Can A Pregnant Sunset Platty Stay In A Breeding Trap With Just Over 1

[Tropical sunset]

my sunset platy is preggers and i think is about to give birth. however the breeding tank is full of 7 baby just over 1 month old fry? can she stay in there or should i take her out?

 

[mattlee]

looking at the pic on your other post the platy looks pregnant but not ready to give birth just yet..... the belly will square off and you will see a gravid spot near the anal fin, your fish still looks very round.
also as stated on your other post breeding traps arent ideal as they are too small. this may stress the mother out and cause her to have the fry prematurely or even abandon the birth. if you really want to breed fish then its best to have a seperate tank to do it in. if you dont want to breed fish then you need single sex fish of the same species, all males would be best with livebearers as the females can store sperm and may be pregnant when first bought but not obvious as they will be kept with males at the shop.
the fry will also need room and very clean water with several small feedings a day to grow best. if they are couped in a fry trap for too long they may not develop very well, giving them a bad start in life.

i would suggest thinking about what you plan to do with the fry when grown up. if you want to keep them do you have room in with your stocking? if you have no room or any other tanks then will you sell them or give them away?

the female will probably eat the fry that are already in the trap too to answer the original question.

 

[Tropical sunset]

ok...so i shall let her out? and can just over 1 month old fry be able to survive in the main tank?

 

[mattlee]

ok...so i shall let her out? and can just over 1 month old fry be able to survive in the main tank?

it depends on the tank set up and fish in it. if there are lots of small plants that the fry can hide in then they have a chance but any fish that can fit another fish in its mouth may eat them.
if you want to keep them then i would get a small tank and put them in there to grow out a bit. if you are in the UK then small plastic tanks can be bought from wilkinsons for about £4. they are ideal for growing up fry. they will need a heater and a cycled filter but they will grow much better and faster as there is no competition for the food you supply and no threat of getting eaten.

 

[Tropical sunset]

a cycled filter and heater...yeah the tank ain't expensive it the heater and filter...nah they i think will be fine in breeding tank...

 

[mattlee]

a cycled filter and heater...yeah the tank ain't expensive it the heater and filter...nah they i think will be fine in breeding tank...

look in the classifieds for 2nd hand kit you will probably get both for £10-15. not expensive. it depends on what you want for your fry

 

[chilli-spice]

http/www.amazon.co.uk/All-Pond-Solutions-Internal-Aquarium/dp/B002NLIB2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287218145&sr=8-1

filter for £8 - not the best, but it does have great reviews. and if it's just for a small breeding tank, reckon it would be ok

http/www.amazon.co.uk/75w-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Heater/dp/B002YEDZKC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287218242&sr=1-2

and a 75w heater for £9
small heater, but for a small tank, you don't need a big one.

so with both of those and a cheap plastic tank from wilkos, you can set up a breeding tank for under £25
(unless anyone more experienced can see problems with either of those items)

 

[mattlee]

you can pick up a sponge filter for a couple of £ and these wont harm fry as they cant get sucked into anything.

 

[chilli-spice]

i was in town today so i nipped into wilkos to have a look.
11litre plastic tank is £5.99

 

[mattlee]

i was in town today so i nipped into wilkos to have a look.
11litre plastic tank is £5.99

thats the one. i had 2 set up for my cory fry when i used to breed them

 

[chilli-spice]

i was in town today so i nipped into wilkos to have a look.
11litre plastic tank is £5.99

thats the one. i had 2 set up for my cory fry when i used to breed them

i'm thinking about setting one up for my guppies / platies - hadn't thought about the little plastic tanks until i saw this thread.
would be nice to have a batch of fry here and there survive.
not all of them, because i just don't have the space for lots and lots of fry and there's only 1 LFS that i reckon would take any i don't have space for.
but every now and then, it would be good nice to see at the end of a long day i reckon

aw cory fry, cool my mum used to breed them! she used to have a massive set up and bred oscars and cichlids (sp?) at one time or another. i caught the bug from her

 

[Tropical sunset]

lolz well i'm hoping my fry survive...as the mum has died and there is only 1 guppy left in my tank :'( i miss the mum (Donna) ...

 

[chilli-spice]

oh no, what happened to her?
sorry to hear she died

 

[chilli-spice]

how are the fry?
and the remaining guppy?

 

[Tropical sunset]

the fry are doing great...started to notice one of them is alot smaller than the other 5 and the smallest one i managed to catch after my dad dropped it in the main tank, it hasn't grown at all...but the other 5 are great, eating loads and growing markings. the mum died like 3 days ago, she died of her tail being nipped so far that the tail was completly gone...we got treatment but not soon enough for her :'(