Platy Fry

[cityofdaggers]

Alright, so I was checking my tank this morning and found 3 little fry swimming around! I wasn't even aware any of my platys were pregnant, and I've never been able to breed any of them before, so this was a bit of a shock.
So now I've got a couple of questions about the fry..
First of all, I'm wondering how many platys are usually born at once, seeing as how 3 seems like a pretty small number (I'm assuming the rest got eaten)
Secondly, how big should I let them get before they can go back into the tank with my other fish? (3 platys, 3 danios, 5 neon tetras, 2 tiny albino cories and a pleco) Right now they're less than a centimeter long (about 8mm)
So thats pretty much it, hopefully this won't be a one time thing with my platys, seeing as how I've been waiting months for some babies ;D thanks!

[Dave66]

Alright, so I was checking my tank this morning and found 3 little fry swimming around! I wasn't even aware any of my platys were pregnant, and I've never been able to breed any of them before, so this was a bit of a shock.
So now I've got a couple of questions about the fry..
First of all, I'm wondering how many platys are usually born at once, seeing as how 3 seems like a pretty small number (I'm assuming the rest got eaten)
Secondly, how big should I let them get before they can go back into the tank with my other fish? (3 platys, 3 danios, 5 neon tetras, 2 tiny albino cories and a pleco) Right now they're less than a centimeter long (about 8mm)
So thats pretty much it, hopefully this won't be a one time thing with my platys, seeing as how I've been waiting months for some babies ;D thanks!

Depends on the age and health of the female how many fry she'll drop. They average between 25 and 35, but a mature female in excellent health can drop upwards of 100. Platy females are nearly always pregnant, and can give birth monthly no problem.
When the fry are about an inch long, you can add them back safely.

Dave

[NickFish]

they usually between 15-60 depending on age.
As soon as they are larger than the biggest fishes mouth (not counting your pleco) they can go in. I guess between 3/4" and 1" they can go in. I have a post in the livebearer section title Care of Livebearer Fry if you want to check it out.

You will likely have many more coming. Livebearers are amazingly prolific, the mice of the fish world!

EDIT: that twice in a row Dave! I'll beat you yet.....

[cityofdaggers]

thanks for the replies, guess I'll be keeping them seperate from the other fish for a while yet
Im also wondering if anyone knows what the fry will look like, since the male is a red wagtail and the female is a blue coral platy?

[squirt_12]

Congrats on the fry....:thumb:

i am not sure which one the fry will end up being but i am guessing that they could either be a mixture or be either one depending on whos genes are more dominant. I am not 100% on that one but thats my guess.


Also....what do you have in the fry in??
what are you feeding them??? BBS are the best thing and cruched flake food. maybe micro worms if you have them.

[cityofdaggers]

I've got them in a breeding trap right now (just a small plastic one at the side of the tank) and I'm feeding them crushed flakes. Im going to go out later today and see if I can find some microworms or baby brine shrimp for them

[squirt_12]

live BBS are the best...but frozen will work.

In this breeding trap...can water move through it???? if not i would partially change the water twice a day. and use an air tube to do it and get all of the junk off of the bottom. But if water can flow throuigh i wouldn't be tooo warried...but make sure the bottom ALWAYS stays clean.

[cityofdaggers]

The water can flow through the breeder trap, and I'll make sure to keep it clean. They've got a little plastic plant too.
Right now Im thinking about moving them to a seperate tank (I think it's 2 or 3 gallons) until they grow a bit.