Pregnant Platy's.....

[Tony1986]

Hi i recently noticed that i have to pregnant females in my tank. The other day they were hanging near the filter and they weren't eating any food. So i went out and purchased a breeding box for them to go in as one of the males was following the biggest of the two and when they were in the breeding box the male was always near the box and never left. I left them in there for 2 days and i noticed that they getting stressed so i put them back in the tank and i got some more plants to make more places for them to hide away from the male and something for them to go in out of the way of him. Plus they have squared off a bit more and look more like a box.
Today i have been feeding the community so when the fry do come along they won't eat them, but the females are still not eating the food im putting in the tank. i was just wondering if i notice them giving birth to the fry is it safe for me to put them in the breeding box during labour?
Here is pictures i took a few days ago.......
 

 

 
Can someone please help me....Thank you for replying with info

 

[Baccus]

If the female is giving birth when you put her in the breeding box/ fry saver then she will more than likely pause the whole process and get more stressed.
I think the main reasons fish get so stressed in these breeding boxes is that first of all they have been chased around their usual abode, eventually caught and then dumped into a small clear container where the fish can still see the tank it knows but cant get back into it.
If using these clear breeding traps I try to get the largest one possible and add some Java moss or other weed to the trap so that the fish feels it has some shelter and when the fry are born they can staright away hide in it.
Personally I prefer the net type of breeding trap/ fry saver, they are much more spacious, have better water movement through them and with the net being such a fine weave the fish is more obscured from other tank mates. The obscuring of the other fish is important so the that the fish about to give birth feels it has found a nice safe corner to get on with having her young.
Keep an eye on your platties and try to put the largest most heavily pregnant female into your breeding trap a day or two before you expect her to go into labour. That way she is used to the new temp home and hopefully is settled enough to have the young safely.

 

[Tony1986]

i would put her in the box but i didnt notice when she mated the male. i have put the hatchery in the tank just in case i see them giving birth i can cath them in time so i can save the fry from being eaten. Is that the right thing to do?? 

 

[Baccus]

When she was mated will only give you a rough guide any way, water temp plays a lot in how soon the fry are born. Also if she had been with an males previously there is a very strong chance that she was already mated to them.
Leaving the hatchery in the tank empty of fish is fine, just make sure they cant get between the hatchery and the tank glass, I have seen far to many fish meet their demise that way.

 

[Tony1986]

no they can't get between the glass and trap. one of the females just sits near it, but the other female gets followed all the time by the male. im just going to let nature take its cause and hopefully i can catch the fry in time.

 

[Baccus]

You can sort of plan ahead a bit so you are more likely to be ready. I find water changes can bring on labour as well as slightly warmer tank temps.

 

[Tony1986]

i did a 20% water change on friday afternoon. these are temperate fish so they don't have a heater in the tank as they don't need one. like i say they have plenty of plants in the tank. here are some more updated photo's of them,hope this helps. 
The female in the picture below is in the middle

 

[Tony1986]

just a quick update: i think tonight could be the night. so i have but one of the females (biggest of the two) in the breeding tank. i will keep you updated when she has them thank you all for the help over the past couple of days. 

 

[LucyB]

How is she? Any babies yet!?

 

[Tony1986]

hi, still no babies, but i checked on them this morning and they are isolating them self's from the other fish and the male keeps shoving the other fish away from the biggest of the two.and they keep sitting in the plants. I don't suppose you know if the gravid spot becomes more clear just before birth? 

 

[Tony1986]

and i have also noticed her breathing is faster than yesterday. Is this normal before she gives birth to the fry?