how often can a Platy give birth?

[fiddlybits]

My Platy female, Pepper, has had babies again, 18 days after her previous batch. Is this a record, or fairly common? Most of the others had batches about 21 days apart. She came from the LFS, so if I guess her age right she's about 7 months old, and this is her second brood that I know of.

 

[Severum]

Hi, fiddlybits! Platys can hold onto sperm for several weeks and choose when to have offspring. Typically when a Platy decides to start dropping fry, she will do it over the course of a few weeks to three months. Don't be surprised to find more babies soon.

 

[fiddlybits]

She's been with a male since I got her 2 months ago, and there were males in the 'mixed Platys' tank she came from. She could have been mated before I bought her, and the male she's with is very persistent.

I was wondering what the shortest time between batches could be. I've raised Platys for a couple of years, but am still learning.