Platy Fry - Need Some Tips!

[BettaBrightEyes]

Hey guys I'm new to TFF but I am an ok (somewhat experienced) fish owner. I don't seem to have any real problems, I am just in need of some tips!

So I have 6 platys in a divided tank (15 gallons), two females and one male on each side, with a betta on each side as well (hence the divided tanks).
I want to breed the platysas I find it quite exciting, and want to gain a little bit more experience in it. I chose Platys because I heard they were hardly cannibalistic, so I didn't have to worry too much about putting the females in breeders - it stressed them out too much anyways.

So my female (i'm not sure which one as the fry keeps slipping through the drilled holes of my divider) had her fry and I counted four little guys. In the past there's been about the same number but they've all disapeared! I feel like my betta is the one eating them, but could it be the other platys as well?
This time I introduced more rocks and some java moss so that might save them, but do you guys have any tips on other ways to save them? I tried catching them but the tank is too big and they are too small for me to catch

Any tips on how to keep the fry alive would be amazing!

PS, my filter is not sucking them up, there's a stocking over it and I think the suction is too weak to suck them up anyways.

 

[attibones]

First of all, is this a fifteen gallon tank divided or is it divided into two fifteen gallon sections?

Platys definitely eat their own young. Bettas also eat fry. Breeding platys in a fifteen gallon (or in a 7.5 gallon) is not a good idea. If you want to save the fry, you'll be overrun with them.

Also, 15 gallons is on the minimal side for platys. Hoping you have a thirty gallon divided.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Agreed with the above, but fry are very good at hiding so yours may still be alive, just hiding. They should be able to eat the same as the parents just crush it up for them.

 

[Mamashack]

I have platies in a 15G and they do breed like rabbits! You may be relieved after the initial excitement wears off if they don't all survive as once they start breeding they pop out loads every 4-5 weeks and that will be doubled if you've got 2 females to each male. You may not be able to get the LFS to take them off your hands either. Best thing to do unless you want to be completely overrun is keep the genders separate altho it would be rather mean in a divided tank as they will still be aware of the others, but not able to get to each other. (EDIT: it's probably too late to separate them now anyway as they can produce up to 6 batches of fry from just one mating)
They do eat their own young too altho in my case it was the mother - it seems she decides how many should survive.
Bettas would enjoy them as a tasty snack too. 

 

[Lunar Jetman]

I tend to agree with Mamashack in that the excitement often wears off as you get overrun with fry. Once you've started you have to make a conscious decision to stop so it might be easier to let nature take its course. That way you'll get a few number survive each time and the population of your tank won't leap. In fact you'll find that your tank will keep the number that it can handle naturally rather than it filling up to bursting point.