Platy And Breeding Net

[SouthernCross]

Hello all

I've got an orange white and black Mickey Mouse platy about to pop. Well, I thought so. She's huge, starting to hide in corners and the eyeballs of the fry are very dark and I can see them in her quite clearly.

Day before yesterday, I managed to catch her (after much difficulty in my planted tank) and put her in a Marina breeder net with a piece of ambulia so the fry could hide from their mother, before going to bed (as my other platies always seemed to have their babies overnight). But got up yesterday - still no fry. I left her in the trap all day and night again, STILL NO FRY. So, I've just let her out again.

Could she be holding on because the trap is stressing her? I was wary of putting her in and out every night because catching her seemed to stress her out a LOT. Not looking forward to doing it again later.

Despite all my plants, every other drop I've had from my other females, all the fry have been eaten, I occasionally spot one or two but they never last - between my gouramis, platies, and tetra, I assume they're all being eaten - this is why I've resorted to getting a net.

Would I be better off just leaving her in the trap (she doesn't look THAT stressed, not clamped or anything but obviously can't swim around much) or putting her in and out every night?

My only other option is I have a 5 gallon betta tank - put the net in there and put the betta in it, and let the platy roam in that tank. I'm wary of this because a) my betta wasn't well not too long ago - not sure if he's fully recovered and I don't want to introduce disease, and B) I don't know how easy it is to catch the fry to put in the net when I want to let the betta have his tank back...

What do you guys think I should do?

 

[poopsydrew]

Hello again,
I have just started breeding platies and if at all possible, I think it would make things a lot easier and less stressful for you and the fish if you got a 10 gallon tank for the fry/pregnant mom. I picked one up at wal-mart for 10 us dollars. All you need is a sponge filter and small heater. It is so much easier because you just move the pregant female in the 10 gallon (I put java moss and floating plants in) and wait then take her out when she is done giving birth. This way you should get maximum fry. If you need to put another female in there down the road and there are still small fry, all you have to do is put a seperator in there to keep here away from the other fry if you want. I find putting the female in her own tank to be way less stressful on her and you for that matter You will probably have more healthy fry to as they have more room to swim around and become healthy. Good luck and let me know how it goes! Thanks for your reply on my other post

Drew

 

[SouthernCross]

Unfortunately, this is Australia, not America, no Walmarts here. Things are VERY expensive - e.g. my betta tank came from a Walmart style shop, its 5 gallon with a hood filter, and it still cost me nearly $60. Its VERY expensive to be a fishkeeper here, mostly in terms of the actual tanks themselves. There's really no such thing as putting together a 'cheap setup'.

And TBH, the parentals don't want me getting any more tanks. But thanks for the advice anyway.

I also don't plan on saving all the fry - only a half dozen or so - a few for me, and a few for my brothers/friends tanks.

Anyone else have any ideas regarding how I can work this with what I have?

 

[modaz]

if you dont plan on keeping all the fry then just add some more things for the fry to hide in to your tank, it dont have to be plants it can be anything that wont harm the water stats and your fish, and let her drop whilst in the main tank. let nature take its course.

 

[SouthernCross]

My tank is FULL of plants - there's barely any free spots along the back, and theres ornaments in the front - there's been maybe 4-5 drops and NONE are surviving - my other fish must just be too good at hunting them down...the occasional fry I DO spot, don't last very long.

Anyway, I've caught her and popped her back in the net for overnight. Hopefully she'll drop soon...