Surprise baby Platy! Now what?!!!!

[LizG]

We've had our Platy, Sunset, for several months. We got her very small at the store. I read that they can hold sperm for a long time. But I thought we were safe, since it's been months.

Well. To my surprise today, AFTER a water change, I saw a baby Platy run to hide inside the tower. I was like! Oh no! Did I suck the others? Anyway, then the kids and I were excited to have a new baby.

Sunset did not look pregnant at all, so we were not really expecting a new arrival.

My concerns now are:

1) How long ago was this birth, few days? Based on the size of the baby?

2) What do I do with it? Do I run to the store and get a nursery? I want to keep it safe, of course.

3) What do I feed it?

4) Is the baby still at risk of being eaten?

5) Why am I so nervous?

Tank is a 5 gal. Tank mates are 1 Platy (mom), 1 Oto, 1 Lemon Tetra, all waiting for the 55g to cycle so they can move to their new home.

Also, it hides a lot, and I can't always see where it is. I'm really afraid the other will eat it! In the picture, the baby is hiding by the plant.

 

[nirbhao]

Ah babies are so cute! They are also surprisingly good at surviving. You have live plants, which are much better than a nursery for fry.

You can buy special fry food, or you can just crush up flakes really small. I fed our fry (guppies) rotifers, which apparently isn't a common thing to do because I can never find them. Frozen or fresh food will help the fry grow more quickly.

You're nervous because you're a mom who wants to protect this tiny life as well as the children who have fallen in love with it.

 

[LizG]

Ok. This is weird. This morning, Sunset was slim. But this evening she looks plump. Mind you this is the Platy that just gave birth, maybe a few days ago. Am I imagining things?

 

[Barliman]

Take it from someone whose platys won't... stop... breeding ...er, where was I? Oh yeah!

I wouldn't worry about the little one. I don't think platys are strong fry-eaters, and he may already be too big for the lemon tetra. Fry are expert hiders, and the plants and algae will provide him with plenty of food to get started on. When he's big enough, he'll come out and join the others to eat the smaller crumbs of flake.

You might want to leave him in the 5 gallon to grow to adult size when you move the others over to the 55, depending on how soon that is. Trying to catch him as he dashes all over the tank isn't worth it. You can move him when he's larger.

Raising new fish is one of the best parts of the hobby, by the way. Have fun with it!