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food for platy fry

11K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  tropicalfishkeeper2 
#1 ·
hi everyone i have great new my platy have babies today and i usually feed my fry crushed flakes but i want to know what else they eat and how regularly should i feed them? i want the fry to grow fast so i want help and tips from you guys
 
#2 ·
I went to PetSmart and got Baby Fish Food. I'm feeding twice a day, they are growing FAST, and they LOVE it!! I figure they need it twice a day, they are so tiny, their tummies won't hold much so I feed more often.
Yeah for babies!!
 
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#3 ·
I agree the fry food is great, I was able to get a jar of it for a few dollars and I have only used a quarter of it in the past 2 months. My platy fry love it. I feed my fry about 3 to 4 times a day when they are really small and have reduced the feedings as they have gotten larger. Other than the fry food I have also given my fry shrimp pellets, frozen baby brine shrimp, and every once in awhile I will put an algae disc in, which the fry and snails will both go after.

One of the other most important things to help promote growth in your fry is frequent water changes, especially if you have them in their own tank. I do at 10% water change every day to every other day or so. Keeping the water clean will help the fry to grow quicker and healthier.
 
#6 ·
I kept the first single baby in there for a couple of weeks. It was bored out of it's mind. You could tell! And all the big fish looked in at it, must have been scary for poor little thing. I eventually moved it into the sectioned off area with the two pregnant females, The Callico Molly and Neon Swordtail. But they harrassed it so much and I felt it was big enough to move into the big portion of the tank... it survived and turns out it is also a Molly.
Now batch two only stayed in the tiny breeder box about a week, again bored I think with the little space.... and I moved them to my cycled empty (Betta died) 10 gallon in my office. And they are about 3/4 inch long now, and batch 3 the latest 7 went into the 10 gal the next day after they were born. So yes I have I think 13 Molly babies in there and 1 Oto Cat. As they get to the point that they will no longer fit into anyone's mouth, they can either go into the 1/4 or 3/4 portion of my 75 gallon.... we'll see how crowded it gets. lol.
You will see a huge difference in their outlook when they have the freedom to swim around a "bigger" tank than the breeder box. Even when they are only 1/4 inch long!!
 
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#9 ·
Agreed! If that is the only place you have to keep them, then they must be bigger than the biggest mouth in the tank that might eat them.... and lots of cover because they will be chased in hopes of being a snack.
 
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#10 ·
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