New Platy Looks Pregnant,

[fishy55599]

I brought 2 sunset platys today, and the female platy looks pregnant, she has got a big belly and i can see a orange gravid spot, which is quite faint as it is the same colour as her body.

what are the signs of her ready to give birth?

 

[clay]

mine would become shy and try to seclude themselves somewhere dark and peaceful. but i normally take them out and put them in their own aquarium untill the babies are born.

 

[heygetsmart]

With my platies, I can start seeing the little pairs of eyes develop! That's a good sign that she is near to popping!

a faint orange gravid spot may just indicate that she's at the very beginning of the pregnancy. The egg stage.

 

[OldMan47]

The simple shape of the fish's belly is a real telltale as the fish gets close to her drop. Whenever the platy is close to her drop, her belly will take on a decidedly square shape.

 

[fishy55599]

her belly looks squared, and i read the "birthing tube" is a good sign aswell i can see that too.
how much longer roughly?

 

[OldMan47]

If she is well squared off it could be later today but I cannot judge that based solely on words. What looks squared up to you might look like an early stage of carrying the fry to me. We each end up describing what we see as best we can but we can't get into each other's heads to really know what we mean.

 

[fishy55599]

OK, other signs i have noticed today is staying near top and bottom of the tank, near heater and filter, she isnt that social towards the other fish right now, also i had a good look at gravid spot i think i can see the black dots.
and also i have seen her rub herself up and down the side of the tank occasionally buty not that often.

 

[fishy55599]

update-she has been dwelling under the filter for about 2 hours or so now and i havent seen her move

 

[clay]

she is probably getting ready to drop. do you have a breeding net or some other efficient way to keep other fish from eating the babies?

 

[fishy55599]

I got a breeder net, but i think ill let her give birth in the tanks, coz i should get plants soon,
then ill scoop them up and put them in the net.