Fry Heads Everywhere!

[keeleyb]

Hi folks
quick update on pregnant platy!
got up today and found platy had birthed overnight. I could only find three live ones but disturbingly found several tiny fry heads resting on a plastic plant and several whole pale dead fry below them. Do you think they were eaten or born like that? We have only had the 3 platys for 2 weeks and are very new to all this. When I realised one was heavily pregnant the LFS sold me a plastic box breeder unit, however she hated it and so did I so decided to let nature take its course, however the male was frantically chasing the survivors around the tank so I decided to make use of the box and have put the 3 fry into it with some foliage. Hasnt stopped the male trying to get at them through the sides when he sees them but kids are happier. If they live do you think its ok for 3 of them to be in this box? the thing is its only a kids rena starter kit tank about 30lts and although we have added extra plants, marbles and shells (its now very crowded!) for hiding places I dont think they will make it with the male hunting them down. Would a net be kinder do you think. I have read the advice but not sure on the size of the nets. Am off to LFS to have a look.
Thanks to all of you who offer such fantastic advice I would be lost without this siteX

Keeley on behalf of Emily(10) and Jess(6)

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

You may have had some still births, when it comes to the heads being left they have been....for lack of a better phrase, somebodys snack.

 

[theotheragentm]

What else is in the tank? I actually don't think it's likely that they are leftover from a snack. Fish eat the fry whole normally, especially if they're brand new. The fry look like mostly just head when they're first birthed most of the time, as they are quite small and their tails may not be apparent. They may just be underdeveloped, aborted fry.

 

[Htw]

The only time I put a pregnant guppy in a trap to give birth I also found some of these strange headlike blobs along with loads of fry. I can only assume they were undeveloped ones, perhaps because they had run out of room to grow or were malformed or even just younger developing fry. Needless to say, in a tank enviroment, when these are dropped, they wouldn't normally be seen by us and then eaten perhaps by the fish. I don't think it's unusual, unless this is all you get every time.

 

[keeleyb]

What else is in the tank? I actually don't think it's likely that they are leftover from a snack. Fish eat the fry whole normally, especially if they're brand new. The fry look like mostly just head when they're first birthed most of the time, as they are quite small and their tails may not be apparent. They may just be underdeveloped, aborted fry.

Yeh, aborted fry would make sense. The dead whole ones were pale as were the heads, I think she got very stressed when I put her in the plastic box thing but I couldnt bare it so I let her go after an hour, she did look a little smaller the following couple of days and then ballooned again over the last 4 days. So guess that may have been it. The 3 surviving fry are orange!

 

[theotheragentm]

There will be plenty more fry to come. Good luck with those fry.

 

[Rhiannon]

Unfortuantly to me, it sounds like a premature birth.

She may have been stressed and given birth to early, its common in live bearers.

I can imagine it would be very distressing for your children.