Up To My Ears In Fry...

[LauraFrog]

Just venting because I CANNOT use them as feeders or let them take their chances or anything like that. But I have homes for eight. I have three six-week old mollies, thirty-four month old platies and Jester dropped tonight. My parents think I've gone crazy because I netted her and put her in a jug and sat there with a fish in a jug on my lap and pulled out the fry as they were born. It took more than two hours, but that didn't worry me. lol. Eighty-two fry.
What on earth am I going to do with them? They're so cute but there's only so many I can look after!!!

I luv them anyway!!

^ I'm a total peanflake. You may not want to know where that comes from.

 

[Underwurlde]

Sell them / give them to LFS?

 

[Tolak]

Sell them to a lfs, or at an auction. Local clubs usually run auctions, check out this link to a local club listing; http/fins.actwin.com/dir/clubs.php

 

[rlscope]

I have the same problem - my Platy is heavily pregnant, but the fry will be cross between Swordtail and Platy.

What will they look like and what do yours look like?

Post picture if you can

 

[LauraFrog]

Ok, will try to post photos later. They are small pink blobs with eyeballs lol.

The LFS can take some, but they want me to cull the ones that 'aren't pretty enough' and I can't do that, I just can't. I only have a 20-litre tank and it's close to full stocking - I can't fit every fish that is born that 'isn't pretty enough' in there.
I live in a small country town in Australia and I doubt there are any clubs around, but I'll check because it would be pretty good if I could get rid of the less attractive fish without killing them.
I think I'll end up putting them in Raechel's dam - it's bore-fed and the overflow floods their lawn, it doesn't go anywhere so the fry can't get into local waterways. Would that do? They won't all live, but at least they'll have a chance if I put them in there.

 

[modaz]

might be an idea for you to try and not to save every drop in the future as you never get things sorted. good luck with whatever you decide on doing

 

[theotheragentm]

The reason there are so many fry born is because so many are eaten in the wild. That's how it goes. Other fish invest some time into the development of their offspring, and give birth to fewer offspring. Whether you like it or not, it's probably best if you stop collecting the fry for upbringing if you have no means to bring them up. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[LadyAphrodite]

I really recommend you don't put them outside. I know you said the dam doesn't go anywhere but the fry are tiny and you never know where they could end up. Might as well leave them in the tank you have and let them take their chances in there.

 

[LauraFrog]

*sigh* I know I should but I can't I'm so weak gutted. And I just picked up another female LOL.

Make that 84 fry, I found another two in the tank.


I got the new female from a pet shop in the city an hours drive away and they didn't have too many platies in there. Most of the ones that they did have looked like being mostly maculatus, not too colourful - about half their tank was taken with silver wagtails and silver dalmatians (few spot varieties) and the colourful ones they had were mostly just single-colour reds, yellows and one sunset. I reckon I could dispose of some in LFS's a little way away. I have five people willing to take fry excluding pet shops, but they can't take everything my fish can churn out. I am absolutely not getting a male molly, I am up to my ears in platies and I don't need mollies as well!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Where abouts do you live in the world/your country? I would be willing to take the fry off your hands if you lived anywhere near me .

Edit: Also don't forget there is a buy/sell/swap section on the forum too .

 

[divisible by zero]

what's the concensus of just letting it go naturally? I had a platty that i didn't notice was pregnant drop a while back. the only way i knew was from seeing 1 small fry darting around, the lil thing was MIA for a month then i saw him just the other day doing quite well.

 

[K.J.]

Just let them live. Raise a few from this batch, and then whenever she's pregnant just ignore her. I usually don't see any fry.

 

[starrynightxxi]

sorry, but there isn't much sense in keeping fish you can't care for. that's the trouble with livebearers. You really need to find somewhere to take them, or find some way to "deal" with them. Look for an aquarium society in your area, they may be able to help you some, but it isn't realistic to assume that you'll be able to give away platy fry faster than they're born unless if you haven't got a store that wants them.

You really need to separate your males and females.

 

[dane261]

even if she splits the male and female up the female will still have a few more batches


cheers dane

 

[starrynightxxi]

granted, but only for another month or two, and then no more.