Male Platy Always Follows One Female Around, Platies won't mate with each other?

[LuciFishies]

Okay, so I have a tank with four platy males, and I don't think one is sexually mature yet. I also have some fry in a maturation net in the tank, and then I have eight females. The oldest male NEVER leaves the oldest female's side. They're both Red Wags, and I got them together, so do you think they developed some kind of connection? He doesn't try to mate with her (unless he's mating at night, I don't monitor them for those 12 hours), all he does is follow her everywhere. Also, he chases off the other males that try to come near her. It's almost as if he set some kind of claim to her.
I really don't know what to do, if anything. He's such a strong-looking and tough platy, I wish he would mate with the other females. The two other males don't seem too attracted to them, they mostly just try to get laid by the female that the oldest one follows around, despite him protecting her.

I'm trying to let the cycle of nature take place with females getting pregnant and males mating with them. My ratio is 3(well, technally 4 but like i said one's too young) to 8, which is fine by my standards, but they just won't do it!
BTW, the female who's being followed around is pregnant, most likely from an earlier batch of sperm.
My stats (nitrite, ph, nitrate) are all fine according to a post I read, but I'm not sure how knowing that would help my situation.
Please help, if you can, and sorry for the long post.


P.S. Tried raising temp., feeding a variety of foods, using high quality food and such, but still nothing.

 

[webgeek]

The chasing of the oldies is itself mating. It is good they developed the bonding and it is pretty common that some males follow their chosen females only. I think the rest of them are still in their process and will eventually mate sometime or the other. Do not bother about them so much.

BTW, the female who's being followed around is pregnant, most likely from an earlier batch of sperm.

Yes. This is always the most likely situation. One fish in my last fry has so many colors on it that it appeared its mother mated with at least 3 types of fishes - orange, dalmatian and black. Though the fish appears odd, it is a variety in the tank and above all, that's the way it is

 

[LuciFishies]

Thanks for your reply. I'm just kinda worried, as always. This morning I noticed the mom, the one who was being followed, having a flat stomach, as the night before she looked a lot rounder. Now that I think I about it, she was hiding out yesterday and not eating a lot last night. Hopefully some of the fry will survive in the heavily planted tank I have... I've tried to catch fry before with a net... and I discovered the new Michael Phelps of the fishtanks.... they were lightning fast, I tell ya!
Also noticed one of the other younger females with a slightly darker gravid spot. All I can do is hope... and possibly not miss the time when I have to put her in the breeder net...
Thanks again! I'm really just a big worrywort fish.

 

[Kiara1125]

Don't even bother with the Breeder Net. I tried it, and my female Platy got so stressed out that the only thing that happened was that she had a miscarriage and she jumped out of the net in a desperate attempt to free herself. When I left her alone (when she got pregnant again), I found out that I had some 2-3 week old fry swimming around. I had 7 and now that I grew more experienced, I have over 29 fry (22+ 2 week olds and 7 10 week olds). I have 2 10 gallons and the easiest thing to do is to get another tank (5+ gallon tank) and put the pregnant female in there. Feed her well and provide good hiding spots for the fry. She'll feel comfortable since she's the only one there and, if she's well fed, the fry will survive without predators. Remember to take out the female after she gives birth. Just feed the fry infusoria and then baby brine shrimp. When they are big enough, they can eat finely crushed flake/pellet food. BTW, that's my oldest Tiger Platy fry, Kisa, in my avatar.