Advice Re: Pregnant platy?
I brought 3 platys yesterday afternoon, all 3 are females and 2 are heavily pregnant. The fish shop keeper said that he was certain one of these fish would have their fry in the very to hand future and mentioned that we could even get home to find the fry contained by the bag with the mother. He mentioned something about the other fish biting at the mothers stomach, which be a good indication that she would give birth soon?? I've got a breading hatchery that I have divided into 2, one for each of the pregnant platys. Both look really big and like they are going to explode and own black marks to the lower part of their stomach which I have read are the frys eyes. I've have many baby platys but have other left the mothers in the main container, as a result I have only got 1 platy that have matured. I'm just concerned now having read on the lattice about platy's 'absorbing' there fry. What does this mean?? Am I best to consent to them out of the hatchery as the stress of moving them from the fish shop to my tank and then being kept within a small space might be too much? I've feed them today... one has taken some small flakes where on earth as the other isn't really that interested. I've read about turning up the heater?? My temp is currently 76. Is this ok? Am I best to keep the frothy on or off? If I let them out I'm sure when they own the fry they will get eaten. I've currently got different breads of neons, 2 spotted gourami's, pepper catfish, swordtails etc. Any guidance on this? Thanks
Answers: When the Platy's "absorb" their fry, it means that the tank is either too cold for them, or that you moved them into a contemporary tank too soon, and now they are just not contained by the mood to deliver, which resorts to the females "absorbing" their fry. Your temperature should be fine at 76. But, as you said, if they are about to blow up, you should put them all individually into their own breeder tanks, wait until they own fry, and then put the mothers into the larger tank, keeping the fry in the small breeder container. The light should be kept on 8-12 hours a day, just as whether they were not pregnant. Do not put the fry in with your other fish, they will be eat. As I said, put them all into breeder tanks, then tolerate her have the babies, and let the mother out into the big tank. Good luck beside your fry!
You will know if your platties are about to give birth whether they are staying away from other fish and not eating, I do not agree with breeding traps stresses the fish out whether you have move them to a cycled breeding tank otherwise, put them in your traps near some plant coverage for the fry to hide.
I have mine in a breeding aquarium and after move the mother to another one so she can recover before putting back contained by the main tank.
Your temp is fine.Hope this helped and perfect luck
