Plants to help hide Platys Fry?

[Latin Mama]

Can anyone recommend some growing plants that would be good for Platys Babies to hide in? I was using fake Grass but have switched over to live plants. I have 3 pregnant females in 1- 40 gallon tank and 3 in another. I don't separate them as it seems to stress them out and they don't give birth.
Any suggestions? I am new to live plants and most of mine seem to grow tall, rather than spreading low.

 

[kiko]

any carpeting plant like hc cuba, monte carlo or grasses will do as they'll fall inside and that will literally be their cover
hc cuba is pretty small and requires less maintenance than lets say a grass that looks ugly and you have to keep trimming it all the time..

 

[itiwhetu]

Ambulia or Cabomba just let them float on the surface, the fry will hide in them

 

[Colin_T]

Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is the best plant for baby fish. It's easy to grow on the surface. Has lots of branches for babies and mum's to be, to hide in. If you get too many, you can plant it in the substrate.

Hornwort is another but don't buy it during winter because it falls apart if there is a sudden temperature change.

 

[Latin Mama]

Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is the best plant for baby fish. It's easy to grow on the surface. Has lots of branches for babies and mum's to be, to hide in. If you get too many, you can plant it in the substrate.

Hornwort is another but don't buy it during winter because it falls apart if there is a sudden temperature change.

thank you!

 

[Byron]

Floating plants seem best for livebearer fry, at least they were when I had them many years ago. Chunks of wood thick with java moss works well for cories and most characins and cyprinids, but I'm not sure if livebearer fry like to go that deep.

 

[kiko]

but I'm not sure if livebearer fry like to go that deep.

they literally stick to the bottom as they don't swim at all when they're born, they just wiggle side to side. at least for the first hours/day
carpets would be ideal but I don't have them so I use a fry box if I want to get more fry
otherwise I just let most of them get eaten by other fish in my tank as it is the order of things in nature

 

[Colin_T]

they literally stick to the bottom as they don't swim at all when they're born, they just wiggle side to side. at least for the first hours/day
carpets would be ideal but I don't have them so I use a fry box if I want to get more fry
otherwise I just let most of them get eaten by other fish in my tank as it is the order of things in nature

In my experience, the only baby livebearers that sit on the bottom for a day or so are born premature. When the females are not stressed out and given a chance to give birth normally, the babies are born, sink for a moment and then swim off to hide. I found 99% of my baby livebearers just under the surface where they hide among floating plants.

 

[kiko]

In my experience, the only baby livebearers that sit on the bottom for a day or so are born premature. When the females are not stressed out and given a chance to give birth normally, the babies are born, sink for a moment and then swim off to hide. I found 99% of my baby livebearers just under the surface where they hide among floating plants.

it could be the type of livebearers maybe...
myself I keep pure endlers only...no mixing with guppies...
and the fry are always always at the bottom for about a week
and yes a fry box can stress females and could be a reason for premature fry but most of fry in my tank are born normally
with pea puffers to keep numbers in check as this is a community tank and not an endler only tank
maybe they act different in a species only tank I can't answer that one

 

[FishandBirdLover]

Java moss, guppy grass, frogbit.