Water change during fry drops??

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AilyNC

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Hey my tank is a bit of a hectic fish in cycle case. I've been doing 75% water changes the last 4 days and measurements.

A Platy has started having fry. Should I wait until she's finished to do a water change? How will I know she's finished?

I managed to get two fry into incubation box. There's another 3 hiding behind filter that I can't catch.

Tank 58L 60cm (about 16 US gallons + 24 inches)

Ammonia 0.
Nitrate 15
Nitrite 0.35
GH 10
KH 20
PH 9
Chlorine 0
C02 1

Plants:
Salvinia
Miss ball
Anubis

Fish

3 Platies (2 preggers female, 1 male)
1 Molly
2 Plecos
4 neon tetra

5 weeks old tank, 4 weeks with fish. To date lost Betta, 2 angel fish, 1 Molly & 1 fry guppy. It's been very upsetting.

Pics are fry, the labouring fish, my second pregnant Platy who us looking squares off.
 

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Still do the water change since you're getting a nitrite reading, just avoid the spot where the labouring female is to minimise stress on her. They can give birth over a couple of days, so when fry stop appearing, she's probably done!

If you use a light coloured or white bucket to syphon the old water into, you can let the bucket settle then check for little eyes and movement to make sure you haven't sucked up any fry. Switching to white buckets so I can see fry more easily has saved quite a few of mine. No matter how careful you are, every now and then one ends up taking a trip through the tube. :)
 
Oh, if you put the net on the inside/tank side of the filter, then put your hand on the other/outside/tank wall/filter side, you might be able to herd them into the net. You'll get better at catching them with practice. A two net system, one to chase and one to catch - is useful for the more canny fish.
 
You can also use an airline tube with an air stone on the end to slowly siphon out water and avoid any fry suck ups after you've done a careful gravel vacuum. It does take a really long time and you do have to suck the end of the airline tube to start the siphon, but atleast you know the fry will be safe
 
I got all 5 of them now. Have been checking and none anywhere else unless inside my fake log. So I'll do gravel siphon away from that area as I am pretty sure that's where she dropped them.

She seems most eager to get the fry in the incubation box. I'll go search site now for fry care but thanks for the advice here :thumbs: (I hope this emoji is a thumbs up one haha)
 
I got 6 now.

I think a male platy has fluke. He looked pale last night, colour back today but he's rubbing off the Anubis leaves, the ornaments & filter arm. Flicking his body gently on them. I see no white spots or any other signs of anything.

Am I screwed?
 

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