Ashkay
New Member
Does anyone know how often I need to feed baby platy I have 8 babies some bigger then other. I read somewhere they need at least 8 small feedings a day since they are growing fast and need extra food.
Baby platy
- Thread starter Ashkay
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Retired Viking
Fish Connoisseur
I have baby platys and have heard up to 4 times a day. I feed mine 2-3 times a day and they are doing fine. Just flake food I crush to a powder.
Ashkay
New Member
how many babies do you have??i do up to 5 small feeding small enough that hardly any falls to the bottom. It’s just there is two smaller ones that don’t get as much
Retired Viking
Fish Connoisseur
Ashkay
New Member
Oh cute. Mine are still grey they kinda came unexpectedly so I put them in the tank with the mom shortly after. I had a smaller tank I first put them in but it wasn’t cycled and it was a old tank, that wasn’t really good for them. Luckily the mom didn’t show much interest in eating them. But now it’s just the babies the mom died I posted earlier today one what could be wrong with the tank luckily I got some good advise. The water seems fine and they all seem good.
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Retired Viking
Fish Connoisseur
Sorry about you fish, It is not unusual for the mother to die after giving birth, it takes a lot out of them and they are stressed. 
Ashkay
New Member
Yeah, it’s been quite a struggle keeping and maintaining my fish tanks. I got really no advise when I first got fish. Watching a fish dying is the worst feeling. That’s why months later I’m trying to keep a very healthy tank for these babies. She was one of the first fish I had gotten that has been through different tanks, and survived. it just came on so suddenly she died within 15 min . She may have been stressed before but never noticed.
Retired Viking
Fish Connoisseur
I have mostly soft water tetras and guppies in my tanks but decided to pick up a pair of platys. I put them in my shrimp tank that I was in the process of changing over to something else and the next day there was 13 fry swimming around. I did not notice them right away. I also was not planning on having fry to deal with so I have a fry tank for now. 
If you have some fry that aren't growing so fast, frozen foods that float in the water column can help them. Easier to dissolve some frozen cyclops or moina- something small enough for their little mouths - and it spreads out into a cloud and floats in the water column for much longer than a dried food, so it's good for fry to all get a chance to eat.
Feeding 3-4 times a day is plenty for most livebearer fry, it's not essential by any means to do it eight times a day, six is the most i've ever seen recommended. But know that the more often you feed, the more water changes you need to do. Water changes are essential for healthy even growth even if you only fed twice a day, but if you're feeding 6-8 times a day, you really must change 50-75% of the water daily.
Feeding 3-4 times a day is plenty for most livebearer fry, it's not essential by any means to do it eight times a day, six is the most i've ever seen recommended. But know that the more often you feed, the more water changes you need to do. Water changes are essential for healthy even growth even if you only fed twice a day, but if you're feeding 6-8 times a day, you really must change 50-75% of the water daily.
Ah, I've just seen your other thread about losing the mom (I'm sorry for that, and that you didn't get a lot of help when you first started keeping fish).
I think your previous water change schedule and high nitrates is likely more the culprit for the uneven growth in the fry than the feeding. More frequent feedings for fry than adults are important, since their stomachs are so tiny, and they put on a lot of growth over 2-3 months. But water changes are just as crucial to go along with it
I raise guppy, platy and molly fry in community tanks with adults present. When fry are tiny, I feed them 3-4 times a day. Either some tiny frozen food like cyclops or moina as mentioned (which the adults love too) or a quality flake food, finely powdered. I also use Hikari First Bites and the really finely ground, light blue packaged bug bites. They'll do well on any decent quality food that's small enough for them to eat. Just try to sprinkle it so that they all get a chance to eat.
Then also up the water change schedule. Make sure to use a syphon to clean the substrate at the bottom of the tank at every water change, and change at least 50% of the water two to three times per week while the fry are being fed so frequently. Check your tank for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates often. Any ammonia or nitrites; water change immediately. If you're changing twice a week but nitrates are at or above 20ppm before the next water change, you need to up the water changes to three times a week. Daily water changes are even better for fry where possible, but I know this isn't possible for everyone. If you feed them 6-8 times a day, then you'll need to water change daily. I don't know how large your tank is, this can also play a part in how often and how large a change to do.
Some fish fry release a hormone into the water that inhibits the growth of other fry around them. Helps them outcompete other fry around them if they're the largest and can eat the biggest pieces of food and grow faster than the other fry. I don't know whether platies release this hormone or not, but it's another good reason to do frequent water changes. It's not just about keeping nitrates low. Clean fresh water removes a lot of hormones like that from the tank which might inhibit growth, and keeps bacteria/fungal spores etc lower, leading to healthier fish and faster growth.
I think your previous water change schedule and high nitrates is likely more the culprit for the uneven growth in the fry than the feeding. More frequent feedings for fry than adults are important, since their stomachs are so tiny, and they put on a lot of growth over 2-3 months. But water changes are just as crucial to go along with it
I raise guppy, platy and molly fry in community tanks with adults present. When fry are tiny, I feed them 3-4 times a day. Either some tiny frozen food like cyclops or moina as mentioned (which the adults love too) or a quality flake food, finely powdered. I also use Hikari First Bites and the really finely ground, light blue packaged bug bites. They'll do well on any decent quality food that's small enough for them to eat. Just try to sprinkle it so that they all get a chance to eat.
Then also up the water change schedule. Make sure to use a syphon to clean the substrate at the bottom of the tank at every water change, and change at least 50% of the water two to three times per week while the fry are being fed so frequently. Check your tank for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates often. Any ammonia or nitrites; water change immediately. If you're changing twice a week but nitrates are at or above 20ppm before the next water change, you need to up the water changes to three times a week. Daily water changes are even better for fry where possible, but I know this isn't possible for everyone. If you feed them 6-8 times a day, then you'll need to water change daily. I don't know how large your tank is, this can also play a part in how often and how large a change to do.
Some fish fry release a hormone into the water that inhibits the growth of other fry around them. Helps them outcompete other fry around them if they're the largest and can eat the biggest pieces of food and grow faster than the other fry. I don't know whether platies release this hormone or not, but it's another good reason to do frequent water changes. It's not just about keeping nitrates low. Clean fresh water removes a lot of hormones like that from the tank which might inhibit growth, and keeps bacteria/fungal spores etc lower, leading to healthier fish and faster growth.
Sorry about the mom. I initially had my Fry in an incubation tank and fed crushed food 3 times a day. They were all the same size. After 2 weeks they went into the main part of the tank. 2 weeks later they are different sizes. Still fed 3 times a day crushed food. The adults don't bother with the crushed food cause it's too fine. The Platies also swim about looking for food on the bottom that might have been missed. Yesterday I found 3 new teeny fry. I'm just gonna leave them in the tank and hope they do ok.
They like hiding in the driftwood and the plants.
They like hiding in the driftwood and the plants.
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TheTenthDoctor
Fish Herder
I feed my fry 2-3 times a day.
Retired Viking
Fish Connoisseur
My fry line up now when I approach the tank waiting for me to feed them. They are big enough to go in with the adults.
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