Platy Fry - Already! - Pictures Added

[Tropical_Fish]

I put some new fish in on Saturday which included two female platys.

Now two days later I have fry swimming around!

I couldn't tell that either of the females was pregnant but I think it was the red wag tail platy as the male and female (I got a matching pair) both looked the same size when I got them, but the female now looks smaller. Also the male has never chased her round but is now following as if it's waiting for fry to drop out.

There isn't many fry (I think) I've seen two at the same time so there is atleast 2!


I'm not really intending to breed them as I don't want to get overstocked too quickly! But it would be kind of nice for 1 to survive.

Questions:

how long do they need to survive until they're out of danger?
how do I feed them or do I not worry? I fed the fish earlier but they tend to eat it all

Other fish in the tank are 6 male guppies, 2 female platys and 2 male platys.

 

[mystus]

I put some new fish in on Saturday which included two female platys.

Now two days later I have fry swimming around!

I couldn't tell that either of the females was pregnant but I think it was the red wag tail platy as the male and female (I got a matching pair) both looked the same size when I got them, but the female now looks smaller. Also the male has never chased her round but is now following as if it's waiting for fry to drop out.

There isn't many fry (I think) I've seen two at the same time so there is atleast 2!


I'm not really intending to breed them as I don't want to get overstocked too quickly! But it would be kind of nice for 1 to survive.

Questions:

how long do they need to survive until they're out of danger?
how do I feed them or do I not worry? I fed the fish earlier but they tend to eat it all

Other fish in the tank are 6 male guppies, 2 female platys and 2 male platys.

Maybe 2 weeks could be more could be less depends how much food they get.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

If you observe 2... there are probably around 6.... they are experts at hiding... even amoungst the gravel.....

If you have no other fry in there, chances are that none will survive... It is always good policy to remove your first batch and rear them seperately.... (only for about a week to ten days and the re-introduce them to the adult tank)...

They'll be chased around and one or 2 may get caught, but the survivors after that episode, will make it easier for future batches to survive.....

Once the adults gets used to the idea that "smaller" things than themselves are swimming around in their domain, they will eventually ignore all future batches.

On average, your first brood of a platy should produce about 18 to 25 fry..... this will progressively increase to around 40 to 55.......(females remain pregnant and will drop the fry at about 26 to 30 day intervals.... depending on your water temp).

 

[Tropical_Fish]

I'll leave them to it - gives me something to try and spot!

If they eat them then there should be some more along in a month or so!

I've just watched the two adult wag tail platys chasing one of the fry but the fry got away with ease - I've got three peices of bog wood with various caves and hiding places in them. There is also a fake bush which the fry can swim into but the fish can't.

Will they be able to find some kind of food if the fish are eating all the visible signs of flakes?

Should I perhaps do an extra feed?

 

[Tropical_Fish]

Fry still alive at the moment - just saw one dart past.

Are they safer with lights off or on?

I figured they may have more chance with the lights off as the other fish might not see them?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Fry still alive at the moment - just saw one dart past.

Are they safer with lights off or on?

I figured they may have more chance with the lights off as the other fish might not see them?

True.... the most ctytical seconds are in the first minute after birth...... before the fry had a chance to check out what they're up against..... and also.... although they will eat them if they can get to them.... the parental instinct also gives the baby a fair chance at survival by actually choosing a darker spot close to thickets when she drops them.... the baby instinctively knows to dart for the thickets.

 

[Tropical_Fish]

I'm not sure if any survived, we watched them for quite a while last night and the wag tail platy (male) went right up to one of the fry - the fry didn't move and the platy just swam off (wasn't interested). A minute or two later a guppy approached the same fry and he shot off under the bog wood.

Haven't been able to see any this morning so maybe they were all got?

 

[Tropical_Fish]

Just managed to spot one - so they're not all gone yet! Will try and get a photo if the ###### thing will stay still!

 

[Tropical_Fish]

Managed to get a couple of pics and also managed to see that there is still two fry in there as I saw them together.

Pictures:

 

[tropic_john]

good pics, what camera do you use?

 

[Harlequins]

yes fab pics,mine always look blurry,especially with fry pics

 

[Tropical_Fish]

Thanks - I had to take 30 or so before I got any usable ones!

It's a Fuji S2 Pro Camera.


Just don't know if they will survive or if they'll get eaten. We know they're atleast 24 hours old now! Didn't even know the platy was pregnant before that! Now I'm thinking the other female platy may be due soon as she now looks squarer than the one I think gave birth!

 

[BlueGuppy]

Aww so cute, Congrats!!! Good luck with them

 

[Tropical_Fish]

Well they are still alive today - still just the two that I can see, checked in the filter tonight as well to make sure none had got sucked up but there were none in there.

The two seem to be getting braver now and are swimming higher amongst the 10 other fish. At a guess they're about 9mm long now

 

[Tropical_Fish]

Another one has now started to poke his head out - so there is now 3 little fry swimming around