pregnant platy?

[fishy_friend]

hi, I recently bought a female high fin platy to boost the number of females to males. where I got her from they had males in with the females, she is quite round and has a dark mark by her tail (gravid spot?) she hasn't squared off yet but I was wondering if she is pregnant. she is certainly getting her fair share of attention from the males.

 

[Crazytanks22]

hi, I recently bought a female high fin platy to boost the number of females to males. where I got her from they had males in with the females, she is quite round and has a dark mark by her tail (gravid spot?) she hasn't squared off yet but I was wondering if she is pregnant. she is certainly getting her fair share of attention from the males.

She looks pregnant to me.

 

[fishy_friend]

How long do u think until she has her fry? Also is the dark spot her gravid spot or just part of her colouring?

 

[AngelFishGirl]

How long do u think until she has her fry? Also is the dark spot her gravid spot or just part of her colouring?

Oh yeah she's about to pop! I'd say a week at MOST until you have fry.
And if your talking about the big spot above her anal fin than yes. That is the gravid spot.

 

[fishy_friend]

that's so exciting, I didn't expect it so soon! I'm free most of the week so I will be able to keep an eye on her. My first platy fry! Any tips, when would you suggest I put her in the breeder net, I want to save as many as possible.

 

[Crazytanks22]

that's so exciting, I didn't expect it so soon! I'm free most of the week so I will be able to keep an eye on her. My first platy fry! Any tips, when would you suggest I put her in the breeder net, I want to save as many as possible.

I would wait for her to have the fry and then a day or two after put the fry in a breeder net and feed them first bites or baby brine shrimp.

 

[fishy_friend]

okay, she is still eating but starting to hang around the bottom more. Also the males are following her everywhere! Do all pregnant fish square off?

 

[fishy_friend]

I have put the breeder net in so the fish will get used to it, but i haven't put preggers in it yet. she is getting bigger and the gravid spot is getting darker.

 

[Oohitsae]

Most fish do square off, but in some it's more noticeable than others.
Since livebearers tend to hold off on birthing fry till night, I would only put her in a breeder net at night, and only a couple nights in a row at most to keep her stress down, it's fairly common for livebearers to stress themselves to death in small spaces.
Pull her as soon as soon as you can after she drops to keep her from eating fry, and if you have some plants like cabomba or hornwort throw those in the net too to give the fry some camoflauge

 

[fishy_friend]

okay, I have some floating plants in the net and I think she might be starting to square off, not sure. could someone show me a pic of a squared off platy so I know what to look for.

 

[Oohitsae]

Not a platy but here's a boxed off guppy, platy's will look similar.
This guppy is an extreme case size wise, but the bottom of the belly being flat with curved edges is what you'll be looking for


Oh, and I added a picture of a sword that is boxed but not carrying that many in case your female isn't carrying many either

 

[fishy_friend]

thanks, she doesn't look like that yet but is starting to look like the bottom one, although I think it is her first birth so i'm not expecting many. I will put her in the breeder net at night so she isn't as stressed. I have read that unlike other livebearers, platies won't eat their fry if there is foliage for them to hide in. is that true? if it is i'm still taking her out when she's done.

 

[fishy_friend]

the males won't leave her alone, every time she settles at the bottom, the chase her away. poor gal.

 

[fishy_friend]

I reckon she's aborted. not sure y, possibly due to being bought, she was already 3 weeks pregnant when we bought her. waaaaa, was really looking forward to looking after the fry. but she will get pregnant again in a month hopefully. it could have been me trying to put her in the breeder net at night that did it, although I was very careful to not stress her out. she is still round but has lost gravid spot and i'm certain she didn't eat them. hope I don't mess up next time.

 

[Oohitsae]

She may very well havve, but don't worry, as soon as these guys are dissolved back into her system she'll be preggers again.
Chances are it's from trying to net her to put her into the breeding net, or the net itself. Livebearers can be very sensitive.

Have you set up a grow out for fry? If so your best bet the next time would be to put her in there when she gets boxed and leave her till she drops so she doesn't have to keep getting pulled from and put back into the main tank.
Nets can be very stressful but they are the best route if you don't have a grow out or a lot of surface vegetation and still want to save fry.

 

[fishy_friend]

i was goin to buy a grow out when she showed signs of being pregnant again, the is a good idea.

i'm not completely sure that she has aborted, she has lost her gravid spot but appears to be squared off and has a tiny white dot by her anal fin. she wasn't boxed yesterday. there aren't any fry that I can see in the tank so im watching her closely. she is eating and swimming around the tank, mostly being chased by the boys. I know fish don't always follow the pregnancy routine of stopping eating and sitting at the bottom, so do u think she might be. she is being relentlessly chased and never has a chance to settle. so I will very carefuly put her in the breeder net and leave the lights off.

 

[Wayne487]

i was goin to buy a grow out when she showed signs of being pregnant again, the is a good idea.

i'm not completely sure that she has aborted, she has lost her gravid spot but appears to be squared off and has a tiny white dot by her anal fin. she wasn't boxed yesterday. there aren't any fry that I can see in the tank so im watching her closely. she is eating and swimming around the tank, mostly being chased by the boys. I know fish don't always follow the pregnancy routine of stopping eating and sitting at the bottom, so do u think she might be. she is being relentlessly chased and never has a chance to settle. so I will very carefuly put her in the breeder net and leave the lights off.

I'd go out and get a tank for the fry now to get it cycled and everything set up before she starts to show again, I have 3 female guppys in a tank that are all about ready to pop! I'm currently in the process of resealing a tank for the bigger fry (almost 4 week old) to go into and then I'll put the new Borns into the breeder box I have. I haven't had any abort yet because I don't have to move the females at all I just have lots of plants in there for fry to hide in till I can catch them and move them

 

[fishy_friend]

yeah I'm going to buy a grow out tank soon. she still hasn't had them, I can still just see her gravid spot, why hasn't she had them yet, she is showing all the signs. she is square (ish), she has a gravid spot, she has a white dot by her anal fin and she is round. why won't she just have them. Will angel fish eat the fry, I'm thinking of in the future when we get a bit overrun . any tips on helping her have them quicker. I have been leaving the light off but the other fish go grey and sick without it even though they are opposite a light window.

 

[Oohitsae]

yeah I'm going to buy a grow out tank soon. she still hasn't had them, I can still just see her gravid spot, why hasn't she had them yet, she is showing all the signs. she is square (ish), she has a gravid spot, she has a white dot by her anal fin and she is round. why won't she just have them. Will angel fish eat the fry, I'm thinking of in the future when we get a bit overrun . any tips on helping her have them quicker. I have been leaving the light off but the other fish go grey and sick without it even though they are opposite a light window.

She has either aborted or has a ton of fry.
I had a female guppy that looked like se was about to pop, square, gravid, and veryyyy plump and was like that for over 2 weeks once. She dropped 50 fry. So that could be the issue.
Anything that can fit a fry in it's mouth will eat it, your mollies included. I have a tank where not a single fry ever survives and it's a guppy only tank.

Try a large cool water change, maybe like 40% with wster that's 4-5* cooler than the tank water. It helps simulate rainy season and will make her feel more comfortable dropping. Also give her plenty of cover and stick her breeder net near the heater. Try to not disturb her in any way as mug as possible and feed protein high foods till she drops

 

[fishy_friend]

I don't think she will have a lot of fry as she isn't huge and I think this is her first birth. I'm expecting under 20. I have done a 10% cool water change, moved the breeder net closer to the heater and sprinkled cold water droplets over her net. now its just waiting. I know most girls have their fry at night but some have it during the day, she will probably have hers at night.