FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I recently had a thread called “Platy in Hiding” that mentioned that I have 9 fry in
a sectioned corner of my 29G. I just came back from a 2 weeks vacation and (thanks
to the feeding by my neighbor) all 9 are not only still alive but have grown quite a bit.



My question concerns the timing of introducing the babies (they will always be babies
for me) to the main section of the tank. I have 6 grown Zebra Danios, 1 grown male Platy,
and 1 grown Neon Tetra. The babies are now 6 weeks old and approximately 0.5 inch long.

Would the adult male immediately start to “flirt” with the baby girls?

In addition, if you don’t mind, do you think I could add 5 Neon Tetras to the tank so my
sole survivor is not so lonely? The tank is well planted. I am planning on a 125G and
maybe in 2 to 3 months would be able to move some of them to the bigger tank.

Thanks a lot,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

It's better to wait more time to introduce the fry. Make sure they are big enough not to fit in the Danios mouths. Yes, you can add 5 Neons, but make sure that you don't get overpopulated with Platy fry.


http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

i would wait untilll they are arund 1-1.5 inches. but that is just me. better off on the safe side.

At a half inch long, your babies will be fine with the other fish. The more plants(real or fake) you have the better.

I have 3 baby Platies in a tank with 5 Zebra Danios, 3 adult Platies and 4 Peppered Cories.
The babies have been in with the adults all their life. They have been out of the plants and swimming with all the other fish for the last 2 months. Right now they are about 3 and 4 months old.

Last edited by T/A at 21-Jun-2005 15:26

I never take my fry out of the tank anymore:%)of course I'm sure some of them do get eaten, but for the most part I'm in good standing with being overpopulated...

As long as you have plenty of hiding places and plants, and you feed the rest of the fish well you will be fine, but if you are afraid of taking the chance, think this way: "If the fish can open their mouth and get it around the fry, then they will become lunch."

heidi

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

Thank you my friends,

I guess I will wait a little longer, even if I feel the urge to let them out asap so I can give them the
space they deserve.

Heidi, I guess I will have to catch one of my Zebra Danios, open his/her mouth really wide,
and measure it.


As for the second part of my original question, does anyone know if the male Platy would
already “flirt” with the little ones?

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

They'd probably be safe with tankmates that size but you may want to wait a bit if you can.

I recently put a single platy fry back into the main tank, it's less than an inch long. It stayed in the floating hornwort for a few days until it felt comfortable but now it's out with the rest of the fish. None of them bothered it, including two full-sized keyholes.

As far as the male, yes he will definitely be flirting with the females. I had guppies born in February, and now just four months later I'm taking care of their fry

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

just wait for another 2 weeks b4 introducing the fry...they will be big enuf then..and regards to neons...YES...add more...poor fishie...alone all this time

[font color="#000080"]

..and regards to neons...YES...add more...poor fishie...alone all this time

[/font]

Got 6 more Neons yesterday, they teamed up right after I released them into the tank.

Thanks,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

finally....the neon is happy with his bros and sis...gud.

actually, your male may not like all the girls i kept only 1 male silver platty, i gave the others (2 m 3 fm) to my art teacher who is like obcessed with orange ofcourse he loved them (there were 2 pure orange, the others had black spots) well before i gave them to him, i guess one gave birth, and i kept the single fry i found, (and an older platty fry that is white with black spots) . the male teamed up with the white female (who im guessing is the dad, i bought him and that frys mother the same day)well, the small fry grew up in the tank, and just now is getting around maturity, and i guess the male readly hats the color burnt orange becasue he chases her all the time not to mate, but as if he realy doesnt like her im planning on getting another female for him, but i realy havent had any platty that was prolific, except for that white females mother, she was always prego, and always had large batches, 30 or more fry each batch, but she made me alot of money when i brought her and the rest of her offspring to the lfs

but, no, i dont think he will chase the girls when they r first added