceful and very pretty. Jetajockey sells them if you want to buy from him. I have and they are great. Tiger and amano shrimp are also popular.

I will ask jetajockey about them. How much should I sell them for on Craigslist ? Also feeding them crushed up cichlid pellets and crushed up fish food that okay?

 

[gabysapha]

I will ask jetajockey about them. How much should I sell them for on Craigslist ? Also feeding them crushed up cichlid pellets and crushed up fish food that okay?

Yeah you can feed them anything like that.
I'm not certain on what the nutrition science is behind what to feed fry, but all of my foods made specifically for livebearer fry are high in protein.
I've had really great results with microworms, so I highly suggest you try growing some.

I will take several months for your platties to get to a sellable size. When you do want to sell them, I wouldn't sell them for more than what the chain stores sell them for. If you were raising really nice ones with interesting markings or fin shape that you don't see in chain stores, then you could sell for more. Since yours are widely available and there was no purposeful breeding for traits, I would sell them for less than $1 because Petsmart in my area sells them for $1.50 on non-sale days. Breeding them at home is more just as a learning experience, you can't expect to make any money off them unless you make an investment first

 

[Fishie]

Yeah you can feed them anything like that.
I'm not certain on what the nutrition science is behind what to feed fry, but all of my foods made specifically for livebearer fry are high in protein.
I've had really great results with microworms, so I highly suggest you try growing some.

I will take several months for your platties to get to a sellable size. When you do want to sell them, I wouldn't sell them for more than what the chain stores sell them for. If you were raising really nice ones with interesting markings or fin shape that you don't see in chain stores, then you could sell for more. Since yours are widely available and there was no purposeful breeding for traits, I would sell them for less than $1 because Petsmart in my area sells them for $1.50 on non-sale days. Breeding them at home is more just as a learning experience, you can't expect to make any money off them unless you make an investment first

Thanks! Like the last sentence true!!

 

[F-8 pufferman]

oh yeah i love to breed my guppy and other tank mates in my large community tank. If breeding is something that intrest you know that most live bearing fish are verry prolific and as such are verry cheap for the lfs to get there hands on. If you want something that brings a little more bang for your buck try egg laying fish there a little more challenging but way more rewarding as well as being able to sell the for a little more in most cases.

 

[Fishie]

oh yeah i love to breed my guppy and other tank mates in my large community tank. If breeding is something that intrest you know that most live bearing fish are verry prolific and as such are verry cheap for the lfs to get there hands on. If you want something that brings a little more bang for your buck try egg laying fish there a little more challenging but way more rewarding as well as being able to sell the for a little more in most cases.

Once I get bigger tank (1 week or less.) I might try egg layers. What are some easy starter fish for egg layers? I love breeding! Right about livebearers being cheap none that I know of are expensive or close.