So? When Will She Drop?

[Amberleaf]

Hey, all! ^^; So, my mickey mouse platy who is pregnant, Neika, has been in the fry tank for roughly a day now. I took some pictures, so I just would like to know when she will drop her fry? Thanks! =3

As you can see, she looks rather fat. XD

I have started calling her "The Football Fish" because she looks like she has swallowed a football! :3

And here is the picture from a few days ago, before I moved her into the fry tank. (QUICK EDIT: She looks like a male in that one. D

So? In roughly what time-frame should I expect little baby platy fry? ^^; I'll take your best guesstimate! XD

 

[OldMan47]

I would be quite surprised if it took more than a day or two for her to drop her fry.

 

[helterskelter]

Any time, but if she's stressed she can also hold on for a few extra days.

Nice fish though and expect lots of babies from her!!!

 

[Amberleaf]

Okay, Oldman47, and thanks, helterskelter!

This morning I turned on the filter and she was hiding on the bottom of the tank in the plants and being quite antisocial. She swam to behind the filter when I started to look at her. Now, she's hovering around the bottom, staring out at random points in my bedroom. Do you think she will drop soon....

I hope to get lots of nice babies from her.

 

[H_N_L_FISH]

is the pregnant stage the same for guppys as mollies?

 

[Amberleaf]

I dunno. I think that guppies can be pregnant for up to six weeks (a classmate of mine said up to six MONTHS but I think mollies are only usually pregnant for four. But I dunno; I have only ever raised platies.

 

[helterskelter]

Sounds like she's close then if hideing away. always search first thing in the morning as this is when tend to give birth.

Most common livebearers it 4-5 weeks depending on the temp.

 

[Platygirl11]

Nice fish you have there! Hiding is a sign that she's close to dropping.

My fish either drop in the morning or extremely late at night. I have only had one fish who dropped during the day.

 

[OldMan47]

A side issue is what I just noticed when re-reading this. You said that she was not acting right when you turned on the filter this morning. The filter needs to be on at all times. You cannot afford to turn it off at night and have your bacterial population constantly dying back and regrowing. You also can't afford to have the poisons build up over night and then be reduced to reasonable levels each day. Leave the darned thing on except when the water level prevents it running during a water change.
The idea of being pregnant for 6 months is not really right but they can store sperm for that long. If there is no male in the tank, they can drop one batch of fry after another for about 6 months before they run out of sperm to fertilize the eggs.

 

[Amberleaf]

Gah!!!! Sorry, my web browser just kind of #60###ed up on me so now I have to post this all AGAIN; I'll make it short:

Ah. Okay, then! I'll leave the filter on tonight; see if anything happens~ She has been fine for the previous few mornings; so, y'know~

I *REALLY* need to get another filter. UGH. I cannot SLEEP with that damned filter on.... #41#### THE SPONGE FILTER *says it 1000 million times XD*

Hey, I am going to go to the fish store probably today or some time tomorrow, and I'm *still thinking* about getting one of those Tetra Whisper Internal Filters. My Mom has it, and it's really quiet.... Lols, it's quieter even than the filter on my 10-gallon tank! XD

Do you think that if I took the sponge filter out, and then put the internal filter in; could I use a filter sponge with mature media in it and like squeeze it out into the tank, and will the internal filter be seeded then? Or should I like cut off a piece of the sponge from *my* filter with scissors or something and then put it in the place where the filter media goes, and all....?

Sorry; very clueless here~~~~~ XDDDDD

 

[OldMan47]

You can seed a filter that way but it will not be fully ready for fish right away Amberleaf. You will end up in a fish-in cycle for at least a few days or a bit longer if the old filter is gone. If you can stuff some of the old filter down inside the new filter without ruining the flow of water, that would help even more. Another alternative for a sponge filter is to use a power head to move the water through it and then you can shut off the noisy air pump and get rid of the bubbling water sounds all at once. This way you keep using the mature sponge filter and get some peace and quiet too. I have a 55 gallon that runs a large sponge filter because I have fry in the tank and uses a large power head to power it. I can't hear anything in that tank without putting my ear to the glass.
In case you are not familiar with it, this is a power head shown just laying next to my keyboard.

This is the big sponge that I use it with.

I stick that tapered part down inside the tube on the top of the filter and can point the outlet nozzle where I want to in the tank. That particular power head also comes with a tapered rubber cone so that it can fit almost any size sponge filter.

 

[Amberleaf]

; WHOA!!!! That thing is HUGE.

Not really sure if I get your advice; but my Mom or Dad might know more about that~

She STILL hasn't dropped. *shifty eyes*

D:

 

[OldMan47]

By using a small power head, smaller than mine, on your sponge filter, you can continue to benefit from the cycling you have already done on your filter.

 

[Amberleaf]

Okay! ^^; I'll look into it; don't worry.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... She STILL hasn't dropped yet. D