FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hi there,

I just registered. I was cleaning out my tank today and shifting the rocks with the siphon when I noticed the tiniest little fish hiding at the bottom!

I hadn't planned on breeding fish but I do have 2 female platies and 2 female guppies in my tank. At least one of them must have been pregnant when I bought it!

Anyway I took absolutely every rock out of there and found 2 more fry so I now have 3. I immediately took them out and put them in a small bowl with some water from the tank since the other fish would no doubt eat them if I had left them in there! I know you're supposed to put babies in a net of some sort but its sunday evening and no pet store is still open! I've made them a makeshift net enclosure from a pair of my tights and a plastic tube and fed them powdered flake food. Is this ok? Is there anything else I should do? Should they be in a separate tank?

Also, how many do you think there were? No doubt some were eaten I had no idea any of my fish were pregnant, none of them have particularly rounded stomachs. Do you think they will have any more?

How do I know if they are guppies or platies? My flatmates think they are guppies but I really think they are platies. If I post a pic could someone identify them? They're orange!

Thanks!
Vicks

u did everything right

(proud owner of 50+ guppy platty fry)

and they are deff plattys, plattys are orange, gupps are grey, good for u for saving them

Thanks for the reply!!

Wow, 50?!? Are you gonna keep them all or sell them?
What are the chances that my fry will survive? Oh and how often do I have to feed them, my flatmate said he read somewhere that the fry need to by fed 6 times a day

Thanks again!
Vicks

wow not 6 times, more like 2-3 times will be fine, and if u prop up a large sized fish net on 2 corners of the tank u can stick them in there, i currently have 4 new guppy fry in that kind of a set up, make sure the temp is like 75-80 degrese, that will speed up their motabolism and make em grow and get color faster.

and in the right set up u shouldent looses any, i havent lost a liveberrer fry for quite a long time, and i sell my fish, just brought my latest bunch to the lfs, got 20 bucks too:^)

Sound like you should be set. Those fry will probably survive since they must of survived their parents. Just make sure you aren't over feeding and poluting the tank. You should probably do 25% water changes every so often maybe like 4-5 days for a little while. Then when they are about hmmmmm..... an inch or so they can go back to the parents. Good Luck

First give them plenty of plants to hide in, and do water changes of 20% about every 3rd day. Do keep the temp at about 78*F, and you really only need to feed them about 3 times a day. I feed mine in the morning when I get up, when I first get home, and before I go to bed. For fry food I put the food I feed the adults into a small ziplock bag, seal it without air, and rub bag between your two palms till you have powdery dust, then Viola you have fry food Enjoy and good luck:88)

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Just thought you might like to know this too. Keep an eye on your mommy platy's tummy. You will see little gray dots in it. I think that these are the eyes of the little fry.

If there is a male in there to get her pregnant again, she will deliver more babies approximately 28 days from the date of her former delivery! That's what someone told me when I found my first batch of fry. And guess what, 26 days later, which was this Saturday, she had more! Just thought you might like to know when to expect them.
littletank

Thanks for all the advice!!
Unfortunately one of the fry died 2 days later
The 2 that are left are getting bigger now! I have them in a seperate tank at 80F.
Just a few hours ago my pregnant guppy gave birth to 24 babies!!
I've put them in the tank with the other babies. How long should I keep the mommy guppy in the fry trap for? Shes not had any for 3 hours, is that the last of them?


Vicks

if its been 3 hourd, then u can put her back, if she has anymore, well then they could survive in the main tank, or they will be eaten, but it should be over now, look at her gravid spot now, it should be pink now those are new eggs

Hmmm...thats the confusing part. 24 babies, and her dark spot is still really dark. She was going absolutely mad in the trap though so I let her out anyway. Just noticed that one baby is dead already It was lying on its side at the bottom of the tank. Shame

The hard part is now is thinking of names for them all! Ahhh!!!

Vicks