Another Pregnancy And Birth Question!

[keeleyb]

Hi, I am really new to all this. Kids got tank for christmas from brother in law!
Only introduced first fish on saturday, 3 platys. Having read other posts as a visitor, I am convinced that one is not only pregnant but very close to giving birth. She has a huge belly which has literally grown every day, she eats like a horse and now has a small white pimple at the vent. My kids were distressed at the likely hood of her and the other two dining on the fry so I have got a birthing unit which I have just put her in and which is floating in the tank. I feel really mean doing this to her and she really does'nt like it. Is this fair and safe or should I let nature takes its course and leave her free with the others. I am also worried about the young getting dragged into the filter and maybe she isnt imminent and she could be in there for days.
Any advice would be greatly recieved as I am worrying myself stupid, probably the midwife in me!
thanks to all
regards
Keeley

 

[sussexgirl]

Hi, I am really new to all this. Kids got tank for christmas from brother in law!
Only introduced first fish on saturday, 3 platys. Having read other posts as a visitor, I am convinced that one is not only pregnant but very close to giving birth. She has a huge belly which has literally grown every day, she eats like a horse and now has a small white pimple at the vent. My kids were distressed at the likely hood of her and the other two dining on the fry so I have got a birthing unit which I have just put her in and which is floating in the tank. I feel really mean doing this to her and she really does'nt like it. Is this fair and safe or should I let nature takes its course and leave her free with the others. I am also worried about the young getting dragged into the filter and maybe she isnt imminent and she could be in there for days.
Any advice would be greatly recieved as I am worrying myself stupid, probably the midwife in me!
thanks to all
regards
Keeley

I would take her out of there and just monitor the tank Keeley. I believe fish put into those birthing units can actually prematurely abort their young due to stress. It's best just to observe her swimming around the tank freely and scoop the fry out into the birthing unit as you see them. Unless you have the room in the tank to raise fry or intend to buy an additional 10g nursery tank, I would suggest you just leave it to survival of the fittest, you'd be amazed at how clever fry are when it comes to finding a hiding place and watching their own back. What size is your tank and have you already cycled it?

 

[keeleyb]

hi,
have taken her out it was stressing me watching her stressing!
have put in extra foliage and some marbles as suggested on the live bearers section.
The tank is 30Lt and I started it 3 weeks ago following a cycle recommended by the shop only put the fish in on saturday and I am monitoring the water daily as I have become a little obsessed with this 'new tank syndrome'. There are only 3 platys in there and touch wood they do seem quite happy. I have told my brother in law, vouchers next time please!!
I find it all fascinating just a little worrying about their welfare, but think I may have joined the best keepers manual available as there is so much info on here.
What concerns me the most is feeding the fry if they are just left in the tank to survive. I know there are special fry foods but how do they feed without exposing themselves or am I just being thick.

regards
keeleyx

 

[sussexgirl]

hi,
What concerns me the most is feeding the fry if they are just left in the tank to survive. I know there are special fry foods but how do they feed without exposing themselves or am I just being thick.

Fry left in the tank feed off the food that you put in the tank for other fish, they also eat algae I believe (although I would imagine your tank is not mature enough to have algae yet). It's a good idea to buy some 'liquifry 3' which is a very ground down powder specifically for feeding fry. Fry like java moss for hiding in and lots of caves and ornaments if you're going to leave them in the main tank.

Remember that a platy can store enough sperm for 6 pregnancies and can produce a large number of fry each month. If you have females then you also need to consider the fact that they may all have been pregnant when you introduced them to your tank and may individually have a few batches of fry. My LFS won't take my fry off my hands until they are approx. an inch long and it took 3 months for them to reach that size the last time I had a batch of fry. In the meantime your others may have bred and your small tank would be inundated with young. I'm worried that your filter may not be able to cope with 3 platys plus fry (when they get a bit bigger).

I suggest that you buy another tank as a nursery, my nursery tank is the Aqua One 320 which is 28L. The size of your tank to me suggests that you just want 2-3 fish and that you're not going to enter into the hobby on a grander scale. I know you feel compelled to save the babies and hate to think of them being eaten but to be honest it's just nature and it's when you start to rescue them and rear them that you have to start looking at what equipment you have. Would you consider buying a bigger tank to house your 3 platys and maybe a few more fish (say tetras or Corydoras catfish) and then keep the tank that you have for the platy fry? I think most of us on here will agree that it's only a short while after buying a small tank that you want something a bit bigger anyway.

 

[keeleyb]

Hiya,

yeh my hubby has said that he would quite like a bigger tank, and to be honest although the box says the tank will hold 15 fish I wouldnt want to put more than 6 platys in there. So maybe I can talk him into getting a bigger tank and then I could use this one as a nursery!

will keep you posted, many thanks for advice

keeleyx

 

[sussexgirl]

Hiya,

yeh my hubby has said that he would quite like a bigger tank, and to be honest although the box says the tank will hold 15 fish I wouldnt want to put more than 6 platys in there. So maybe I can talk him into getting a bigger tank and then I could use this one as a nursery!

will keep you posted, many thanks for advice

keeleyx

no worries and enjoy your babies!

 

[katelynn]

Hello,

My platy looks about ready to pop! Her belly is huge and turned a dark color. I have a 30 or 35 gallon tank with 5 other fish in it, platies and mollies. I have been putting her in the little net and then taking her out cause she looks distressed for the past three days. Should I leave her out even though there are other fish in there- 2 of which who keep hanging out next to her and fighting each other. (Paternal instinct or just hungry?) I'm not home for most of the day and can't keep a watch to see whats happening. Also I don't have any plants in their- just a pirate skull and boat. (My boyfriend insisted it look manly.) I want to do whats best for my little Scooter (I thought it was a boy when I named her.) It's 3 am and I can't sleep. I think I've seen too many Disney movies and think fish have personalities and talk to each other and stuff...
Ok, Thanks!

 

[katelynn]

So I've been looking at other places online and stuff, and from what I'm gathering, some of the babies are going to get eaten, no matter what I do.

I don't like that at all.

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

All you can really do is to purchase a net breeder, place the pregnant fish in there when the underbelly almost looks like it is developing a pointy bit - towards the tail fin - and let her have her babies, you then have about 12 hours to remove the mum as she wont be hungry due to released hormones and then you can keep the babies in there for about three weeks. Make sure they have somewhere to hide when you release them and make sure you dont over feed them in the net, just put a tiny bit of powdered flake food in with them and watch how much they eat, as soon as they stop, remove any uneaten with a spoon or something and voila, baby fish that are fed, cleaned and cant be eaten. Some may die as they are weak but the other fry will munch it up if you dont see it. Dont be surprised if you are one or two short the next morning.

Hope this helps

Chris