Unexpected babies

[canuck]

After a month or so of waiting impatiently for my tank to get through the fishless cycling process, I picked up two female platys a week ago today. As I was checking the tank tonight, I noticed a baby swimming around, which was a surprise to me. After reading some of the posts in this forum, it sounds like these fish are often pregnant when brought home from the LFS.

I have a couple of questions that I didn't find an answer to in the posts I read. First, is it likely that there is only the one baby? I can't see any others in the tank. When the mother gives birth (is that the right term? ) could it happen over a period of time or is it all at once?

Next, I only have this one tank (29 gal) so I don't have anywhere to move the baby fish. Is there any chance of them surviving in the tank they're in? All I have in the tank at this point are two female platys, age unknown (1 week since I picked them up).

 

[Tempestuousfury]

The others might have been eaten, or the mother is not done birthing. I would think it is the latter.

The babies hide in the gravel at times, while others swim to the light, where they get eaten.

You should get fine-leaved, bushy plants and java moss to hide them if you want them to survive, but if you feel that you are not ready to take care of the fry or can't take care of them, leaving them be would be the best way to not worry about the problem.

 

[archfry]

My first guppy only had two fry, I don't know if she ate others. You'll probally have more but if she's stressed it could be a small number

 

[Sasha]

It sounds like the rest of the fry either got eaten or are hiding.

If you plan to leave the fry in the main tank, be sure to provide a lot of hiding places like plants and large pebbles. Or you can get a breeder net to keep the fry in so it doesn't get eaten.

Good luck!

 

[canuck]

Well, there are 4 little fish now so it looks like I've got a whole family. I'll see if they're all still there in the morning and if so, I guess I'll have to look at another option for keeping them. My daughter has already become quite attached.

I have no idea what a breeder net looks like. If I use one, should I keep the tank at the same temperature (currently 78' F)? I read in another post that the babies need to be fed finely crushed flakes. Can they be fed independently of the bigger fish if they're in a breeder net?

If I were to get a second tank to keep the babies in until they've grown a bit, I'm guessing it would be stressful to put them straight into a new tank that hasn't been cycled. Is that the case? Would it be better to leave them where they are with a breeder net or get a second tank for them?

Thanks for all the advice - I hadn't bargained for babies just a week after getting my first fish

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I would think that if you have very few fry, that it might be a better idea to move them to another tank provided you can move some of the filter media and gravel from your established tank.

I would not suggest using the breeders, seeing as how they are too confining and they stress out the mothers if they are moved there to drop. However, they do make it easier to feed the fry.