Please help! Platy will not give birth!

[brihanfishish]

Hello, I have had this mickey mouse platy for over a month and I bought her pregnant from the pet store (unbeknownst to me at the time). My roommate and I REALLY noticed how pregnant she looked Monday of last week. We have since went out and bought another 10 gallon tank to keep her in until she gives birth. We have been meticulously watching her and doing EXTENSIVE research on platy/ livebearer pregnancies. She checked EVERY box of birth signals last night (e.g. dark gravid spot, squared off, back fin lined up with her body and hanging out at the bottom of the tank) but she did not give birth. Now I know she will "have the babies when she is good and ready" but, I honestly don't have the time to play this "waiting game" with the fish. I need help deciphering whether or not this fish is truly ready to give birth or if I am just so ready for her to have birth I am imagining it. These pictures are pretty bad because she will not stay still enough but any advice or thoughts are welcome. The first picture is from today and the second is from yesterday evening.

P.S. she looked quite a bit more pregnant in person last night the picture quality is pretty bad

 

[brihanfishish]

P.P.S I have read many forums and know I will be asked about my water quality/ pH levels etc. and I am just going to go ahead and let you know that I have no clue what any of it is. I am too broke for water test kits

 

[FishGuest5123]

She certainly looks pregnant but concerned about how white she is in the abdomen. Mine never do that but may just be her pigmentation. She is not squared off on the bottom yet so few more days, I’d say. Is her tank cycled? If not the high ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates can be toxic to she and her babies. Without a test kit there's No way to know. Are you familiar with the aquarium nitrogen cycle? Please read up on it below. There is a section for questions and answers about cycling under our new members section. Take a water sample to your fish store and have them test it for you. Here’s to babies soon!
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-first-fresh-water-tank/
P.S. - The 2nd pic does look a little more squared off, actually when looking again. She’s very close.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

If the fish has been fat for more than 1 month then she might have intestinal worms.

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It is preferable not to move pregnant fish because you can stress them and even damage the unborn fry. If you have to move pregnant females, carefully catch them in a net and then use a plastic container to scoop the female and net up in some tank water. Move her (in the net in the bucket of water) to a new tank and then carefully pour her into the new tank.

If you move the female to a smaller aquarium that would stress her.

If you used completely new water in the new tank it would stress her. If you set up a new tank for her you should fill the new tank with water from her current tank, so the water is exactly the same.

If the new tank does not have any plants in it will stress her. Put some plants in with her. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is the best plant for livebearers. It normally grows on the surface but can also be grown in the substrate where it grows into a lovely light green shrub.

If you don't have any live plants then add a heap of artificial plants to provide her with shelter when she goes into labour, and to give the fry somewhere to hide when they are born.

Make sure the new tank has an established filter in it so the water stays clean.

Do not put the female into a tank with males until at least 1 week after she has given birth otherwise the male/s will stress her out.

Try not to move the female for at least 1 week after she has given birth so she can heal up. If you have to move the female after she has given birth, use the method above for moving pregnant females.

Most female livebearers do not eat their young if the female is well fed and there are plants in the tank, but will eat them when they are confined to a small breeding trap.

 

[brihanfishish]

Update: She still hasn't had the babies. The second picture was two nights ago and the first picture was last night. Why would she un-square? And why would she not have had the babies by now if she was squared off two nights ago.

 

[Ladykelly]

I have guppies another livebear that are always 100% pregnant. I just recently got a new pregnant female and on the way home from pet store she must been tad bit stressed.she gave birth to fry in the bag. Got 5 live fry and sigh some aborted ones. Sometimes any changes will abort/cause premature birth I think they are right just moving her to another tank could have made her lose them but dont worry. Livebear hold sowrm for quite some time she will most likely have another batch within a month. My aquarium has live plants. I did remove a few fry and put them in a smaller aquarium by them selves but there is actually 3 I missed and lol they are amazing at staying away from the adult and thriving.

 

[Ladykelly]

Sperm I meant they store sperm damn bug stubby fingers and small cell phone keyboard

 

[brihanfishish]

I moved her over a week ago the second I thought she looked pregnant. She was in a tank with a guppy and a molly, both male, and a spotted cory catfish. I am unable to monitor the tank all the time and I didn't want the boys to contribute to the eating of the fry when she has them. She seems happy in her new home now, but could that have delayed her giving birth?

 

[Ladykelly]

Possibly. I dont move my female guppies. I might take out some fry and move them to a tank to get them to a size where they have a tad chance of not being eaten but other than that I leave them be and survival of the fittest. Live bearers will give you tons of babies. So many you wont know what to do with them. The females store sperm. Some people new to livebearers will have a female with no males in a tank and a month later will see tiny little babies swimming around and I'm sure the first thing in their mind is ftw. My tank has tons of hiding places for fry and shrimp. Now another issue I see.... even though the molly, platy and guppy are different species they are live bearers and I'm pretty sure they will literally drive her nuts..... how many in the tank you took her out of? What size is that tank? If you tend to put her back I think maybe you should get a couple females. Note guppies and molly I read can cross breed. Plays I think dont...... You dont have to take the fry out if they breed but it will lessen the stress on your female platy. Now this is only my suggestion if you have room if not you should get decorations and ornaments where she can hide and get away from the males.

 

[Ladykelly]

Meant if you get more females and they have fry you can leave them in the tank like I will be doing. Just give them plenty of hiding spaces. One of my guppies had babies in my 29 gallon tank. I took out some I saw but lol 3 went unnoticed and they are doing fine. They are now at the size where the adults cant eat them and becoming more daring and swim with them when feeding time. If the adults get fed up and look like they attack the little ones seems to know and get the hell out of the way.

 

[FishGuest5123]

They can hold off on birth at times. Just to drive us nuts.

 

[Ladykelly]

Maybe lol. Right now you probably very impatient for babies but get a couple female livebear and a male and you soon you be begging people to take them off your hands they also they can drop 50-100 fry at once. Right now I have 2 guppies looking like they going to explode anytime now.