Platy Question

[Briggan]

Hi!
So my female platy -moon- has been in a tank with a male for months with no problems.
Because of that, obviously I’ll probably have fry in a while.
However, I’ve noticed she doesn’t really change size as much as shape.
So I’d like no know if platys and guppies for example change their shape/size much differently when pregnant.
I’ll attach a picture.
Thanks!

 

[FishGuest5123]

Hi, Brigham. Yes, platy’s do get larger in the belly when pregnant. Towards the end (about 25 days) they will look very full in belly. They eventually square off at the bottom of belly right before birth. Several months with a male is really a long time not to have had a litter already. She could have had several pregnancies and births by now. She is definitely a female. Are you sure the other one is a male? She doesn’t really look pregnant right now.

 

[Briggan]

Hi!
Yes sorry, that’s a typo of sorts. I’ve had her about a moth and a half I believe so it’s not exactly “months” but it just came out that way, sorry.
I can post a picture of the male if you want to see.
Thanks again!

 

[Colin_T]

If you have a mature female platy and it hasn't given birth in the last month, then it might have intestinal worms. Alternatively, the fish is a young immature male and hasn't developed its gonopodium (modified anal fin) yet.

You can try deworming them. Use Praziquantel to treat tapeworm and gill flukes. Use Levamisole to treat thread/ round worms. Do not use both medications at the same time. Use one, wait 24 hours and do a couple of water changes. Then use the other one, wait 24 hours and do water changes. Then repeat the cycle.

You treat them once a week for 3-4 weeks and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 24-48 hours after treatment. You do weekly treatments to kill any baby worms that hatch from eggs.

Praziquantel and Levamisole are safe for all fish, however if you overdose, baby fish and small fish can become nervous and skittish and might die. If you see the fish active nervous 24 hours after treatment, do a water change. The medication will not harm plants or filter bacteria.

Remove carbon from filter before treating so the carbon does not adsorb the medication.

 

[Briggan]

Thank you!

 

[AmandaN]

I usually quarantine all my fish with general cure before going into my regular tanks. It really helps

 

[FishGuest5123]

A pic would be great of the male.

 

[Briggan]

Hi!
I’m happy to say that despite her being super skinny, she had ~10 fry today! 10 was all I could find but they are very hard to see. The fry already have stripes...
Here is a pic of the male and a fry (I think the pics in the third post are clearer):

 

[FishGuest5123]

Yay! Babies are so cute and exciting. Congrats!!!