When Do Fry Color Up?

[dizzied]

Probably a dumb question, but I've been out of the livebearer game for so long..

When do fry start developing the coloring and patterns of their parents? Or are they born with them already?

 

[lorano]

Probably a dumb question, but I've been out of the livebearer game for so long..

When do fry start developing the coloring and patterns of their parents? Or are they born with them already?

I'm pretty sure it depends on the fish. Guppies arent usually born with color and mollies sometimes are I believe

 

[dizzied]

If that's the case, I'm specifically asking regarding Platies.

 

[OldMan47]

Platies often will have some hint of their adult color by about 4 weeks and start showing the pattern by about 8 weeks. Full color development does take a little longer but by 3 months you will have a fairly good picture of what the adult will look like.

 

[kizno1]

my platys where born with just dark colours showing and then after a mounth thay started to get the lighter coulers

 

[dizzied]

Well, isn't that something. Here I am wondering why my month-old fry are so bland and white, guess it'll still be another month before I get a better idea.

 

[OldMan47]

At a month you should be starting to see a hint of their final color pattern. It may not be well developed but if they will be something like a tuxedo, they should have a few dark spots by now. There will be similar effects for other color variations.

 

[dizzied]

Well, I do see some black at the top and bottom of the tail, similar to the father, and a hint of red in the dorsal fin, similar to the mother. Interestingly enough, I'm also seeing a black stripe on it's body that either parent possesses.

 

[Bella]

I have mollies about two months old and they are gray and starting to get black dot's on them. black dad and white mom. I wonder how many dot's they were have once they are full grown.. very cute.

I have platies but they are still see through.. about a week old.

 

[HCpetraitis]

I started noticing at 2 months when my platies were actually MM platies and they werent from my sunset platy because of the black on the tail.

 

[dizzied]

Well, since the last post, the black stripe is fading away. They have developed some red under the gills, but I suppose that's just internal organs.