# Question about breeding platties...



## GloFish1999 (May 14, 2011)

I bought two female platties yesterday to add into my 10gal tank which has male platties. One of the females were already pregnant when I added them. I was just wondering a couple of things. 1) How long should it take until the fry are born? 2) Will the mother eat them? 3) Will they get sucked into the filter? 4) Why is one of my males chasing the pregnant fish around constantly? 5) Should I remove the fry once their born to a smaller habbitat?

PLEASE HELP!!!


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

1) Depends on when the female got pregnant. Gestation is about 4 weeks; usually the female looks like a box right before she drops. (Sometimes you'd never have guessed she was pregnant, though) 

2) Yes, she will. You'll need to provide lots of good hiding places, or for best survival, remove or trap (little floating container in the tank or something) the fry. 

3) Into power filters, yes. Sponge filters will be safe. I would assume UG filters are safe, too. 

4) Maybe he knows she's bursting with a meal.  Or wants to share his wealth of fertility as soon as she drops. 

5) That'd be good, unless you want only a few to grow up. For highest survival rates, move them to another habitat, or a floating container.

Best of luck!


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## DTetras2 (Jan 20, 2010)

As long as you have many hiding places for the babies, many of them will live. I have like 12 babies in my 29 gallon and they never get eaten, even when they're swimming right in front of the rams. I kind of wish that they would eat some of them, cause I don't want like 20 platys in my 29 gallon with 2 rams and a molly, but I guess I'm just going to have to deal


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## GloFish1999 (May 14, 2011)

*Okay!*

My friend has had fish her entire life. I asked her what to do. She said, "When you can tell that she is about to give birth in a couple of days, you should isolate her..." Then I asked how to know. She said, "You should be able to see the babies slightly..." Is that true?


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

If your filter has gaps in the uptake big enought that the babies may fit, you could cover it up with a sponge or cut an old stocking and use a rubber band or tie with fishing line or cotton to cover, make sure the stocking or sponge has no detergent residue.
If your tank has plenty of hiding places and depending on other tank mates, the chance of survival is not too bad. I find a water change when the fish looks close can offten bring on the birth too.
Moving the fish to a net or chamber in the tank can often cause a lot of stress on the mother. Also use a cup to scoop the fish from the net when you catch her as to not put pressure on her body, so she does not leave the water. I personally would leave her to give birth in the tank then catch the babies, if you are worried they will not survive in the tank.
with many live bearing fish they have what is called a gravid spot where you see a dark patch behind the bellly where the eggs sit in the fish.
For baby food I use a mortal and pestle to grind up some fish food to a powder, dont worry if they don't eat at once, they may have to learn what the food is and where it is coming from.


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