mistycheri

I have 4 baby platy fries, I think they are about 2 weeks old. I found them darting around the tank on the same day I found one of my platy's dead. I only had two platy's, had no idea one of em was pregnant, must have bought it that way. I had the two less than a month. I don't even know which one had the babies, the dead one or the one that's still alive. Anyway, I rushed out and bought a breeding net to put em in before they got ate. I have one platy, three panda cory's, a female beta and one African frog in a 10 gal. community tank. My question is, how big do the fry need to be before I can add them to the rest of the tank without them being dinner?

mistycheri

One more question.... how do you tell the female platys from the male? I don't even know if the one I have left is male or female. If I knew, I would know whether to go out and get it a husband or wife. :

Jason

Ok first off the babies cannot be moved until you think they wont fit it anthings mouth and I'd watch out for the betta. It'd be a few months yet. Just feed them a few times a day (bout 3) and they'll be right.

The male platy will have a gonopodium which will look like an extended anal fin. The femal will not have this and will just have the two anal fins.
Also http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Platy.htm

0morrokh

One more thing, if he's a male, then he needs 2 wives. And if she's a female, then she needs a girlfriend before she can have a husband. If you keep livebearers in just pairs, then the male will chase the female around until she is exhausted.

vin

Similar situation. We have swordtail fry.....6 weeks old and now in the community tank. They're about 3/8" long and can eat more than powdered flake food. The key is that they can'l look like food to the other fish.

mistycheri

Thanks for all the advice guys. Sorry I took so long getting back, my modem died on me and I couldn't get connected. I had to go buy another modem. I'm gonna wait a few more weeks before I add the fry to the community tank. They are finally starting to look like fish now instead of swimming sperm. I just added 4 guppies and one algea eater. They beta is pretty much keeping to herself. She likes to hide behind the live plants, right next to the heater.

Thanks again, I'll keep ya'll posted on the fry.

mistycheri

One more thing, can anyone tell me why my fry babies are so aggressive to each other. It's mostly the larger one chasing the smaller ones.

vin

It's the natural order of dominance. Just as with any species one will seek to be the dominant one of the group.

mistycheri

Oh, ok, thanks! The larger fry won't kill the smaller ones will it?

vin

If the larger fry are about 3/8"-1/2" in length, they can be added to the community tank. If they are all about the same size, from the same spawn, then they should be fine.