Livebearers FAQ

Big Vine · 01-10-2007, 01:18 AM

Thanks for the reply, FroggyFox.

Maybe we'll get a fish geneticist or something to browse by and figure this one out for us.

...which gives me an idea...

One of my best friends is a wildlife biologist and deals with fish a lot...maybe he'll have a better idea.

Either way, it's not one of those "if I don't get an answer I won't be able to sleep at night" type of questions, LOL. I guess I'm just curious about things a little too much and tend to over-analyze.

Big Vine

hahohihi123 · 03-19-2007, 05:56 PM

Great job!!

From my expiriance, you should never put the pregnant female in the breeding net, that will stress her and she will usually die and not give birth. I just let her give birth in the main tank and then catch the little babies afterwards. And if there are more than one male in a tank they might fight (possibly to the death) to see who is the dominant male.

good luck

Kolunji · 02-23-2008, 10:43 AM

hey guys I am new to the forum and have seen some great information so far. so thank you for that first of all. I have had guppies and platies(swordtails) for a while. They are at the point now they are self sustaining, in that I only bought 2 females and 1 male and now the tank is full of fish(both guppies and platies). I love fish and I dont keep them for profit but with so many fry surviving and growing up to have their own babies do you all know any where in South Carolina I can maybe donate or perferably sell my fish? Or should I just go to the local pet store and ask them?

d3sc3n7 · 02-23-2008, 10:59 AM

Well, if you pull the prego mommys out...and let her have babies in a seperate tank, you can use them as food. Dont give them a chance to run and hide.

brian1973 · 02-23-2008, 12:29 PM

welcome to the tank, I cant help you but your best bet would be run an ad in your local classifieds or find a lfs, but IMO these fish are so common and multiply so easy that getting rid of them is difficult even when giving them away.

brentd123 · 12-06-2008, 09:19 PM

Once the gravid spot is seen how long do you have before she gives birth. I ask this because my Platy was very pregnant, and when I came back from school one day she was not at all. I was holding back on the whole breeding trap because she was not very happy in it. I would just like to know how long i have.

Lotus · 12-06-2008, 10:45 PM

You don't normally see a gravid spot on a platy, depending on color. Gestation is usually about 45 days for platies.

eaglefish · 03-03-2009, 04:00 PM

I have a girl mickey platy, a girl painted platy and a boy sunburst platy. The sunburst platy is always chasing the mickey mouse platy until to the point that my MM platy has a rotten fin and keeps on hiding in the cave. What should I do ?

FroggyFox · 03-03-2009, 04:04 PM

This is pretty normal for livebearers unfortunately. Your options would be to bring the male back to the store and see if they'll exchange for a female, or if your tank is large enough you could add some additional females...with the understanding that the tank will fill up with fry pretty quickly so you should plan accordingly.

eaglefish · 03-03-2009, 04:12 PM

My painted platy is chasing the sunburst while chasing the MM platy all together especially feeding time. The fin of my MM platy looks okay now after 2 days of hiding and medication on the water. I don't think I can return the sunburst back to the store.

01-10-2007, 01:18 AM	#41
Big Vine Super Fish Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 3,895	Thanks for the reply, FroggyFox. Maybe we'll get a fish geneticist or something to browse by and figure this one out for us. ...which gives me an idea... One of my best friends is a wildlife biologist and deals with fish a lot...maybe he'll have a better idea. Either way, it's not one of those "if I don't get an answer I won't be able to sleep at night" type of questions, LOL. I guess I'm just curious about things a little too much and tend to over-analyze. Big Vine __________________ "The more it eats, the more it excretes." 75 gal. - 11" tiger oscar

02-23-2008, 10:59 AM	#44
d3sc3n7 Super Fish Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ft. Campbell, Ky Posts: 1,455	Well, if you pull the prego mommys out...and let her have babies in a seperate tank, you can use them as food. Dont give them a chance to run and hide. __________________ Signature

12-06-2008, 10:45 PM	#47
Lotus Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 14,778	You don't normally see a gravid spot on a platy, depending on color. Gestation is usually about 45 days for platies. __________________ Lotus and Ecotank's tanks "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

03-03-2009, 04:04 PM	#49
FroggyFox Forum Manager Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Posts: 8,479	This is pretty normal for livebearers unfortunately. Your options would be to bring the male back to the store and see if they'll exchange for a female, or if your tank is large enough you could add some additional females...with the understanding that the tank will fill up with fry pretty quickly so you should plan accordingly. __________________ 29, 46 & 55FW 29 SW + dog + horse + catYou can view info & photos of my critters here...

03-19-2007, 05:56 PM	#42
hahohihi123 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 29	Great job!! From my expiriance, you should never put the pregnant female in the breeding net, that will stress her and she will usually die and not give birth. I just let her give birth in the main tank and then catch the little babies afterwards. And if there are more than one male in a tank they might fight (possibly to the death) to see who is the dominant male. good luck

02-23-2008, 10:43 AM	#43
Kolunji Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2	hey guys I am new to the forum and have seen some great information so far. so thank you for that first of all. I have had guppies and platies(swordtails) for a while. They are at the point now they are self sustaining, in that I only bought 2 females and 1 male and now the tank is full of fish(both guppies and platies). I love fish and I dont keep them for profit but with so many fry surviving and growing up to have their own babies do you all know any where in South Carolina I can maybe donate or perferably sell my fish? Or should I just go to the local pet store and ask them?

02-23-2008, 12:29 PM	#45
brian1973 Super Fish Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas Posts: 1,879	welcome to the tank, I cant help you but your best bet would be run an ad in your local classifieds or find a lfs, but IMO these fish are so common and multiply so easy that getting rid of them is difficult even when giving them away.

12-06-2008, 09:19 PM	#46
brentd123 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: paisley, Ontario, Canada Posts: 35	Once the gravid spot is seen how long do you have before she gives birth. I ask this because my Platy was very pregnant, and when I came back from school one day she was not at all. I was holding back on the whole breeding trap because she was not very happy in it. I would just like to know how long i have.

03-03-2009, 04:00 PM	#48
eaglefish Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4	I have a girl mickey platy, a girl painted platy and a boy sunburst platy. The sunburst platy is always chasing the mickey mouse platy until to the point that my MM platy has a rotten fin and keeps on hiding in the cave. What should I do ?

03-03-2009, 04:12 PM	#50
eaglefish Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4	My painted platy is chasing the sunburst while chasing the MM platy all together especially feeding time. The fin of my MM platy looks okay now after 2 days of hiding and medication on the water. I don't think I can return the sunburst back to the store.