I Should Know... Lol

[PrairieSunflower]

But... how do I tell if my platy is pregnant? I've been a guppy person so trying to use my guppy knowledge but.... just don't feel confident. My platy is a very transparent cream/yellow color with black spots and mostly black tail. So...her gravid spot nearly all transparent (there is one or two tiny spots which are her coloring).

I am sure her gravid spot was 100% clear when I got her... and now there are a few spots inside (maybe 4-5), high up in her gravid spot. Now... the reason this is throwing me is.... my guppies also have had clear gravid spots and with time developed dark patches in them that are NOT babies (all my females are either virgins or have run out of "juice"). So... I guess I'm wondering if this is a pregnancy or if this is similar to my guppies where they just happen to develop darker patches inside without being pregnant.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Ok... I've come back with a picture... or two! Gwen is terribly difficult to get pictures of as she is very camera shy....

This is her pretty close to when I got her... not sure if it was the first day or first week I got her.

This is her just now....

Pregnant??

 

[Jenste]

yup lol. very. Should be fry with in a week by my guess but I haven't had livebearersin years so I may be a few days off.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Yay! Save me some money! I am going to start up a platy tank.... shall just wait and grow my own instead of buy them! Yay!!

 

[the_lock_man]

Just the same as with guppies - if she's fat and in a tank with a male - she's pregnant. Simples.

I'd say a week to 10 days - probably Christmas Day, come to think of it!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Christmas would be nice.

I don't keep any male platies but my second platy was big enough when I bought her to be pregnant. The fish store isn't great at separating them so her chances were high! LOL

I shall be moving my two platies (pregnant one and a juvenile) into their own tank in the next couple days... will increase my chances of the babies not getting eaten!

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

To set up your platy tank make sure that there are plenty of live plants and floating plants! More to the point, just plenty of hiding places as the mother will eat them.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I'm hoping to spot and move the babies into my shrimp tank. I've got anubia nana, java moss, java ferns and bacopa for plants.

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

That should be okay then.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

How many babies is normal for a platy? I see only about 4-5 dark spots in her gravid spot... I suppose there could be more that are light colored. I'm hoping they are as easy to catch as my guppies used to be!

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

A platy can have 24 to 48 fry depending on the size of the female. Some may have more or less then that. The average is usually in between those numbers.Well for me I only had 4 but the mum might of been hungry. Although in some cases it can be as few as 14 or as many as 65! Or more!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Ah, well then that's alright. I won't worry and panic that they may get eaten as I should manage to have enough to make me happy... that is... so long as she waits to have her babies when I can move her to the other tank!

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

Keep a close eye on her and when she gets squared off then that is the time to move her! Then when she has done put her back in the main tank!

If you don't get as many as you hoped for on this batch she will have some more soon!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I'm just hoping for about 5. LOL I'm sure I'll get more though.

I can move her to birth in my shrimp tank if needed, its just a bit small for anything bigger than shrimp and newborns. I will have my proper tank free by noonish tomorrow though for her new permanent home. (You shall be disappointed with me, my male guppies are all getting re-homed tomorrow).

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

Can I have them?