Pregnant Platy!!! Help please!!!

[ChristineO]

Hey all, so i have a question. Last night I went to feed my fish and turn off the overhead lamp and I noticed a little fry!!!! It was moving an swimming an everything.... Sooo cute! The mom however seems to still be pregnant and I can see the fry in her with the little eyes. It's the next day now and I still have yet to see anymore fry.....is this normal? Or?

Thanks,

Christine

 

[ChristineO]

So my camera is crap but that's the little fry that was born.... She hasn't given birth to any of the others yet....why?

 

[KatieBunky]

This happens. Usually they have one or two & then overnight or in the next few days she'll give birth to the rest of them. Don't worry, it's normal ^_^

 

[ChristineO]

Thanks I was freaking out so I went to the LFS an they told me the same thing she hasn't had anymore yet.... But she looks like she could pop any moment. I don't have her in a breeders box so I just have lots of dense plants in there is that okay?

 

[KatieBunky]

Yeah if she's in a tank by herself she'll be fine. I suggest that you remove the fry into a separate tank or their mother will eat them it's sad, I've seen it happen

 

[ChristineO]

Oh gosh.... Wouldn't want that!! The only problem is.... I don't have another tank / filter to put them all in .... I have lots of real plants so the one that's already born has a place to hide.... I heard that'd be okay... I guess not?

 

[KatieBunky]

It should be, I guess you'll just have to let nature do it's thing

 

[ChristineO]

Sneaker (that's the little fry) he's still alive an swimming around so hope he'll be okay

 

[paul65]

I dont use a breeder box either for the birthing process but i use one for housing the fry when they are born to keep them safe until they are big enough, its just a simple case of netting them and transferring them to the breeder box and they are perfectly happy in there

 

[ChristineO]

My question is, do I need a filter for my fish fry tank? Cause I was gonna put them in a simple fish bowl.... But I don't want them to die... Lol sorry I'm new to this. :$

 

[paul65]

Yes you would need a heater and a filter for a fry tank, are you planning to keep the fry or have you got someone to take them off your hands ?

 

[ChristineO]

Goodness no. I'll probably keep like one. Or two. But my boyfriend has a huge tank so I'm gonna send them over to him I'm not sure how many she'll have, but it'll be more than my tank can have regardless so what if I get a tube-wear an put holes in it with a drill an have the fry live in there in my tank until they're bigger enough to send to my boyfriends? Than they get filtered clean water an they're separate

 

[paul65]

I put my molly fry in the breeder box and they are fine in there, at a month old my local pet shop takes them off me, i have 35 in there now ! I do the same thing with every batch of new fry and never had a problem

 

[ChristineO]

Perfect! I'm gonna do that than! I'll make my own breeder box... For whatever reason my Lfs doesn't have breederboxs.... -.-

 

[ChristineO]

How old do the fry have to be before I give the to my boyfriend ?

 

[paul65]

When they reach a size that they cant fit in the mouth of the fish in your boyfriends tank they will be good to go, to be ultra safe leave it 4 weeks and they wont become a fish supper for other fish lol

 

[ChristineO]

Okay perfect! Thank you soo much!!!

 

[ChristineO]

Umm question... Your breeding doesn't have holes in it...so the fish fry don't have a filter correct?

 

[jessicafennen]

you can take a Tupperware container and hook it to the side of the tank. poke pin holes in it for water movement. Also, my platy gave birth to one single fry yesterday, and I'm also waiting on more!

 

[ChristineO]

yeah! That's what I was thinking of doing thanks! My platy had 1 single fry on Monday.. An still hasn't had anymore -.- idk why?