Yet Another Pregnancy Question

[ace61502]

I've got 2 platies that have gotten pretty big in the last few days. I've seen the pictures but I'm still having a hard time judging these girls. I can see the "white ball" on both of them, more so on the smaller of the two than the bigger. I've had them for about 2 months now and there is a male in the tank. I had 2 females and a male platy/sword hybrid that never did anything in the 8 months I had them, and they certainly never looked like these 2 do now.

I apologize for the poor picture quality. I have not perfected this fish photography thing.

So, here's Lady 1, the smaller of the two:

Clearly see white ball here...


Here's one of Lady 2:


I'm uploading more pictures and video to my photobucket account. The forum won't let me use BB code to post them here. The video may be the easiest way to be able to tell...

http/s128.photobucket.com/albums/p189/ace61502/Fish/

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Ace.
I just went to your videos of lady1 and lady2. Both show a female that is about 2 weeks or even more from her next drop of fry. I would not confine them to a breeder like that so far ahead of the next drop. It will cause stress in the female that is simply not needed. Posting pictures here is easy if you have a photobucket account, which you do. Simply copy the IMG version of a link and include it here as if it were so much text. The end result is a picture that seems to be posted right here like this one I took a couple of years ago.

 

[ace61502]

Thanks.

I did release them back into the aquarium soon after taking the pictures.

I've also decided since posting that I'm going to upgrade to a larger tank (75!!!) in a couple of months and make this 38 gallon homemade tank a dedicated platy tank, or I might leave the zebras and cories in there with them and do clowns and tiger barbs in the big tank. I hear they school together quite well. Thoughts? I got a little overeager a couple months ago and started adding clown loaches. Figured I'd go to a 75 in a year or so before they get too much bigger, but this fish bug has bit me good and I'm not gonna wait. Will make 4 tanks (one is a hospital/quarantine tank). Just started last summer after I got a text from my (estranged ) husband with a 3 hour notice that my little boy would be coming home with a 12" goldfish he had caught out of a pond. Fortunately I was able to convince little man that "Nemo" (of course) wasn't very happy in a 10 gallon tank (all I could find on such short notice, the 38 came a few weeks later) and if we could take him back home we'd go get a few smaller fish instead. I am more firmly hooked than that goldfish was when he went after that bit of hot dog.

I tried using the img tags to put more up last night. I've been using BB code for years now. I don't remember the exact wording, but was basically told I wasn't allowed to do that. Let's try again...

4 zebra danios, 6 red wag platies (1m5f), 4 emerald cories, 5 clown loaches currently in the tank (this is an old picture, more decorations now, too)

 

[ace61502]

Well.... Both platies ladies are back in the breeder box. AFTER vacuuming and doing a water change I saw a fry swimming around. I'm REEALLY hoping no fry went down the toilet with the old tank water. I caught the one small fry and it's in the breeder box. Hanging around at the TOP. So far the lady platy on that side hasn't seemed to even notice it. Will be back with a picture soon. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good picture of my wee one.

 

[ace61502]

Links to new pictures...

(still not very good at this picture taking of fish thing)

http/s128.photobucket.com/albums/p189/ace61502/Fish/Platies%20And%20Fry/

 

[ace61502]

I can't get a good picture of it, but the "white ball" now kinda looks like a white rubber tube sticking out of Lady 1. Not that there's some huge opening I can see, but it's sticking out more it seems? Lady 2 has eaten the flake I offered her, Lady 1 has not touched hers. Lady 2 is about to be released back into the tank and I'll remove the divider to give Lady 1 more room. How long should I give her? I'm really hoping she isn't done and the one fry is my lone survivor. I have only a lamp on in the room, so hoping that's dark enough for her. I did use a flashlight to check out all the plants and decorations looking for any more fry and have not seen any. Was sheer chance I saw this little one swim by when I did. Totally right time, right place, and a lotta luck.

I guess it's also possible, though highly unlikely, one of my younger platy girls had this fry. One of them has been hiding out tonight. I just got them last week and they are half the size (length) of my big ladies. The guy at the LFS said one was pregnant, but none of the three look it to me. Not in the slightest. So, like I said, highly unlikely any of them had this fry. I also wonder if this one might be more than an hour or two old? Is there any way I can tell? Anything to watch for? It seems more active than the newborns I've seen in videos, but it also had to fend for itself right away. I also wonder if Lady 2 might be done already and Lady 1 is getting close. The more I compare the old pictures to the new ones, the more I'm sure this is the case. Lady 2 was the bigger of the two the other day, and she's much smaller now. I guess it's safe to assume I have only one surviving fry, or some really good hiders in there somewhere.

I have no idea if "Lady 1" and "Lady 2" are the same as they were in the pictures a few days ago. I can't tell them apart. LOL

*ETA* Yes, I did manage to get them back on the same sides as before. LOL Lady 1 on the left and 2 on the right. Lady 1's tail is a good bit darker.

Fingers crossed here!

Lady 1:

 

[Lyra0727]

From what I have read before a fish gives birth they tend to sometimes lose their appitite so Maybe Lady1 will either begiving birth soon or already has. The white tube is the birthing tube they get before giving and while giving birth so which ever one had that was most likly the one. Congrats! Beautiful fish btw

Even if only one fry did survive you can always try again!

 

[ace61502]

From what I have read before a fish gives birth they tend to sometimes lose their appitite so Maybe Lady1 will either begiving birth soon or already has. The white tube is the birthing tube they get before giving and while giving birth so which ever one had that was most likly the one. Congrats! Beautiful fish btw

Even if only one fry did survive you can always try again!

Thanks, Lyra!

I'm pretty confident Lady 2 is the mother of this fry. 6 days ago she was the bigger of the two and now she's not, and I also don't see the white ball on her anymore. She either had her babies and the rest were eaten or she reabsorbed them. That or Lady 1 had just the one tonight and will hopefully have more, and Lady 2 just fed everyone for me.

Once Lady 1 gives birth the gravid spot should be gone, right? It's the darkest I've ever seen on my platies. And Lady 2 no longer has one at all.

Used a flashlight to get better pics. Can't see the gravid spot with the flashlight, but I did get MUCH better pictures!

and a video...

 

[Lyra0727]

Wow the tube is showing a lot.. it should be really soon then. I believe the gravid patch will be gone once they are finished. I'm just assuming though since platys are so much like guppies.

Will you be trying to breed them again after this?

 

[ace61502]

Wow the tube is showing a lot.. it should be really soon then. I believe the gravid patch will be gone once they are finished. I'm just assuming though since platys are so much like guppies.

Will you be trying to breed them again after this?

Yes. I'm going to be getting another tank soon and probably making this 38 gallon tank a platy only tank, and sticking with red wags. I've got 5 females and 1 male, so I don't think it will require much trying. LOL

I gave her some crushed freeze dried shrimp and she ate it. I guess I'll leave her in the box and wait.

 

[Lyra0727]

If she doesnt drop after the next couple hours you might just want to put her back in. Some fish get to stressed in a breeders trap so they hold in the fry. You can always get hornwort from a pet store and let it float on the top of the tank. Thats what I do for my gupp fry

 

[ace61502]

So I turned Lady 1 loose this morning since she hadn't dropped any fry.

I decided to do some more vacuuming today since I noticed last night that as I added the new water a lot of gunk was getting swept around by the water, so I poured water to agitate while I vacuumed. Saw another baby. Got that one then saw another. The gunk was pretty bad and we hadn't redecorated in a while so we pulled all decorations and found more babies. Now have 7 fry in the breeder box and still have a pregnant platy. OK, seeing as how I have 5 females I probably have 5 pregnant platies, but Lady 1's condition is unchanged. LOL

My clown loaches are more entertaining now since they aren't just hiding and are checking out the "new" crib. Their log is now on the opposite end and they've found it, but still keep going back to their old corner. I hope the cloudiness from stirring everything up clears soon.

 

[Lyra0727]

Wow congrats on your 7 fry! Must have been Lady2 that gave birth Lady1 probably will soon, just takes a bit more time.

 

[ace61502]

Found 3 more fry in the big tank and moved them to the nursery tank. Put Lady 1 in the trap and she's had 2 more!!! We have 12 total now!!

ETA... Make that 3! LOL She dropped another while I was posting!

 

[Lyra0727]

Awsome!! Who knows how many youll have now. Hope she doesnt have to many that you cant handel them all haha. Congrats!