I can't tell if my platy is male or female?

[Mel Jones]

Hey,

I recently got 4 platy and I had no idea about the live birth etc. So oooo........ Lol

I definitely have 1 male and I'm pretty sure 2 females. There's one more but I can't tell if it's male or female. I'm trying to decide the best option to avoid having to deal with tonnes of fry.

Stupid pets at home didn't even tell me any of this. They just told me I wasn't allowed goldfish. But that's a whole other thing.

 

[Naughts]

Hi and welcome.
That's a male.
The females will already be pregnant. They use stored sperm to reproduce each month and can do this up to six times, even without a male in the tank.
To avoid fry you will need to return the females.
All the best.

 

[Mel Jones]

Hi and welcome.
That's a male.
The females will already be pregnant. They use stored sperm to reproduce each month and can do this up to six times, even without a male in the tank.
To avoid fry you will need to return the females.
All the best.

Hey! Thanks. I just couldnt work it out. So now I'm certain I have 2 females and 2 males. I'm going to see how it goes and if it becomes a huge issue then I'll address it. I have no car so I can't easily return any fish and tbh I like them. I might get another tank and separate them and have the two males in one and the 2 females in another.

 

[Essjay]

Equal numbers of males and females isn't recommended because males harass females constantly. With equal numbers, the females will be under constant pressure. It is better to have at least twice as many females as males, with more females being better so that every female gets time out while the males chase other females. But more females means a lot more fry. The best solution, as you suggest, is 2 tanks, one for males and one for females. But bear in mind that the females will able to have babies for 6 months after you separate them.




Pets@Home are only interested in selling fish. They'll either not tell you what you need to know or they'll tell you incorrect things.

 

[Mel Jones]

Equal numbers of males and females isn't recommended because males harass females constantly. With equal numbers, the females will be under constant pressure. It is better to have at least twice as many females as males, with more females being better so that every female gets time out while the males chase other females. But more females means a lot more fry. The best solution, as you suggest, is 2 tanks, one for males and one for females. But bear in mind that the females will able to have babies for 6 months after you separate them.

Okay, thanks!