Pintail

[K.J.]

Does anyone know know anything about pintail platies? I ran a search and I found a few pictures, and they seem to match up with my f tuxedo pintail. A few weeks ago she had a baby. 36 days ago, I think. So the babies are four weeks old. She had three while I was on vacation, so presumably ate the rest. I introduced them into the tank very early, about 3 weeks of age, and one dissappeared. I rearranged the tank (see my journal in the planted tank section) and the largest one has made home under a piece of driftwood in very plain sight, so I keep an eye on him. I don't know where the others were. The two surviving ones looked exactly like her bar the fact they aren't sexed yet. Anyhow I've been watching the one who I've fondly named "Little One" and I've noticed a spade coming out on his little tail.

Does anyone have experience with spadetails? If I get a male out of them and breed it to my f blue coral platy is it at all possible I may be able to get some spadetail blue coral? If I somehow improve the genetics will I be able to have decent spawn quality and potential sellable? Thanks

If you squint, you can almost see the tail!

 

[helterskelter]

you can cross the lines yes but the first generation would have no spade (or u mean pin) tails, the you need several tanks, keep all the females in one and all the males in a different tank. Wait 6 monts to make sure their not pregnant at all then select several fish and keep them as pairs to a singel tank, then you need to keep all the fry separate again and some of the batches will produce the tail u wanting.

Then it's a case of selecting the colour and tail shape and breeding then together and selecting the very best fish to cross back.