Platy's

[Bosco]

I have recently noticed my red wag platy getting fatter. In fact all my platy's have been getting fatter. But the only one that hasn't got fat has died. We thought they were pregnant so we put one in a breeder and it went mad so we took it out. Do you think the one that died could have breeded with the others then given up? Please help me. I'm new with fish.

 

[jams.alaskan]

Hi there - platties are not like salmon, they don't spawn and die. There may be anoher cause for the death. How long has your tank been set up? Since you said he was thin perhaps he was a failure to thrive case...
If you have lots of cover in the tank for the fry to hide in you can just let her give birth in there and rescue the fry with a net and place them in the breeder box yourself. Your bound to find a few...

ALASKA

 

[appleblossom]

The one that did not get fat may have been a male, which would explain why he wasnt getting fat... even if he has died platys can store the fertilising 'agent' for about 2 months, so you may still get abbies even though the male has died. It may be that your thin platy was ill and simply died...perhaps your females were fertilised in the store you got them from?

What kind of breeder trap are you using? I have tried to use a plastic breeder for platys in the past but the tiny confined space just stressed them out. I have now bought a net breeder which is much more spacious and one platy seems happy in there until she gives birth, although it may be helpfulto add some plant cuttings to the net for the fry to hide in.

As jams. says, if your tank is planted then some fry are likely to survive in the main tank, they are remarkkably good at avoiding detection by hungry fish. If you do decide to try and save them all in a breeder net, remember to consider if you will have room for 20 or so fry from each mother in a few months time when they are fully grown....

Hope that helps!