Signs Pregnant Platy is ready to give birth

[ckitefly]

So, 3 weeks ago, noticed by female was getting big and since bigger. Male won't leave her side and chases other Molly away. I looked for all the signs she is pregnant since this is my first time having a pregnant fish and hope I'm right, but see she has a black spot area towards the back where the other fish does not so I read that black area would be the babies, but again always second guessing it. Now, last night she was hanging at the bottom and earlier today as well. She is also eating good.

My thing is when should I move her to the breader box because also read too soon can stress her out and she can abort. I also have other fish in the tank and don't want them eating the babies. No other fish pick on her either.

Any more direct signs she is ready to birth me 40 plus fish grand kids?

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

It's preferable not to move pregnant livebearers into breeding nets/ traps because they can stress out when in the small confined space. You are better off having lots of plants in the tank so the female can give birth in them and so the babies can hide in them. Then use a small plastic container to scoop the babies up and gently put them in the breeding net or another tank.

The best plant for livebearers is Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides). It can float on the surface or grow in the gravel but for livebearers it is best to have it floating. If you can't get Water Sprite then any real or plastic plant left to float on the surface will do.

----------------------
The black spot you see on the fish is called a gravid spot and is simply the babies inside the mother. If the babies are light in colour then the gravid spot will be a different colour or not even visible.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Hi and welcome to the forum

It's preferable not to move pregnant livebearers into breeding nets/ traps because they can stress out when in the small confined space. You are better off having lots of plants in the tank so the female can give birth in them and so the babies can hide in them. Then use a small plastic container to scoop the babies up and gently put them in the breeding net or another tank.

The best plant for livebearers is Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides). It can float on the surface or grow in the gravel but for livebearers it is best to have it floating. If you can't get Water Sprite then any real or plastic plant left to float on the surface will do.

----------------------
The black spot you see on the fish is called a gravid spot and is simply the babies inside the mother. If the babies are light in colour then the gravid spot will be a different colour or not even visible.

Just out of interest, why do you think having a floating plant is the best thing for livebearers? I've never heard this before in over 30 years of fishkeeping so am intrigued.

 

[Colin_T]

The female livebearers usually give birth in plants and the fry head straight for the surface and hide among floating plants. If there are no floating plants then the fry either stay at the top and get picked off, or try to hide around the bottom and get picked off by other fish.

Water Sprite is the best for this because it has nice long roots and stems and new leaves that are under the water, and mature leaves on the surface. This lets the plant cover a big area and gives plenty of hiding places for fry or adults.

 

[ckitefly]

Just out of interest, why do you think having a floating plant is the best thing for livebearers? I've never heard this before in over 30 years of fishkeeping so am intrigued.

I actually read it somewhere on line. I had live plants already in the tank but my fancy tail gold fish likes to pull them out and find them floating around so I decided to leave them floating. My Platy actually gave birth Friday night because Saturday morning I came down and she wasn't as round and her black area was gone. I had given up hope that all were eaten by my other fish but then looking carefully at the plants floating, I found two sets of little black eyes looking at me. What I had read was to have floating plants to give the frys a place to hide. Not sure how many frys she had but I am happy that I was able to save 2. They and the plants are now in the breeder box.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

I've always found that lots of plants in the substrate for the fry to hide in works. Your tank lights will illuminate the plants and fish quite well so they're more of a target as food for all the other fish if they're hiding in floating plants whereas the substrate also helps to camouflage the fry in the plants.

That's my penny's worth anyway!