# Vacation feeding for week-old platy fry?



## Margaret (Feb 26, 2007)

I have one-week-old platy fry and have been feeding them First Bites four times a day. My neighbor will come in and feed them while I am away, but she can only come twice a day. Is it possible to feed the little guys with a vacation feeder, or does it have to be fry food? 
FYI they are in a net isolation unit inside the adult aquarium. There are eleven of them and all seem healthy and happy. But they do like their feeding times!


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## angelfishamy (Jul 22, 2006)

I think two times a day would be fine for them for a few days.I wouldn't use the vacation feeders the last time I used one my fish didn't even eat it and it made my water stink.I had to do a big water change.Now I use the automatic feeders while I'm gone (for adults).My guppy fry only get fed first bites twice a day all of the time because they let most of it sink to the bottom of the breeder net and they just nibble on it all day.


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## Margaret (Feb 26, 2007)

I've had to go away twice now, for a week each time, and all eleven of the little guys have survived. Their mother, however, is gone. I guess the nitrates got too high in the aquarium. I have now removed the little ones to another tank, but I don't know *how many fish per gallon *when they are a month old. Also, *how old do they have to be for me to be sure of their gender*? And how old or *how big before I can put them with adults*?


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2007)

i'm not sure of some of the questions but as far as putting them in with the adult fish...they can be put in the tank when ever you feel. if they are too small they will get eaten but if you don't want them to get eaten (which i am sure you want..lol) you can put them in the adult tank as soon as they are large enought o not get eaten.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I have newborn platy fry in a community tank that consists of adult platys and male guppies. The are fine as they have lots of hiding places.
My platys can not be told apart by gender until the are almost a year old.
They seem to be late bloomers!
Your fry will grow faster if you keep the water changes up. They give off some hormone that stunts the growth of the others.
You will see one start to be bigger than the others.If you remove that one and put it in another tank then you will see another one start to grow faster than the rest. It is quite interesting to see.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2007)

2 times a day is plenty


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