Platies - how do you tell the sex?

[platypus]

Hi everyone,

Just made my first foray into breeding livebearers yesterday when I got 6 variatus platies. My question is, how do I tell which ones are male and which are female? One of them has a very swollen tummy - is this a sign that it's an expecting mother or just that she's eaten too much bloodworm!

Thanks PP

 

[Netti]

Male Platies have gonopodiums (stick like anal fins), and females don't. Females are also rounder and somewhat larger than males, and often more docile. With fry, males won't grow gonopodiums for about 2.5-5 months (with my experience). I was stuck guessing and waiting when my platies had their fry. They also don't gain FULL color until 2-3 months. Some develop faster or slower than others.

To tell if a female platy is pregnant, she will have a dark blue or black gravid spot on her belly....as if she just ate a real small licorice jellybean lol. I hope this helps. Be careful with platy fry also....for they can breed young and you know how young creatures and hormones are.

 

[William]

http/fish.orbust.net/livebearers.html has pictures of the male and female platies

Good luck with the imminent babies from the sound of it

 

[MountGuppy]

thats a very detailed article william

 

[platypus]

http/fish.orbust.net/livebearers.html has pictures of the male and female platies

Thanks William that is superb! One of them does have a 'liquorice jellybean' so fingers crossed if she hasn't aborted due to the stress of being moved over the weekend we may have the patter of tiny fins before long!

I have just checked over the sex of my 6 platies and it seems to me that I have 4 males and only 2 females. Is this likely to cause a problem? I don't want the females to be harassed constantly because they're so in demand! My LFS will probably let me take some males back and exchange for females if others think it would be a good idea... let me know.

Thanks for the help and I will keep you posted re the babies!

 

[William]

Ok good luck guys!

 

[platypus]

I think my female platy lost her babies . They have been in the tank 5 days and yesterday I noticed a bit of ich so I've started treatment with Protozin. Now she has gone all thin again. I've heard this isn't so rare, particularly when they get moved to a new tank. Still v sad though .