platys

[aidanchick]

My platys I think are expecting!

I have two females, and one male.

How Do I tell?

I've had babies from them be4, or wait, well I've had babies from platies in the past, and kept them in a holder mesh net thing on the side of my tank..


I want these babies to survive better than my last patch. Should I get the female into the mesh net thing now? then remove her when the babies arrive?

how long do platies stay pregant be4 they give birth?

[caveman]

You could put the mother in one of those nets but personally I think they are too much of a hassle. Netting her, watching her, taking her out once she is done.  Plus all that extra stress can be really taxing on your fish. I have even heard of fish birth delays due to stress on the mother's part.

If you want the fry to survive provide them with plenty of hiding spots, ie lots of plants, I think java moss works best.  In my community tank I had platy fry burrow about an inch into the gravel to escape the mouths of my hungry angelfish.  Ofcourse the best way to ensure their survival is to put them in their own tank. It could be really small to begin with, and for filtration use a sponge filter so as to prevent them being sucked up the intake.
Good luck
Caveman