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Platy pregnacy and fry survival aid - advice needed

2K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  Flint 
#1 ·
My sunset fire platy surprised me by giving birth right before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the fry was eaten by one of my other fish. This was on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, though I can't remember which. No other babies were visible, granted I was gone most of the weekend. When I returned on Sunday, there was a new baby.

Is it normal for the pregnancy to take so long? I thought that it usually takes twenty-four hours to deliver all of the fry. All I know is that the first baby appeared days ago, and she is still very, very pregnant now.

I have a simple breeder tank in my tank now. The baby is in there with her, but it likes to swim into her section. I know that the mother is usually not interested for the first twelve hours. However, that time is up. Should I be concerned about the fry being near the mother? I want this fry to survive. I do have a separate tank that I once used for a betta, but I don't know how the fry would handle being moved to that. I do not trust to let the fry into my main tank. I have four other live bearers and a guppy. Since the other did get eaten, I don't want to take that chance again. Though this pregnancy is a surprise, I want to help the fry survive.

Do you have any tips for keeping the fry alive? This is my first time with livebearers, and I want to do all that I can. Thanks.
 
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#3 ·
Remove the mother from the breeder and leave the fry in. She WILL eat it. Are you feeding it?
I did remove the mother, but she does still look really close to another baby. I am feeding the baby with the first bites fish food from my pet store. It's only been a day or so, but the fry looks very healthy. It's very active and did eat what I gave it. I gave a very tiny amount before and it seemed to go well. Should I expect more little ones? My platy is very puffy and it has a black spot that comes and goes. She is also much shyer than normal.

Thanks for your advice!
 
#4 ·
If you are concerned about her dropping fry again so soon, buying another breeder is a good option. Maybe get the fry a big net one instead of the plastic because with livebearers there will be a lot of fry. If you can't swing that right now, you can put the fry in your fishnet and the mom back in the breeder but you should have about two weeks before she drops again. What size is your old betta tank? Does it have a filter?
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#5 ·
I'm going to keep a close eye on her. I probably will invest in the net tank when I can. I have all livebearers now, so I'm sure this will happen again. She can't be done either. She is still huge, but like you said she probably won't drop anymore until a bit later. Hopefully, by then I should have the net tank or at least an appropriate net. I only have a tiny one.

The betta tank doesn't have a filter. It's probably about a half gallon. I use it as a spare when I transport my bettas. I have four of those, and it fit my veiltail comfortably when I moved the last time. I don't know much about platys, but I feel like it'd be better to keep the fry where it is since there's a heater and good filtration.

However, I am moving in two weeks. I'm concerned about the tank as it is, let alone the pregnant fish and the fry. I want to care for them appropriately. I have a panda, a mickey mouse, a r
edtail black variatus, a fancy guppy, the pregnant sunset fire and her fry, as well as a fiddler crab. The water levels have been stable for several months. I did have a blip in August when it was a gourami tank, the water around here was harder than I am used to, so I am very hesitant to upset the balance again...especially with a fry in the mix.
Are there any precautions I need to take in addition to the basics for the sunset and her little one? I'm literally moving thirty minutes up the road with my fiancée, but it's still going to be a bit of a disruption for them and the rest. Survival and comfort are my main concerns. Any advice is appreciated and welcomed. It's my first move with a community tank. What can I say? I am a nervous pet parent.​
 
#6 ·
They are only $10 or so at Petsmart. If you want to keep all the fry they ever have, you will soon be very very overstocked. I would just add a few pieces of java moss to the tank and let nature take its course. Some fry will survive, others will be eaten and even still, you will become overstocked.

1/2 Gallon isn't even appropriate to home a betta, so it is definitely a no-go for the fry. Especially being unfiltered and unheated.

As far as moving, take any "unstable" decor out, drain the water until it goes 1/2" above the fish, and make sure your filter media stays wet in tank water. Move them like this and get the tank up first thing. You have about an hour before your beneficial bacteria start to die off of your filter media.
 
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