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My father's platies apparently had a couple of fry (that we know survived, at least) just a few days ago(?). They've grown to about a quarter of an inch. Just yesterday, we noticed three more, but these are maybe only half the size of the others, at best (they are VERY tiny). I have very little experience with livebreeders, same with my father. My question is how many fry can you expect to see in each "batch." And, can they be born over the course of several days, as is seemingly happening with my father's platies?

"I am a believer in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely" EV Lucas

well with most livebearers the parents will eat the fry, so it cuts the number. if they aren't in a breeding trap that it. with platy i think the most i have had is around 25, but most happen in one day not over a course.

Before I’ll answer your questions I have to ask you, how many female platies are in the tank? And aside from platies what other fish are in? We can help you if you got all the necessary information.

How many fry can you expect to see in each "batch."?

It depends on how big the platy is, or how old. Most livebearers, can drop 6-15 when they reached at least a month old or older. Second drop would be more from 15-30 providing they got a very good food, and good water, until 3rd batch, fourth batch, and so on.

Can they be born over the course of several days?

The answer is no, they dropped the whole batch max. 24 hours or less. Maybe, the others got eaten, that’s why they’re a few of the fry that had survived. And about the parents will eat the fry, here is a link of my ways of breeding. Currently I got almost 400 platy fry in my pond. Good luck! Click Here!

Last edited by ronnfive at 15-Jun-2005 23:52

Platies will drop their fry all at one time. There are some less common livebearers that do have fry over the course of days. Most likely the new ones you're finding were hidden, either in plants or down in the gravel.

Another point to remember though is that platies store sperm, so in another month or so the female could drop another batch. And the number of fry in a batch increases with age.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

For sure, you're going to have planty of fry.


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Thanks for the response, everyone. There are only 2 platy in his 20g tank. 1 male, 1 female red platy. I don't know how old they are, he's probably had them for about a month is all, and as far as I know this is the first batch. They share the tank with 3 neons, 2 zebra danio, 1 albino cory and a large SAE. So not the best combo, but he does have plenty of floating plants that have provided protection for the 4 or 5 fry. The thing I find most interesting is different sizes of the fry, with 2 being approx. a quarter inch in length, and the others being very, very tiny (eighth of an inch, max). I wonder if that is just because they've eaten more since being dropped?

"I am a believer in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely" EV Lucas

If the larger fry are that much bigger, they were definately from two different batches of fry. You will probably have a new batch each month, so that makes it possible for your female platy to have more than one batch since getting her.

Last edited by cutiepatutie at 17-Jun-2005 17:03