Newbie With A Preggo Platy

[usafward]

Hey guys! New to the forum and to the hobby! I have a platy that seems to be preggo and about to drop. With me being a newbie to the hobby though i am not quite sure so i figured i would go to the more experienced hobbyist out here. I have my platies in a 29g setup and moved the preggo platy all to herself in a 10g setup i have. Is this a good idea? I do not have a breeding net or basket so i kinda figured it would be the best option for the fry to survive the feeding frenzy that would ensue in the 29g tank. I have read a lot of posts about preggo platies and seen oodles of pictures but havent seen a platy with the same coloration as mine so i would rather be safe than sorry. Here are some pictures of the platy in question. Thanks in advance!

http/i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/usafward/Fish/IMG_3044.jpg
http/i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/usafward/Fish/IMG_3034.jpg
http/i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/usafward/Fish/IMG_3033.jpg

Hope i did that right!

 

[KittyKat]

The colouration doesn't make any difference she's probably 1-2 weeks away, unless this is one of her first drops.

Nets and baskets are a really bad idea for pregnant fish as they are quite a stressful environment (with some exceptions), so I would always class a 10 gallon tank as a much better alternative. Does it have a cycled filter? If it does, then now is a good time to move the female so that she doesn't get stressed by moving closer to birthing. It would also help to have some loose (Java) moss in the tank, the young can hide in that.

 

[usafward]

Im not sure if it is her first drop or not, when i first got my platies from the LFS i didnt really know anything about them and just told them to give me six. The next day i had a few fry swimming in my tank and before i could get them out they got gobbled up. Then i started doing my research and learned how to determine the males and females. I had three females but one died so it could have been any of them that dropped when i first got them. I will go ahead and separate her and get her ready for her little ones! Thanks for the info!

 

[KittyKat]

So you have 3 males and 2 female now? You need to even that up, aiming at 2 females per male because males can harass females to death if the ratio is 1:1 in small groups.

 

[usafward]

Yeah i have noticed that there is one male in particular has been following one of the females pretty bad. I will have to go get a few more females to level the playing field before anything bad happens to her.

 

[usafward]

After separating her earlier i have noticed that she goes into the cave i have in the tank and will not come out unless it is to eat. Is this normal or is there something else going on?

 

[KittyKat]

This is normal for a stressed female. If you do not have any, add plants to the tank and, if you have some, switch off the tank lights to make her feel more secure.

 

[usafward]

Ok i will give that a try, we dont need a stressed preggo now do we?

 

[KittyKat]

Ok i will give that a try, we dont need a stressed preggo now do we?

No, you most definitely do not! If she is stressed, she is more likely to miscarry or have other birthing complications.