dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
thinking my poor little fishies will have been pining away without me and probably all lying dead in the tank (yes, I know we've had a fishsitter, but all the same...).
Pining away, my foot! From moaning about how I could never keep any fry alive, because they got eaten the moment they emerged, I have now got the remains of 3 separate batches in the livebearer tank and Smudge the platy looks like she is just planning to do it all again. Those fish need a strict grandmother's eye on them! I won't leave them without supervision again!
Apart from the absence of my moral influence, I suspect the main reason for this sudden increase is that I did put down some more plants before I left, hoping to save my precious first platy batch. Also, I believe there is something in this safety in numbers thing. The guppies, who were avid fry eaters when there were only a few tiny fry emerging, seem to get confused when fry of all different sizes dart around under their noses; they can't remember which ones they can eat so end up eating none (quite fun to watch). I've noticed that the new tiny fry are a lot bolder than the first were.
This effectively puts paid to all my other fishy plans: finally getting those dwarf gouramis, maybe trying to breed the cats.... Still- they are so cute, I can't wish they weren't there. I do adore livebearers!
Some of the platies are already showing wagtail markings while some seem to take after Daddy, a pink Mickey Mouse. One of the three guppies surviving has the most beautiful black and yellow tail, just like Mummy.
All in all, I suppose there are about a dozen fry, perhaps a bit more. One of my grown-up female guppies seems to be past childbearing, or at least to have dried up, and one female platy died earlier in the summer (probably old age), so I have 2 breeding females in there, no males any more, but I suspect both of my girls could be good for a couple more batches. Anyone who develops a gonopodium goes straight downstairs to live with Daddy!
It's good fun, this fish lark!
Pining away, my foot! From moaning about how I could never keep any fry alive, because they got eaten the moment they emerged, I have now got the remains of 3 separate batches in the livebearer tank and Smudge the platy looks like she is just planning to do it all again. Those fish need a strict grandmother's eye on them! I won't leave them without supervision again!
Apart from the absence of my moral influence, I suspect the main reason for this sudden increase is that I did put down some more plants before I left, hoping to save my precious first platy batch. Also, I believe there is something in this safety in numbers thing. The guppies, who were avid fry eaters when there were only a few tiny fry emerging, seem to get confused when fry of all different sizes dart around under their noses; they can't remember which ones they can eat so end up eating none (quite fun to watch). I've noticed that the new tiny fry are a lot bolder than the first were.
This effectively puts paid to all my other fishy plans: finally getting those dwarf gouramis, maybe trying to breed the cats.... Still- they are so cute, I can't wish they weren't there. I do adore livebearers!
Some of the platies are already showing wagtail markings while some seem to take after Daddy, a pink Mickey Mouse. One of the three guppies surviving has the most beautiful black and yellow tail, just like Mummy. All in all, I suppose there are about a dozen fry, perhaps a bit more. One of my grown-up female guppies seems to be past childbearing, or at least to have dried up, and one female platy died earlier in the summer (probably old age), so I have 2 breeding females in there, no males any more, but I suspect both of my girls could be good for a couple more batches. Anyone who develops a gonopodium goes straight downstairs to live with Daddy!
It's good fun, this fish lark!
Good to hear they did so well 
