Very Pregnant Platy

[Stina]

Hi there I have a very pregnant platy. She is square as can be and her birthing tube is literally wide open. She is swimming all jittery like and everything but still she is not having babies. Does anyone know aproximately how long it might take before she starts having them? Id like to try to save some of them if I can...thanks in advance

 

[snazy]

What do you mean swimming jittery like? They don't normally swim any differently. Some of mine, but not all would race the glass while giving birth, some just pop them while swimming around without any particular signs at all, some hide and I never see them, but mostly platies are hard to see giving birth.
When they are very square and the bottom opened, it should be a matter of a couple of days max, maybe less.

 

[Stina]

Ok thank you I noticed she is not really swimming in any strange sort of way she is just kinda tryin to stay in the same spot ya know like she is fighting the other fish and the current from the filter to stay in one spot I think...but Im afraid to take her out and put her in the breeder net I did that before and she was so stressed out I was afraid she was gonna give herself a little fishy heart attack or somethin so Im just tryin to keep an eye on her...I have had a couple of my other fish have babies that I have been able to save but I have not actually seen any of them in the process of havin babies it was just like bam there was a bunch of babies so sittin here watchin and waitin is a painstaking process lol but thanks for the advice I really appreciate it

 

[Tuxyu3]

What kind of fish do you have in the tank, I am by no means a livebearer expert but I do not think having them fighting with other fish is desirable.

 

[Stina]

No they are not fighting like biting at each other or any of that they are swimming all around her and she is fighting to just stay in the same place...all of the fish I have in my tank get along very well together...I have platies, swordtails, mollies, tetras, and endlers so they are all great community fish to be together...I apologize for giving the wrong impression she is just trying to stay in one spot while they are all tryin to swim around her and all over the place lol

 

[snazy]

I don't like breeding traps either, cruelty to the poor fish.
If you haven't had baby platies before, keep in mind that they are the best of all fry to hide(at least the fish I've kept) and you won't see them easily. They make themselves invisible either between gravel bits or a plant leaf or similar and tend to keep to the same hiding spot once they figure it's safe there, rarely swimming too far off from it. They are tiny and yellow when born. I can normally see platies buzzing around, looking for food when not fed at all, so that's how I notice one of them has popped some fry. Adults chasing fresh meat

... When you start staring at the tank for a while you may see some of them but without that I don't even notice till some already coloured and quite a bit grown up fry join the bunch of adults out of knowhere.

No they are not fighting like biting at each other or any of that they are swimming all around her and she is fighting to just stay in the same place...all of the fish I have in my tank get along very well together...I have platies, swordtails, mollies, tetras, and endlers so they are all great community fish to be together...I apologize for giving the wrong impression she is just trying to stay in one spot while they are all tryin to swim around her and all over the place lol

Yeah, that happens too when pregnant.They claim a spot in the tank and nearly start nipping other fish that try to approach. Some of my female guppies did that too when they were due.

 

[Stina]

Ok wow yea I have had swordtail fry and endler fry so far but no platy fry yet I think Ill definitely be doin alot of starin at the tank until she has them lol I think she had some before but they all got eaten so I really wanna save a few this time if I can thanks so much for letting me know what she is doin is all pretty much normal I really appreciate that

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I have had lots of guppy experience but only just had my first platy fry on December 22. Mine did the same, claimed a spot and chased the other fish away from it. Mine gave birth under a java fern. Took me a couple days to round up all the babies (my fish don't appear to be baby eaters). They definitely hide better than guppy fry even though they are slower swimmers. Like above, they did come out when I feed the tank or would come towards the quietest areas of the tank (lowest current)