Platy giving birth - MyFishTank.Net Freshwater Saltwater Aquarium Fish Forum

KNEWELL2008 · 09-27-2009, 06:32 AM

I bought 2 mickey mouse platies recently and this is my first aquarium. Well, come to find out they are both pregnant. The first platy had some babies but i think the second one is about to have some too. My question is: Do they tend to let off a lot of black colored waste before, during and after birth? Just wondering because i have been seeing that from both of them and just want to know if that is part of the birthing process. Some videos i watched on youtube showed platies having babies but they were having them one right after another and my one platy has been having them all day but so far only 10. If someone could please answer my question and help me out i would truly appreciate it. Thank you

MissFishy · 09-27-2009, 10:18 AM

It is completely normal to have a platy drop fry all day. The black waste is probably from whatever food you are feeding the, if they are pooping a lot, you may be feeding too much. Make sure this tank is cycled completely if it is new, otherwise both the mommy fish and babies will be dead very quickly.

KNEWELL2008 · 09-28-2009, 01:41 AM

thank you for your response. yeah my platy had 10 total of which 8 are accounted for so the other two are probably staying hidden very well. yes i do understand the cycle of the tank. i have been using nite-out II which lowers the ammonia and nitrates. it was recommended by my local pet store. up until the babies arrived i was doing 25% siphons once every two weeks but now i am too scared that i will accidentally suck up the babies. i do not have them in a seperate tank because i do not have one and cannot afford a breeding net or an inner breeding tank at this moment in time. the mom does not seem agressive towards the babies and the other pregnant platy does not either so i think they might be okay. i figured that if they were going to eat them i would not still have 8 accounted for after 24 hrs. if you have any tips, comments or advice i am open for it. thanks again.

Newman · 09-28-2009, 01:50 AM

You gotta feed them 4-6 times each day if you want them all to survive. Hikari first bites are perfect for this.

KNEWELL2008 · 09-28-2009, 02:59 PM

thank you for your reply. my pet store said just to feed them powdered food (take the flake food and crush it up as fine as i can). however, the babies and mommies are in the same tank, so, if i were to feed 4-6 times a day wouldn't i be over feeding the 2 mommies? well, get back to me when you have a chance. thanks again

Newman · 09-28-2009, 03:46 PM

OK yes, there is a solution to this. What the pet store assosiate recommended can be done, but is way worse than hikari first bites, because some fish might reject it, and it probably has less nutritional value for FRY.

What you do, no matter which advice you wish to follow, is get a pipet, get some crushed flakes or first bites in there and fil it with tank water. then see where the fry like to hide and squirt some of that in that place.

Another reason i recommend first bites is because they are mostly too small for the adults to even bother eating them. on the downside, feeding fry can get he tank messy. so do water changes more frequently than weekly.

KNEWELL2008 · 09-28-2009, 05:03 PM

okay that sounds like a good idea but what is a pipet?? is it like a syrenge/medicine dropper kind of device. i would like to do the frequent water change but i am scared to siphon the water because i don't want to suck up any babies while doing it. i have been using Nite-Out II so i can reduce the ammonia and nitrates so that probably helps a little but definately not as well as doing the siphons. i also removed my filter cartridges because the babies were getting caught in my filter and i don't have anything to put over the suction area of the filter (like a stocking or something to that affect). i figured if i removed the cartridges and they were to get sucked in they would be pushed immediately back into the water. hmmm...i hope i am doing the right things to keep the babies safe. i even made a homemade spawning mop. they were hiding in it at first but i don't see fish in it now, however, sometimes when i move it slightly there are a few in there. i did have them in a homemade breeding tank. i took a gladware container and poked about 100 holes in the top (big enough for air but small enough that they couldn't get out) and was floating it in the top of the tank but they were staying at the top like they couldn't breathe so i placed them back into the tank. if this was a good idea but there is something i should do a little differently please let me know because i didn't throw the container away just in case. thank you.

Newman · 09-28-2009, 06:04 PM

I know youre excited and nervous about this, but dont worry as the platies will probably give birth again. just let the fry fend for themselves in the tank. those that hide, and dont go near the filter or the adults will survive. Breeder containers arent that necessary.

Um you didnt remove the Sponge element of the filter did you? (if you did, i pray to God you didnt rinse it under tap.) You probably shouldnt have removed the filter media, but do what you feel is right. except for that sponge element. unless you want to cycle the tank again for another month and a half, do not remove the sponge and rinse in tap. if you must rinse rinse in old tank water.

Ya a pipet is a medicine dropper thing. i should've just called it a dropper >_<
use that to feed them first bites. they will grow faster if you feed them that.

the frequent water change can be done easily by just using the gravel vac to gently skim the surface of the water. dont go near the gravel while there are fry in that tank. keep the vac in one spot and replace the water once about 25% of the water has been syphoned out. its safe unless the fry hang out at the top. just move the vac away from them if thats the case.

If you have sock made of fine mesh (idk like pantyhose or something like it, assuming youre a girl, or live with a girl) fit that over the filter intake. that should prevent fry casualties.

MissFishy · 09-28-2009, 08:10 PM

There is a link on my webpage about raising fry. I would stop adding "nite out II", I've never heard of it, but I doubt it is good for your tank, most of those chemicals aren't. Nothing substitutes for a real tank cycle.

KNEWELL2008 · 10-06-2009, 07:04 PM

I have another question...is it true that platies are able to have multiple pregnancies? From what i have read, they store enough sperm to have up to 4 batches of fry. I am almost 99% sure that my one platy is pregnant again. They both gave birth, however, my first platy remained slim after the birth and the second platy was slim after but is now fat and very pregnant looking again. If they do have multiple pregnancies, how long would the platy carry the second batch of fry? If i buy a in tank breeder, how long could she be in there without going crazy or dieing?

09-27-2009, 06:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
KNEWELL2008 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7	Platy giving birth I bought 2 mickey mouse platies recently and this is my first aquarium. Well, come to find out they are both pregnant. The first platy had some babies but i think the second one is about to have some too. My question is: Do they tend to let off a lot of black colored waste before, during and after birth? Just wondering because i have been seeing that from both of them and just want to know if that is part of the birthing process. Some videos i watched on youtube showed platies having babies but they were having them one right after another and my one platy has been having them all day but so far only 10. If someone could please answer my question and help me out i would truly appreciate it. Thank you

09-27-2009, 10:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
MissFishy Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,232	It is completely normal to have a platy drop fry all day. The black waste is probably from whatever food you are feeding the, if they are pooping a lot, you may be feeding too much. Make sure this tank is cycled completely if it is new, otherwise both the mommy fish and babies will be dead very quickly. __________________ http://missfishy.tripod.com/ The Basic Guide to Cycling a Tank, Sick Fish and more! Updated 10/13/09 with a new layout!

09-28-2009, 01:41 AM	#3 (permalink)
KNEWELL2008 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7	thank u thank you for your response. yeah my platy had 10 total of which 8 are accounted for so the other two are probably staying hidden very well. yes i do understand the cycle of the tank. i have been using nite-out II which lowers the ammonia and nitrates. it was recommended by my local pet store. up until the babies arrived i was doing 25% siphons once every two weeks but now i am too scared that i will accidentally suck up the babies. i do not have them in a seperate tank because i do not have one and cannot afford a breeding net or an inner breeding tank at this moment in time. the mom does not seem agressive towards the babies and the other pregnant platy does not either so i think they might be okay. i figured that if they were going to eat them i would not still have 8 accounted for after 24 hrs. if you have any tips, comments or advice i am open for it. thanks again.

09-28-2009, 01:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
Newman Large Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 815	You gotta feed them 4-6 times each day if you want them all to survive. Hikari first bites are perfect for this. __________________ AQUARIUMS: 40 Gal 1 Female Orange & Black Oranda GF 1 Female Blood Red Swordtail 5 Otocinclus 3 Swordtail Fry 3 Cherry shrimp 1 Gold Apple Snail Java fern, Anubias, Anacharis, Cabomba, Marimo Moss, Flame Moss, Dwarf Hairgrass 10 Gal 2 Otocinlus 20+ Swordtail Fry 4 Cherry Shrimp Dwarf Sag HC 2.5 Gal Christmas moss 1 Female Deltatail Betta Credit goes to Lludu

09-28-2009, 02:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
KNEWELL2008 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7	baby platies thank you for your reply. my pet store said just to feed them powdered food (take the flake food and crush it up as fine as i can). however, the babies and mommies are in the same tank, so, if i were to feed 4-6 times a day wouldn't i be over feeding the 2 mommies? well, get back to me when you have a chance. thanks again

09-28-2009, 03:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
Newman Large Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 815	OK yes, there is a solution to this. What the pet store assosiate recommended can be done, but is way worse than hikari first bites, because some fish might reject it, and it probably has less nutritional value for FRY. What you do, no matter which advice you wish to follow, is get a pipet, get some crushed flakes or first bites in there and fil it with tank water. then see where the fry like to hide and squirt some of that in that place. Another reason i recommend first bites is because they are mostly too small for the adults to even bother eating them. on the downside, feeding fry can get he tank messy. so do water changes more frequently than weekly. __________________ AQUARIUMS: 40 Gal 1 Female Orange & Black Oranda GF 1 Female Blood Red Swordtail 5 Otocinclus 3 Swordtail Fry 3 Cherry shrimp 1 Gold Apple Snail Java fern, Anubias, Anacharis, Cabomba, Marimo Moss, Flame Moss, Dwarf Hairgrass 10 Gal 2 Otocinlus 20+ Swordtail Fry 4 Cherry Shrimp Dwarf Sag HC 2.5 Gal Christmas moss 1 Female Deltatail Betta Credit goes to Lludu

09-28-2009, 05:03 PM	#7 (permalink)
KNEWELL2008 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7	okay that sounds like a good idea but what is a pipet?? is it like a syrenge/medicine dropper kind of device. i would like to do the frequent water change but i am scared to siphon the water because i don't want to suck up any babies while doing it. i have been using Nite-Out II so i can reduce the ammonia and nitrates so that probably helps a little but definately not as well as doing the siphons. i also removed my filter cartridges because the babies were getting caught in my filter and i don't have anything to put over the suction area of the filter (like a stocking or something to that affect). i figured if i removed the cartridges and they were to get sucked in they would be pushed immediately back into the water. hmmm...i hope i am doing the right things to keep the babies safe. i even made a homemade spawning mop. they were hiding in it at first but i don't see fish in it now, however, sometimes when i move it slightly there are a few in there. i did have them in a homemade breeding tank. i took a gladware container and poked about 100 holes in the top (big enough for air but small enough that they couldn't get out) and was floating it in the top of the tank but they were staying at the top like they couldn't breathe so i placed them back into the tank. if this was a good idea but there is something i should do a little differently please let me know because i didn't throw the container away just in case. thank you.

09-28-2009, 06:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
Newman Large Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 815	I know youre excited and nervous about this, but dont worry as the platies will probably give birth again. just let the fry fend for themselves in the tank. those that hide, and dont go near the filter or the adults will survive. Breeder containers arent that necessary. Um you didnt remove the Sponge element of the filter did you? (if you did, i pray to God you didnt rinse it under tap.) You probably shouldnt have removed the filter media, but do what you feel is right. except for that sponge element. unless you want to cycle the tank again for another month and a half, do not remove the sponge and rinse in tap. if you must rinse rinse in old tank water. Ya a pipet is a medicine dropper thing. i should've just called it a dropper >_< use that to feed them first bites. they will grow faster if you feed them that. the frequent water change can be done easily by just using the gravel vac to gently skim the surface of the water. dont go near the gravel while there are fry in that tank. keep the vac in one spot and replace the water once about 25% of the water has been syphoned out. its safe unless the fry hang out at the top. just move the vac away from them if thats the case. If you have sock made of fine mesh (idk like pantyhose or something like it, assuming youre a girl, or live with a girl) fit that over the filter intake. that should prevent fry casualties. __________________ AQUARIUMS: 40 Gal 1 Female Orange & Black Oranda GF 1 Female Blood Red Swordtail 5 Otocinclus 3 Swordtail Fry 3 Cherry shrimp 1 Gold Apple Snail Java fern, Anubias, Anacharis, Cabomba, Marimo Moss, Flame Moss, Dwarf Hairgrass 10 Gal 2 Otocinlus 20+ Swordtail Fry 4 Cherry Shrimp Dwarf Sag HC 2.5 Gal Christmas moss 1 Female Deltatail Betta Credit goes to Lludu

09-28-2009, 08:10 PM	#9 (permalink)
MissFishy Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,232	There is a link on my webpage about raising fry. I would stop adding "nite out II", I've never heard of it, but I doubt it is good for your tank, most of those chemicals aren't. Nothing substitutes for a real tank cycle. __________________ http://missfishy.tripod.com/ The Basic Guide to Cycling a Tank, Sick Fish and more! Updated 10/13/09 with a new layout!

10-06-2009, 07:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
KNEWELL2008 Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7	I have another question...is it true that platies are able to have multiple pregnancies? From what i have read, they store enough sperm to have up to 4 batches of fry. I am almost 99% sure that my one platy is pregnant again. They both gave birth, however, my first platy remained slim after the birth and the second platy was slim after but is now fat and very pregnant looking again. If they do have multiple pregnancies, how long would the platy carry the second batch of fry? If i buy a in tank breeder, how long could she be in there without going crazy or dieing?