TanyaS

While doing a water change Sunday, I found a small sunset platy fry. We were not prepared for this, so I purchased a breeder box for our tank. I put the female in there. I was able to figure out which one thanks to articles and threads here. Later, I managed to catch the little guy (not easy!) and he is below the grate.

Now to my questions: How do I know if she's done? Other than a plant to hide in and a sponge for filtration, does the breeder box need anything? I am sure to have more questions later. Thanks for your help!

Alessa

well, it is hard to tell, since they can drop fry for about 6 months... (assuming they are no longer living with a male)..
hikary first bites makes a great first food and makes them grow fast!

Beeker

Congrats! Cute little guys, aren't they?
How many platies do you have? If you have a few, odds are that you will be seeing more fry than you can handle in the near future. I started with 5 and now have more than 20.
Egg yolk is also good to feed fry. It is very good for them and gives them more vibrant colors. Just be careful about how much you feed them. The yolk breaks up fast and can make a mess in the water. I just feed them crushed flakes and then on days before I do a water change, I feed them egg yolk.

TanyaS

I recently added three to my tank. I think I have two males and one female. The males have similar bright colors, while the female (in addition to the dark spot I read about) has lighter colors. I think they are adorable, and great for the kids to watch it grow. I am concerned about the future and trying to determine if I am cut out to have prolific breeders. Any suggestions? I know the store will take them back. Do I just take the female back? Will the males do well together? I am concerned about the six month time frame. That is an awful lot of time for her to spend in the breeder box. Should I release her and wait until she shows signs? I don't even know what to watch for at this point. She was already hanging out in secluded areas. She prefers one particular cave I haven't seen any fish, much less her until now. Thanks for the tips so far. I've learned a lot from this site. It's very helpful!

I'm not sure if it matters, but in the tank we have a plecostamus, a loach (no earthly idea what kind as he came with the tank), an unknown tetra (at least I think it is...also came with the tank), three glo light and one neon tetras, five male guppies, and two tiger barbs. The barbs were also original tank dwellers when we received it. They have thus far left everyone but each other alone. I am still undecided on what to do about those little stinkers.