Pregnant Platy

[Andeekaii]

Hey,
my platy is pregnant.
Being a beginner, and never breeding any fish before, im not sure exactly how big she will get before giving birth, but she looks pretty big.
Is it safe to move her into a breeding trap; and how many days can i leave her in the breeding trap, will this stress her out too much if its too long?
Ive read that waiting until the day before the birth can stress the fish out causing it to absorb the fry back, so is it safer to move it into the breeding trap a while before the birth?

Thanks, Andy

Oh and also, how the hell do i catch the thing?! Without stressing the fish, and myself, out

 

[JenCliBee]

yes it will stress her putting her in the breeding trap as it would most fish u can never decide weather u have put her in the day before as it's not an exact amount of days that each fish gives birth and yes fish if stressed 2 much have been known 2 abort birth.

usually there is a sort of suaring of the stomach around the time she is about 2 give birth (end ish of prenacy) also the gravid spot will move down 2wards the anal so this is an idication of when she mite be ready 2 have them

hope this helps

jen

 

[Andeekaii]

Yes thats helps
Although, Its a black platy, meaning i can't see the gravid spot
I'll just leave her in the tank and hope a few of the fry survive

Thanks

 

[freddythefish]

I personally DESPISE breeding traps...I won't go into the hundreds of reasons here...All I do is let a few survive on thir own because otherwise you will be swamped with them and most of them will all be weak anyway. The others eating them is natures own birth control and a way of ensuring that only the storngest ones survive.
Make sure there is plenty of plantage (is this a real word?) and maybe some rocks etc so they can get into small gaps. Lots do survive...I had 10 platys out of the last lot and that was in a tank where there is a greedy swordtail (I'm not kidding the size of her is like a SHARK lol) so you get the idea.
Guppies in my experience are the worst at surviving for some reason but who knows why.
If you let her give birth and you see some surviving or are lucky enough to get there straight away then set up the breeding trap to put the baby fish in until they are big enough. There is no set age to take them out just judge by the size in comparison to the mouths of the other fish!!

Good luck and happy fry-rearing

 

[Andeekaii]

Problem.

The female platy which i thought was pregnant.

Today, when i got home from school, i noticed her at the bottom of the tank, hardly moving.
I fed the fish and she come up for food.
Now shes just floating in the middle of the tank, with all her fins down, in a kind of torpedo position, and shes breathing really heavily.

Is this something to do with the pregnany or is she on her way out?

Thanks