# Is she really pregnant?



## LauraFrog (Jul 25, 2007)

I bought a platy from the pet shop about a week ago and I was assured that she was pregnant. She looks pretty darn big, almost square from the back, but there is no clear dark spot on her flank. Just curious, is there any way to tell for sure that she's pregnant, how long is the gestation, and how many fry is normal? She's a gorgeous fish, a sunset wagtail with black mottle on top of her head, and I'm not bothering to mess around with breeder nets etc., I just want the mother to be happy. If I manage to get a few fry out of the encounter, it's a bonus.

Also, would a bristlenose eat stray fry? She's taken over the smallest nook in the aquarium, barely fits in there, but still lives there. Funny fish.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

If she is looking "square" then she's pretty close, gestation is 30-32 days (depending on temp). And no BN will not eat the babies. If you add some fine leaved plants, mom will hide in those to have her babies, usually when you see them trying to stay secluded she's close. The size of the spawns is related to how old and healthy mom is. Could be anywhere between 4 to 30. BTW Platies hold sperm for up to 5 spawns, so after she throws these fry, she will have more, mark the dates, and enjoy


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## LauraFrog (Jul 25, 2007)

Oh, sweet!
Light is still dead, no more fish until Monday most likely because I'm clearing off to a friend's birthday party all weekend and it wouldn't be fair to introduce new fish and then vanish on them.
The platy is pregnant all right. Dunno why she didn't show an eye spot until this morning, but she's been hanging around the pump for days, but she was hiding in the plants this morning like you said and she must have dropped today. At least fourteen fry, there are a few I couldn't get out but I've netted twelve and moved them. I hope the ones that are left will have the sense to hide in the gravel where they've been, if the bristlenose won't eat them, their mother is the only other fish in there for the time being.

I don't know whether she's already dropped a few this time, she was pregnant when I bought her. I hope the fish shop will take the fry because fifteen adult platies and a bristlenose in a twenty litre tank is not a good idea...


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## CVV1 (Oct 7, 2005)

You should probably skoop up the fry into a breeder cage. I do that, I dont put the mom in the net cause it scares them. By the way I just got baby fish last night!


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## LauraFrog (Jul 25, 2007)

There are now seventeen fry in the jar. 
They are so cute!!!


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