I relented

[dwarfgourami]

They are now in a breeder trap, with a bit of plant, eyed hungrily by their mother, aunties etc. One is still loose in the tank, I'm going to let him get on with it, if he's survived this far... That was my original plan, anyway, to let them fend for themselves, but I have to admit, after watching the most amazing platy chase this morning (think Jaws) and seeing the baby come out top, I felt they deserved a chance. And I am very ligthly stocked, so I could actually rear this lot without problems.

I have no idea who the proud mother is, though. Certainly Sarah the guppy was down at the bottom last night, doing the groaning and pushing bit (oh don't I remember it!), but the babies don't look like hers at all, the last batch she had (now all turned into nourishing snacks) were dark gray; these are pinkish with hints of a wagtail pattern- and it's Smudge the platy who is actually looking a bit thinner this morning. (Sorry Mickey, and I've been casting aspersions on your manhood...)

I realise that it's so long since I've done this baby bit that I haven't got a very clear recollection of what platy fry look like. Has anyone got a pretty picture they could post? And perhaps one of guppy fry?

Have fed them a tiny amount of tetra fry food and they seem to be eating already. Can you still do infusoria with banana skins these days or are they full of nasty chemicals (mine are Fairtrade bananas but I could get organic)?

 

[Angry_Platy]

No pics sorry as fry are too hard to photgraph but when platies are born they look like rice grains with eyes, not like fish at all. Guppies look like, well, mini-adult guppies. They are longer and thinner than platy fry at the same age.

HTH

Good luck with the fry. I find it really rewarding raising fry

 

[dwarfgourami]

hmmm...pink rice grains with eyes....well, perhaps they are guppies then, I can't really picture that. I just found it odd that they're a different colour from her last batch. Oh well, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

With a different Daddy they could easily be a different colour. Yeah, plattie fry do look like rice grains with eyes. I'm looking forward to seeing what a red male with a blue/yellow female will produce. But the male is still seperate for now. Think they're allowed breathing space sometimes!
Hugs,
P.

 

[dwarfgourami]

"With a different Daddy they could easily be a different colour. "

This is very true- and the male guppy I put her in with was a red tail- now deceased, so it would be particularly nice to raise some of his offspring.
I think I may be about to find out, as she still looks pregnant. I'll watch her tonight, she always seems to give birth just after lights out. If they are the same colour I shall know.
They do look more insubstantial than her previous batch though.
My main concern now is how to keep the breeder trap clean, it is SO difficult not to overfeed. I dipped a toothpick in the food but it still seemed to much. Will keep up with water changes of tank as a whole. Am going to buy lots more plants tomorrow, as they will have to come out of the trap when my husband goes on holiday in 3 weeks time.