# First fry!! (and still pregnant???)



## sarah5775 (Jul 12, 2006)

I got a tank and four platys a year ago, and since then I've been trying to breed them. It's a planted tank, and I didn't have a fry tank, so I was hoping that a few would survive in the main one- but apparently my barbs are really evil- several pregnancies played out, but I never saw a single fry. I tried breeding traps but the first fish I put in one miscarried and died so I didn't want to use them after that.

Well, I finally set up a fry tank, cycled it, kept a betta in it to keep it cycled- and no more pregnancies! I think there is something wrong with my male because he never shows any interest in the females and not one single pregnancy in the past six months. So..anyway, I finally bought a pregnant female from the pet store.

Well, I put her in the fry tank and checked on her at about 4am Sunday morning. Next to her was a teeny tiny baby fish, so small you could barely believe it was a fish. My first fry! I am so elated, there aren't words. Finally! In the morning, I took the mother out. Unfortunately, she squirmed out of the net and landed on the floor. Feeling horrific, I scooped her up. She was somewhat traumatized, but by this morning she seemed ok ..and five fry have emerged from the java moss in my fry tank...but mom is still pregnant- she's huge- just as big as she was before. I don't want to put her in with the fry already born because she might eat them, so I have her in a breeding trap. I think she was traumatized by the fall. Is there anything I can do to induce her to drop, or is it just a waiting game now? Temperature is 80 degrees, and I have the lights off in the room. I have to resist the urge to check on her every five minutes!! Any advice?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yeah, relax.

The fry will most likely be safe from the mother in a well planted tank. Make sure she's well fed, and in her condition she will probably not be in any frymunching mood. Even if she tried, the fry can escape now that they've had a day to get their wits about them.
So...
Just put the mom back in the tank and quit worrying. You'll have plenty of fry in no time


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## sarah5775 (Jul 12, 2006)

I put her back in the fry tank last night, and it looks like there are more fry this morning. She is no longer big. The fry are the same color as the gravel and there's a lot of java moss but when I moved it around I saw some fry, so the five are definitely still there and it looks like there are a few new ones. Maybe when I get home later today I can get a head count.  

Thanks for the advice.


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## doggydad38 (Jan 18, 2005)

Congrats and don't worry about a head count until they are bigger. Even then it'll be difficult. The important thing is that they are eating and growing, not how many you have. Good luck and keep us posted.
Tony


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