Platy Fry Holding

[StarfireGraves]

Ello,
 
So, I have a female platy, Minnie. I post a lot about my platys because I am very new to this and quite nervous and intrigued about breeding them. Anyway, Minnie (Current Picture): 

 
Gave me 3 fry over the weekend, but she is still boxing and has what appears as more fry in her. She gave me the 3 on Friday while I was home sick, all are separated into the nursery tank and doing great. Minnie is still in the community tank with 2 other females and 1 male. I don't mess with the tank other than to scrub the front panel when it gets algae on it and to replace 10% of water every Saturday (aside from feeding of coarse). What could be causing her to hold the fry? Will they be ok? What should I do?
 
I am also wondering if it is possable to tell from a current picture of one of my other females, Lucy, how long she has left in her pregnancy. Here is Lucy (Current Picture):

 
Sorry about the bad photo quality, they refused to hold still and these were the best I got after a half hour. Any and all information is greatly appreciated.
 
Hugs and Smiles,
~starfire

 

[fluttermoth]

I would honestly advise you to do nothing, except your normal, regular maintenance.

Fish have been managing to have fry, without any human assistance for hundreds of thousands of years, so just leave them to get on with it.

Talking of maintenance, 10% a week is not very much. How big is the tank and how many (and what kinds) of fish are in there? What's your nitrate level like?

 

[StarfireGraves]

I would honestly advise you to do nothing, except your normal, regular maintenance.

Fish have been managing to have fry, without any human assistance for hundreds of thousands of years, so just leave them to get on with it.

Talking of maintenance, 10% a week is not very much. How big is the tank and how many (and what kinds) of fish are in there? What's your nitrate level like?

Its only a 10 gallon community tank and a 1 gallon nursery tank. I don't have water test kits so I don't know the nitrate levels. And Its just the 4 platys and a few ghost shrimp in the community tank, and the 3 babies and some ghost shrimp and a snail in the nursery tank.

 

[FishLover4+1]

Can i just say great name choice!!!!!!! I have a spotty gold mickey mouse variatus platy called minnie,  and she has a brother called micky!

 

[csfishkeeper]

Fish have a funny way of determining when to drop their fry. Some drop them all in a day and some stretch it out over a week. I personally wouldn't worry about it.
 
I would suggest picking up a test kit though. Water conditions can influence fish in a lot of negative ways.

 

[henningc]

You might try feeding some freeze dried blood works.  Sometimes that cleans out the plumbing and makes room for fry to move on their path.