Pregnant Platys

[simpsona]

I have recently inherited a tank full of fish and have never had fish before. One of the mickey mouse platys is visibly pregnant. How long after she is 'showing' will she give birth. I have bought a hatchery to separate her but don't want to stress her by putting her in too early.

 

[helterskelter]

They give birth ever 4-5 week's and their fat for most of the time.

The best thing is to note down when she gives birth and wait 4 weeks then your sure she'll be close to giving birth
Traps are not the best of things as they highly stress the fish at this period of time, the less stress the better.

I just look for babies in the morning and catch them and put in the a rearing net/trap/tank.

 

[simpsona]

They give birth ever 4-5 week's and their fat for most of the time.

The best thing is to note down when she gives birth and wait 4 weeks then your sure she'll be close to giving birth
Traps are not the best of things as they highly stress the fish at this period of time, the less stress the better.

I just look for babies in the morning and catch them and put in the a rearing net/trap/tank.

So this tank is in my workplace. If she doesn't give birth by tomorrow afternoon (Friday), the tank will be unattended all weekend. I am concerned that there may not be enough places for the fry to hide (3 plants + a piece of driftwood leaving against a rock and a pile of smaller rocks) but can't do much about that for now. I am also concerned that they may get sucked into the filter....is it safe to leave the filter off all weekend?

 

[OldMan47]

The pile of rocks may be some very good cover. If it is just a loose pile of rocks it probably contains lots of places the adult fish can't get to while the fry can swim right in there.

 

[helterskelter]

Do not turn off the filter.
If possible get a sponge and put it on the intake to the filter, this will need cleaning every week but will stop fry from being sucked up.

What other fish are in the tank?

 

[simpsona]

Do not turn off the filter.
If possible get a sponge and put it on the intake to the filter, this will need cleaning every week but will stop fry from being sucked up.

What other fish are in the tank?

I have some mollies, a few sucking catfish and an unidentified one (I think it may be a rainbow of some sort, but know nothing about fish!). What sort of sponge? Just a normal cleaning sponge? Do I put it on the outside or the inside of the filter?

 

[helterskelter]

what filter is it first?

The fish are ok as sucking loach dont tend to eat babies all to often, Rainbows will though.

 

[simpsona]

A Penn-Plax Cascade 600 Internal Filter

 

[helterskelter]

looking at the design the filter should be fine as it is.