Breeding box for Platty

[Shaunbv]

Hi all,

I couldn't find a thread to address this so here goes.
I have a pregnant Platty and I want to move her to a breeding box to try and save some fry.

There are many breeding boxes on Amazon, mostly with mixed reviews. Does anyone have a box that they have used with Plattys, and that they would recommend? I'm in the UK.

Thanks in advance!

Shaun

 

[Ichthys]

Breeding boxes are extremely stressful for a fish that’s about to give birth. She’ll have an overriding instinct to hide in the plants when the time comes, and being trapped out in the open in full view can cause stillbirths and even the death of the mother.
My advice... never put a fish in a breeding box. Buy loads of plants instead so she can do it naturally.

 

[Essjay]

I don't recommend any breeding boxes. It is very stressful for the female to be confined to a small box. If she's moved just before the fry are born there is a risk of physical damage to both the mother and the fry while moving her. If she's moved several days before the fry are born, she may become so stressed she'll either release undeveloped fry or not release them at all.

It is much better to leave the female in the tank and let the fry be born there, then move the fry. Or just have a lot of fine leaves plants in the tank for the fry to hide in.
Alternatively, set up a small tank with lots of plants and move the female in there to give birth.


Don't forget female platies will give birth to a lot of fry roughly every month. That's a lot of fry, especially if you have more than one female. Trying to save them all means trying to find someone to take all these fry once they grow a bit.




Typed that before Ichthys posted but got distracted and forgot to post it

 

[Shaunbv]

Breeding boxes are extremely stressful for a fish that’s about to give birth. She’ll have an overriding instinct to hide in the plants when the time comes, and being trapped out in the open in full view can cause stillbirths and even the death of the mother.
My advice... never put a fish in a breeding box. Buy loads of plants instead so she can do it naturally.

Thanks for your response, I'll take your advice.

 

[Shaunbv]

I don't recommend any breeding boxes. It is very stressful for the female to be confined to a small box. If she's moved just before the fry are born there is a risk of physical damage to both the mother and the fry while moving her. If she's moved several days before the fry are born, she may become so stressed she'll either release undeveloped fry or not release them at all.

It is much better to leave the female in the tank and let the fry be born there, then move the fry. Or just have a lot of fine leaves plants in the tank for the fry to hide in.
Alternatively, set up a small tank with lots of plants and move the female in there to give birth.


Don't forget female platies will give birth to a lot of fry roughly every month. That's a lot of fry, especially if you have more than one female. Trying to save them all means trying to find someone to take all these fry once they grow a bit.




Typed that before Ichthys posted but got distracted and forgot to post it

Many thanks. I do have plants but I'll stock up a bit and just let nature take its course I guess. Will any of the fry make it?

 

[Ichthys]

Will any of the fry make it?

Yes, some will make it. The more plant ‘thickets’, the more will survive. Fine leaved plants are best, as Essjay mentioned. Cabomba, Myriophyllum, that kinda thing. These can be planted and/or floating.

 

[Shaunbv]

Yes, some will make it. The more plant ‘thickets’, the more will survive. Fine leaved plants are best, as Essjay mentioned. Cabomba, Myriophyllum, that kinda thing. These can be planted and/or floating.

Perfect, many thanks.

 

[Ram419]

I have plants in tanks that have had fry. Most of them have hang on rim planter boxes for emergent plants and the fry like to hide inside those boxes the most. I have put breeders boxes in the tank in hopes that the fry make it to the box but only had a few show up in the breeder box before. I've never put the pregnant fish in any kind of confiment due to stressing her out too much. Once the fry are in the box or planters I can then usually get a plastic specimen container around them to catch the fry and move them to a smaller tank.