Gravis Spot ?

[pumpkinnose]

Hey guys I just got my first platies the 2nd of this month and and trying to learn how to take care of them. I actually didn't plan to breed fish when I bought them, I just wanted something different then goldfish since my husband had such a fit with the last one we had that lasted us 3 years. Anyways I have a couple of fish that are getting pretty big but then again with not having to compete so much for food that could be the reason why. Anywho I'm trying to learn where the gravis spot is on my girls so I can try to keep an eye on them. I had though this morning that Poe (who is in the pic) had given birth because she looked smaller and didn't look so red in the rear. Can you please let me know if she still looks pregnant and if I have the right spot for the gravis. I also wanted to try and save as many of the fry as I can. Hopefully I will figure this all out....lol

Thanks

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Hey guys I just got my first platies the 2nd of this month and and trying to learn how to take care of them. I actually didn't plan to breed fish when I bought them, I just wanted something different then goldfish since my husband had such a fit with the last one we had that lasted us 3 years. Anyways I have a couple of fish that are getting pretty big but then again with not having to compete so much for food that could be the reason why. Anywho I'm trying to learn where the gravis spot is on my girls so I can try to keep an eye on them. I had though this morning that Poe (who is in the pic) had given birth because she looked smaller and didn't look so red in the rear. Can you please let me know if she still looks pregnant and if I have the right spot for the gravis. I also wanted to try and save as many of the fry as I can. Hopefully I will figure this all out....lol

Thanks

That is the gravid spot... but can't help you on molly pregnancy as I've only had guppies.

 

[Staxx]

looks pregnant to me.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Thanks guys. Im starting to notice little black dots on Butterfly's. I can't tell on Po, Jerry won't leave her alone seems like she's his fav although he will bug Butterfly

 

[the_lock_man]

I also wanted to try and save as many of the fry as I can.

You have 6 platies, according to your signature - I don't know how many are males and how many are females, but you've identified at least 2 of them as female. You've also identified one as a male.

Each of the female platies will be dropping fry every 4-6 weeks, and each fry drop will consist of 30+ fry. You definitely got 2 females, but you may have 5 females. So you could be getting up to 150 fry every 6 weeks.

If you want to try and save as many as you can - have you thought about where they're all going to go? They won't all fit in a 37l, that's for sure. You may also find it difficult to find new homes for them, as platies are so cheap and readily available. I'm not exactly trying to put you off, more to warn you about the things you'll need to think about very soon, if you're serious about saving them.

In the wild, the majority of fry are eaten, often by the platies themselves - perhaps you might be better off letting Nature take its course.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Each set consist of 2 female and 1 male although my sunset red platy male is as big as the females.

 

[the_lock_man]

Each set consist of 2 female and 1 male although my sunset red platy male is as big as the females.

That's a good ratio to have, and you can lower my prediction from 150 to 120 fry every 6 weeks. That is still a huge amount of fish to find homes for, if you're going to use breeding traps and the like.

As I say, I'm just pointing out some potential pitfalls for you to consider.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Can understand and appreciate the words of caution. I guess I should state that I am more interested in seeing what patterns Butterfly and Poe will throw. Each of the pandas I have look totally different of course. I have one that is all white but for a dot and tail, one with a strip down her back and then one with stripes running up and down his body. Pretty soon im sure it will get old seeing the variety of patterns and then again I may just fail altogether at raising the fry.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Took the lock mans advice and totally decided to let nature take its course. Of course I did get some small plants that I hope will help protect the fry a little. I bought 6 sword plants and 12 hair plants. Plus there are a few more larger plants added to

 

[OldMan47]

Gravid spot reliability. Can you see a gravid spot on this female? No? She dropped her fry the next day.

I strongly suggest that you use shape instead.

 

[pumpkinnose]

Understand oldman. My sunsets are full and kind of remind me of my pandas but I've never seen a red or black spot on them. The two pandas I have though are so transparent there that the gravis is red.

All the girls do have a white area by the fin though. This learning to tell if they are pregnant is going to take me a bit. Lol

 

[zain611]

I would say it would depend on shape aswell, the bigger or barreled shape it is the closer it is to give birth

 

[pumpkinnose]

Tomorrow I'm going to try and update my journal for Butterfly and Po (if I ever learn to spell it correct) and see if I can't compare them to each other and see if I see any changes.

 

[OldMan47]

Pumpkinnose, I feel your pain. You have fish that you suspect may be carrying fry and nobody can help very much. As simple as it seems, few people are really expert at evaluating fish. It is why I have provided "My Molly's Progress" to help you become your own best expert. I would love to help you but I do not have all of the particular fish's history that you do. I set up that thread to help each person interpret their own fish by comparison with mine, where I comment on what I saw at each moment in mine. If I saw a fish that was eating well but not very far along, I said so. If I saw a female ready to drop, I also said so. If you use the comparison to my fish and include your knowledge of your own fish, I bet you can do a better judgement of your fish than I or most others ever could.

 

[pumpkinnose]

I'll get there. I've only had these poor guys for 3 weeks as of yesterday, (so hopefully within the next 3 weeks someone will pop). I guess part of my problem is I want the baby fry but as soon as one drops and I mark it down and keep an eye on the others soon things will work out and I will have a better idea. I've only had most of these guys for 3 weeks as of yesterday. And I only noticed Jerry pestering the girls since last Sunday and generally he's only pestering Poe and Butterfly. But after getting to know the fish better and how each handles pregnancy I'll know what to look for.

There are days where Poe will just hang around the plants and then other days she out with the rest of the group; whereas Butterfly is out all the time. And it like everyone says to watch for the birth canal, what the fudge does it actually look like??? Is it something extra and shows up as we get closer??? All 4 girls have white but does that mean all are pregnant, or really close to delivery I have to find something that looks like what someone is talking about and make sure I have the right area. Right now with Poe and Butterfly the gravis is red, Try and Sunset yeah right. They are their normal color of orange. The only reason I see red on Poe and Butterfly is because they seem to be transparent there. And to see anything that looks like extra black spots on Poe is impossible with her already having black dots all over that area some so I'll never notice extra black spots...lol Where as Butterfly only has one small black dot on her body and a mostly black tail normally and if the light hits her belly right I see extra spots some. Just be patient with me...lol I promise I'll get there.