Problem Sexing Platys

[Andeekaii]

Hey, I'm new to the world of tropical fish, but i have researched platys.
From what i have read, the male platys should be smaler than the females.
I recently bought 4 platys; i asked for 1 male and 3 females, which im hoping i got.

However, from what i can make out, the male is larger than the females. I'm presuming they are all of simillar age so it should be smaller?
Does anyone have any advice on taking photographs of them so i can post them up; i can't seem to get a good focus on the fish.

Thanks, Andy

 

[lilfishie]

Blue is the males gonodium (sp?)
Red is the females gravid spot (where any fry will grow although it is not always visable)

 

[helterskelter]

to get a photo it's difficualt as most camera's focus on what behind the tank. Use macro mode and if u can set the shutter speed faster then that help's but you need extra light for the faster shutter speeds.

As for sexing the males have whats called a gonopodium, this is the male organ which is on the under side of the fish near the anus, the fin is pointed in females, and the fin is full triangular shape in females.
Females do get larger but generally their both a similar size

 

[Andeekaii]

Thankyou,

That has confirmed that the male is actually the largest of the four fish.
Will this cause any problems with the fry or breeding?

 

[helterskelter]

nope

 

[JenCliBee]

Thankyou,

That has confirmed that the male is actually the largest of the four fish.
Will this cause any problems with the fry or breeding?

no problems in either but if fish are larger they have larger mouths that mean the fry will have 2 be that little bit bigger before they wont get eaten :~)

 

[lilfishie]

There shouldn't be any problems, and nice to see you got a good ratio going

If you are wanting a few fry to survive then make sure theres lots of hiding places, floating plants work well

 

[Andeekaii]

Do plastic floating plants help them hide? They're pretty tightly packed , the little short grassey kind?
that's all i have at the moment and being at school i don't have a job

 

[OldMan47]

Tight packed plastic plant will definitely help the fry survive. The idea is to give the fry a place to hide where the adults have trouble following.

 

[lilfishie]

plastic will be fine, any thing which is too big for the adults to get, as long as you have a desent amount of hiding holes/places you should get a few survive

 

[Duck and Dive]

The best thing would be a hagen floating breeding trap as it can also be used to raise fry without any danger of them being eaten.

D&D

 

[Andeekaii]

I actually have a floating breeding trap, how do i tell when the female is about to give birth, other than the fact shes fat?
I have 3 females which im presuming will all be pregnant and give birth at roughly the same time, but i only have 1 breeding trap, with 1 divider

 

[lilfishie]

a day or two before you will see there stomach change shape, it will become more squared than usual sort of this shape \_____/