Fry Not Growing

[LauraFrog]

I'm just confused, and I'm hoping that it doesn't mean the fry in question is not viable.

My tuxedo female, Ranger, dropped about 40 fry three months ago (more drops since, but this one was spectacular). One of the best fry from that drop is now half size and is in my main tank. (That's Loppie, she's stunning.) One of the others is barely bigger than when he was born. The tiny little thing is very nicely marked and I don't want to lose it. I put a ridiculous amount of fish food in the fry tank this morning, and all the fry are swimming around looking like they're all minature pregnant females about to bust. I'm not kidding, they all gorged themselves. But this little guy is straight along the bottom. He's picking at whatever remnants of fishfood are there, it's not like the baby isn't eating, but he's just NOT GROWING. I don't want to lose him, he's absolutely a keeper - if he grows up.

Is there anything I can do to make him grow faster? Do you think he'll live?

 

[tropicaltink81]

hi intresting question as i got platy fry 9 weeks ago and they are still tiney they are not deformed of anything just not growing they look about 2cm they and like little round barrels they are cute but mine aint growing either i think they grow slow personaly

 

[kribensis12]

It might be bad breeding( im not blaming you), but maybe the populations were to far inbred. He sounds stunning, got any pic's?

 

[fish48]

It might be bad breeding( im not blaming you), but maybe the populations were to far inbred. He sounds stunning, got any pic's?

You don’t say what food you are feeding your platies,
Live food is the best for any fish. If you can start the fry with baby brine shrimp and daphnia when thy are bigger they can be feed. Grindal worms. White worm. Or blood worm. If you can’t get live food for your fish frozen blood worms are very good for the fish.

 

[tropicaltink81]

hi fish 48 i fed my fry liquid fry also hatch brine shrimp for them they are still timy think they are interbread like you say,

 

[LauraFrog]

I have them on a few different brands of crushed flakes and the odd vegie, but I can't get any live food. (Live in small country town.) I'm trying to get my hands on some microworms and artemia. The LFS is out of artemia eggs, they have been out of artemia eggs for ages.

 

[WILDER]

If a fish isn't growing it could have internal parasites.
Any fish gone thin and long stringy white poo.
Mothers can pass internal parasites onto there young.

 

[LauraFrog]

I don't think it can be. I've thought of all the usual things - not feeding them enough, feeding them crap, some disease, excessively inbred, poor quality breeding stock... but it doesnt explain why sibling fry - same parents, same drop - are fine. No sign of any parasite symptoms.

The fry from one female were relatively ugly and consistently not growing, so I let her drop in the tank - free snack for the other fish. But the mother of the little fish I'm posting about has stunning fry. Some of them are almost fully grown, they are going to end up in the LFS because my tank is overstocked and I'm only keeping the absolute stunners. Even so, there are enough of those that I am going to end up raising fish in bins.