She's Popping Them Out Right Now!

[marcybeth0281]

So....I walked back to check on my cycling hospital tank where my pregnant platy has been for the past 2 weeks, and there were 10-15 or so fry swimming around!!! I watched her birth 5 more while I was standing there.....(interesting, one came out head first) - one about every 5 minutes. Then she stopped and hasn't had one for about a half hour...

so, my questions:

1. she is still squared and I see a dark gravid spot still - how will I know when she is done so I can extract her?

2. how long do I have before she starts to get munchy and gobbles the babies?

3. 2 of the fry are speckled black. I thought all fry came out clear at first - are these maybe deformed, or is this normal?

4. momma is behaving a bit erratically. swimming up and down along the side of the tank. she is spooked easy like she was the first few days she was in the smaller tank. is this ok?

5. when do I do my first feeding??? I have Hikari "first bites" for them but don't know how long I should let them adjust before I feed them. Also, should I wait till momma is out of the tank?

Thanks a ton! I've been surprised by fry before in a large tank, but have never actually witnessed the birth and have been able to save them!

p.s. if you have been following my thread about the speed cycle that has been going on in the hospital tank - I am relieved to report that ALL DAY I have had zero nitrites and ammonia. It's a miracle. The tank must have known the babies were coming.

 

[shelaghfishface]

feed her staright away and thro a load of plants in there to provide cover for them, you can seperate them staright away if you choose as she will eat them if she gets the chance to

for the fry crunch some flakes into powder

and congratulations x x x

she will go back to looking as if she was never pregnant as soon as she is done

 

[marcybeth0281]

well - i need to keep her in there till she is done. nowhere else for her to go, you know? i have her in there because i don't want the other fish in the 46g to eat the fry.

i have 2 plants and a little cave-like thing in there and they are hanging around low to the ground.

i fed her flakes and she ate them and is pecking around for more flakes but seems to be leaving the fry alone. they are quick to get out of her way when she comes through.

...and like i said, i have the hikari food for the fry - just didnt know how soon to give it and if i should while mom is still in the tank.

 

[shelaghfishface]

was just advice, take it or leave it

 

[Tory]

When my platy has had her fry in the past, after a while of not giving birth, she starts swimming erratically.

When she gets this skittish, I remove her from the tank (usually because Im worried she is going to eat or damage the fry. )

After I put her back in the main tank it always seems that ive taken her out just at the right time and shes done having fry!

 

[marcybeth0281]

was just advice, take it or leave it

okay....are you upset?

I was just unclear how I was to separate them if I had nowhere else for her to go other than back into the community tank -

When my platy has had her fry in the past, after a while of not giving birth, she starts swimming erratically.

When she gets this skittish, I remove her from the tank (usually because Im worried she is going to eat or damage the fry. )

After I put her back in the main tank it always seems that ive taken her out just at the right time and shes done having fry!

I thought the same thing - she's swimming so skittishly that she MUST be done, but she is still squared and I can see another set of eyes in her! UGH! I don't know what to do!

Isn't there some 12 hour rule with a hormone or something where they arent supposed to eat the fry?

 

[Tory]

I thought the same thing - she's swimming so skittishly that she MUST be done, but she is still squared and I can see another set of eyes in her! UGH! I don't know what to do!

Isn't there some 12 hour rule with a hormone or something where they arent supposed to eat the fry?

Mine still looked like she was still pregnant too!! I couldnt understand why she was still so fat and could still see plenty of eyes in there! I was a bit concerned and posted on here and called the lfs - the general reply was that after becoming pregnant they will give birth approx every 4 weeks so not to worry!! Apart from having a still rather pregnant looking Platy, she was all good and did infact give birth to more fry about a month later....and a month after that!!!

Ive not heard about the hormone thing - am going to look that up now!

 

[marcybeth0281]

I thought the same thing - she's swimming so skittishly that she MUST be done, but she is still squared and I can see another set of eyes in her! UGH! I don't know what to do!

Isn't there some 12 hour rule with a hormone or something where they arent supposed to eat the fry?

Mine still looked like she was still pregnant too!! I couldnt understand why she was still so fat and could still see plenty of eyes in there! I was a bit concerned and posted on here and called the lfs - the general reply was that after becoming pregnant they will give birth approx every 4 weeks so not to worry!! Apart from having a still rather pregnant looking Platy, she was all good and did infact give birth to more fry about a month later....and a month after that!!!

Ive not heard about the hormone thing - am going to look that up now!

Yes, this one gave birth a month ago. It was a surprise as she was a new addition from the LFS, but I was able to scoop 18 of them from the big tank, but unfortunately they died of ammonia poisoning in the hospital tank that was uncycled. hopefully this time around, they will be alright as the tank has been cycling ever since and as of TODAY, my levels are finally at zero.

well....I keep checking on her and she is leaving the fry alone. she's pecking a bit on the walls of the tank and swimming around a lot, but seems uninterested with the fry. I will take her out before bed and get her back in the community tank.

anyone have any comments as to the black/peppered color fry?

 

[Tory]

anyone have any comments as to the black/peppered color fry?

I forgot to add that Ive recently found a platy fry in my tank and its only tiny - but it has a couple of black spots - ive often had coloured fry

 

[marcybeth0281]

I successfully scooped momma out and she's back in the community tank and oh so happy. She is very curious as to the two new bristlenose plecos that are in the tank now - haha.

Fed the fry a tiny bit of the Hikari First Bites and all seems to be well. I have two that are black - they seem to be developed though and are swimming fine. I *do* have a black/yellow male platy in the community tank and he could be the poppa and that would make sense. I've just never seen fry anything but clear.