Is My Platy Ready To Burst? (with Pics)

[millsygirl]

I got her about 10 days ago and she already looked quite fat. Over the last 4 or 5 days she has started hovering around the plants and gravel. Tonight she was hiding right underneath the filter in a fairly small gap, and was chasing away other fish like my female betta which isn't normally like her. She was only going for food that fell near her hiding spot but spat it all back out. I can see the white tube thing near her anal fin, this has been visible maybe 2-3 days now. I have another platy almost identical which is also pregnant and has started hovering near plants. I have attached a couple of pictures of her!

I've never been able to judge the birthing timing very well and have missed my previous drops! I did manage to catch 7 fry in the tank afterwards though.

 

[Rexx0rz]

she looks like she's ready, good luck!! but don't keep her in the breeding trap for more than 24hrs, it's really stressful on them, you're suppose to put them in when they seem really ready or they might abort the fry, or so i heard. o.o;

 

[millsygirl]

Ooooh ok, I thought that perhaps she was ready from what I had read in the pinned topics but I also thought this about another platy a couple of weeks back but it didn't drop till the following week and I missed it doing so, lol.

I popped her in the trap about midnight last night. I usually prefer to tip the trap and wait for her to swim in herself but with her hiding right beneath the filter I had to net her... so I hope it didn't stress her a great deal.

 

[millsygirl]

Ok well she is still in the trap, no fry yet but she hasn't touched any of the food she has been given... just nibbled and spat back out every time. She's also kind of hovering in the corners of the trap. I don't want to keep her in there too long.

 

[mychilly]

She is stressed. They do not like being in the traps. I have a tank just for the pregnant ones. I hate putting them in the traps. You should put them in just before they are ready to drop the fry. Which is really a quessing game. By looking at the pic my quess is that she is not ready. I may be wrong but from my experience she does not look ready yet. I would let her out.

 

[millsygirl]

I took her out that evening. Still no sign though but she is looking fit to burst right now and staying by herself just above the gravel and behind the plants.