# Would tetras eat platy/guppy babies?



## cossie

In my new 5 gallon i had a pregnant female guppy but today i added one of my brothers platies and my female platy. The female guppy will drop first as the platy isn't pregnant yet. But when the guppy drops i will move the platy out the tank and the guppy once she finishes, but when the time comes to the platy giving birth then if i put her with the guppy fry which would be a week old then would she eat them? This is why i was thinking of letting the platy drop in my main tank with 9 xray tetras and 2 hillstream loach and a botia kubotai, Is this a good idea? or would the tetras or the botia eat them?

Both tanks are heavily planted.


cheers jack.:fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish:


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## funlad3

If they're heavily planted, you'll be fine. Fish will eat fry if they're hungry and if the fry can be caught....


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## Pandapop

I'm not so sure the loaches would eat the fry, but in my experience with babies and tetras, the tetras were notorious nippers. I've never actually seen a tetra of mine (we have silver-tips and serpae's) _eat_ the fry per-say, but definitely some chasing and nipping... I ended up taking my babies out of the main tank.

Platies will eat their own fry even if they are well fed... I don't understand why people say they won't. I've had it happen to me, in the LFS, to friends, etc. If it's there and they can catch it, it's more than likely food. 

You could make sure there are enough fake/live plants and decorations (they tend to instinctively swim up instead of down, when born) within the tank to keep a few from harms way, but the best option would be to remove the babies entirely. Or at least get an in-tank net-breeder for them to stay in until they are large enough to not be eaten.


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## cossie

I will have just the guppy in there when she's ready to drop but if im at school or asleep then what do i do?

Is this enough plants?


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## funlad3

Well, there you go!


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## Pandapop

That's more than enough cover for the babies! Actually, that's perfect! 

If the momma has her drop while you are away, don't worry too much about it. Some babies may be eaten, but the majority of them will retreat into the plants. You should definitely find them there. Also, keep in mind that livebearer's don't always drop their fry all at once. She might start and drop a few, then finish later that day/evening. She may even hold the rest of her fry another day.

So just keep checking... her stomach size will indicate whether or not she's started to drop. Also check carefully in the plants for any babies hiding out there.


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## cossie

so what happens if i do find them alive in the plants lol

whats the next stage?


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## Pandapop

Well, you have three options... xD

1. Remove the babies from the main tank and put them into their own tank.
2. Get a net-breeder and put the babies in there, inside the main tank.
3. Leave them where they are and hope some make it to adult-hood.

Guppy fry grow fast, but because they're so small, they easily fit inside the mouths of most other fish. Even if those fish aren't hungry, they'll still chase them. 

If you aren't able to set up a whole new tank for the babies (which most can't due to lack of space/funds), you can try what I've done a few times. 

Just get a plain plastic/acrylic/glass container that can hold at least a gallon of water, and get a small air pump going in there. Use a check-valve to soften the flow of air coming out, since the babies will have a hard time fighting the current it'll make. 

You won't need a filter if you keep an eye on them every day, and take out and replace about 1/4 of their water daily with fresh, treated water. Also be sure to scoop up any uneaten food on the bottom of the container, as mold will grow, and small fry could become stuck in there (it's happened). 

Feed the babies finely crushed flakes. I use Hikari First Bites personally, until they're large enough to eat freeze-dried daphnia and then eventually to micro-pellets. 

Also, put some plants into the container, too... the fry will feel safer. They don't have to be live plants. But, if you do have a live plant in with them, the babies will eat the little organisms that come along with it. But you should still feed them crushed flakes.


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## Pandapop

Oh, forgot to mention a heater... if your room temperature is stable and warm enough, you won't need one. But if it's cold, those babies will need a small heater to keep them from freezing.


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## cossie

LOL the tank picture is of my baby breeding tank, thats not my main tank.


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## PostShawn

I agree. The tank pictured is perfect for fry to hide. If you are putting the momma fish in there to give birth then let her do so and then remove momma leaving just the fry. If you want to put a momma number 2 in there a week later and still have fry they should be able to hide just fine and no the layout of the tank already. If you have many fry you might have a loss of a few but majority should come out okay. Also keep momma fed and she wont eat as much baby fish. If you want more security just pick up a cheap 5g tank and have fry dropping tank number 2.


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## cossie

ok cheers guys ill keep you updated on the pregnancy stages


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