# Pregnant Platy



## jmbike11 (Jun 15, 2007)

So I went and bought a couple of fish the other night, and the platy I got is pregnant or I think it is. She has a big stomach and its white and there is like a black dot towards the bottom of it. Right now she is in a 10 gallon with a betta. I also have a 5 gallon tank thats holding air right now. So if she is pregnant should I buy a breeder net, or set up the 5 gallon? What else should I do to take care of her?


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## tiffsplaties88 (Jun 26, 2008)

truthfully it all depends on if you actually want to give teh babies a chance to survive. and really you don't have a ton of room for a lot in a 10 gal and if you leave the babies in the tank with the betta it will gobble them up right away.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I would set up the five. Keep her in there with floating plants (live or plastic), and take her out once you see babies. I've heard of too many dead mamas in those little nets.


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## tiffsplaties88 (Jun 26, 2008)

how pregnant is the fish tho, would the tank be ready and cycled enough by that time that the babies would even live? i know its a small tank but ammonia and such would still be an issue.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you have a cycled tank, you can "seed" another with the filter media from the other. Also a five is small enough to do daily water changes. A single sponge filter is enough for a five with 1 fish.


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## jmbike11 (Jun 15, 2007)

I took the Betta out and put him in another tank I have, so the Platy is all by herself now. Im still going to set up the 5 gallon for her. The type of tank it is, is a Mini Bow 5 and the filter is a Whisper Power Filter which can be set to high to low. If I put the filter on low will it still suck in the fry? How much are sponge filters?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Just put a sponge over then inlet of the filter you have. sponge filters are cheap, but you need an air pump.


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## jmbike11 (Jun 15, 2007)

well i went out and bought all the stuff to set up the 5 gallon. After i had it set up put the water and some gravel from the 10 gallon in it I put the mom platy in it. I look back at my now half empty 10 gallon and see 2 fry. I filled it back up with water and came back after eating supper and now there is like 5 or 6 in there. The mom is still in the 5. Should i leave the fry in the 10 or try to move them to the 5?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Lol. Fish are annoying like that. Wait a bit and see if mama has more. Then keep mama in one tank and the fry in the other. Which doesn't matter. Keep the betta in with mama rather than the fry. Platies do eat their own fry. So keep them apart until the fry are too big to fit in any fish's mouth in the tank.


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## jmbike11 (Jun 15, 2007)

Ok the mom and fry are seperated. When i do water changes do i need to vacum the gravel because thats where i see most of the fry or do i just need to do water changes? One more question do they need an air pump realy bad because i have one but no air stone?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Just do water until they get big enough to avoid. If the tank has a filter, you can skip the airstone. But if you have a pump, you can just bubble with a hose, or you can buy a sponge filter for <$5.


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