# are these pregnant? and identify a fish



## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

Hi Folks,

I bought a tank recently and adopted the fish that came with it, 
I've cleaned the tank, new gravel and such.

Now these two look pregnant, i need to know if they are?
what i need to do?The one on the first pic, just kind of looks like shes resting,
hardly moves off the gravel :help:



















I'm also trying to identify this:









Has like a white beard



My small tank:


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## llogan (Apr 5, 2010)

The top 2 fish are platys, red wag platys i think, and they look very pregnant to me, i have put my female who is about that fat in my breeder, you may want to buy a male or one may change sex and harass the female. And the bottom fish is a zebra danio, they are shoaling fish and you may want to buy a few more.


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## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

theres 3 of those zebra danios in the tank, i have one male platy and two female ones

i wouldnt know what a breeder is? i think i need a trip to my pet shop to get something


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

The top two fish are Platies (Xiphophorus maculatus). The other fish is a Zebra Danio (Danio rerio). It looks like you have a Bala Shark (Balantiocheilus melanopterus) in there too. The platy is very gravid. I doubt the fry will last long in that tank though.

A few things you should know:
1. The bala sharks should NOT be in that tank. They will grow bigger than that tank, or they will become severely stunted, which is VERY bad for their health. A bala shark should be able to grow to about 14 to 16 inches long.
2. The tank you have is over stocked. If you took out the sharks, the tank would be stocked to the very limit. Consider upgrading to a bigger size.
3. Zebra danios would prefer to be in groups of larger than 6. If you get a bigger tank, consider getting more zebras. 
4. You currently have a 7 gallon tank. I would recommend getting a 15 gallon or a 20 gallon long. You still need to take the sharks out. They need a MUCH bigger tank.

I know my answer isn't what you wanted to hear, but please take the advise. At the very least, remove the sharks. Give them back to the pet store or find someone with a suitable sized tank. The pet stores think they can sell any fish to someone tricking them into owning a fish they can't take care of. It should be criminal, but they do it anyway.

EDIT: Also, a breeder (or a breeder's net) is a term for a net that you put fish in before they release the fry. The fry will live in the net until they are big enough to not be eaten by the other fish, or until you can move them to a separate tank.


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## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

I Actually have two in there, i asked the guy at the shop and his expert advice was two would be ok. i'll take them back tomorrow and educate him.

Or if someone here can give them a good home?

this is my first ever tropical set up, so i didnt want to start too big. 
I've just seen your nursery is bigger than my tank!

when these Platies give birth, what do i do with the fry? give them to a local pet shop?
i cant keep them in my small tank


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## llogan (Apr 5, 2010)

If you are planning to upgrade to a bigger tank you could use the little tank as a nursery tank, i usualy release my fry at about 1.5 to 2 cm as they should be strong enough and fast enough to get away from any hungry fishes, some pet shops buy fry at a certain size, but most dont like to, you could always advertise in your local paper, trader or an online aquarium auction. Or if anyone you know who has a tank may take them, given a platy can have a huge amount of fry up to 50+.


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## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

I didnt plan on getting a bigger tank just yet, i've only had this one a week,
my previous fish keeping was when i was 8 with a goldfish i won on the fair, lasted 3 weeks.

I'll go get a breeding thing tomorrow, then hopefully find a home for the fry if they survive.

Thanks for the advice though.;-)


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## cossie333 (Apr 10, 2010)

wat fish dont u want


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## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

Well those two bala shark things that are going to outgrow my tank, and a whole heap of 
Platies fry, i have two female ones that I've just been told are heavily pregnant so should be ready to pop.


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## cossie333 (Apr 10, 2010)

would u p[ost


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## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

Not a chance, sorry mate, i wouldn't trust royal mail with a slab of concrete, giving them live fish to transport is just asking for trouble.


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## cossie333 (Apr 10, 2010)

lol ok dw hope u find a home


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## sc0ttdj (Apr 11, 2010)

Thanks mate, does anyone have any idea how far along those two fish are?


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