punkrockviolet5

Hello,

My 10 gal currently holds 2 Platies and 1 Betta. So far, so good. Everyone is getting along remarkably! My female Platy gave birth to 1 fry, last week. I think it got eaten (I'm just sick about it), cuz I can't find him anywhere now and I've done a water change. Sigh...

So, yesterday, I went out and got a separate fry container, to keep Mama Camarillo in, until she gives birth again (then it'll be for the fry). I didn't want Frank Zappa (the other Platy) to get lonely or start fighting with Chopstick (the Betta), so I got another Male & Female set and added them to the tank (after about 2 hrs, of conditioning). Everyone did really well, at first, but once I moved Camarillo to the hanging tank, FZ started attacking the other Male, trying to keep the female to himself.

I was thinking I should just remove Chopstick, put him in his own tank, and add one more Female, then there will be 3 Females & 2 Males. Good idea or bad?

PS - I'm planning on selling the fry to our local pet store.

Thank You!!

COBettaCouple

Unless you took everything out, she might still be hiding - the fry can hide amazingly well. As for momma, she can stay in the tank with the others if you want.. our platy dropped her fry about every 25 days and we would see their eyes a week or more before she dropped them. when you put her in there, a cave and plants would help her feel relaxing more and if the water is warm, she'll be happier about releasing the fry.

with the platys you'll want at least 2 females per male to help with that anti-social behavior the males get over the girls.

punkrockviolet5

So she could still be hiding? Sigh... now I'm stressed out again. I wanna find her!

The water temp ranges from 74-80 degrees, depending on what time of day (Cooler @ night, warmer during day) and there is a heater.

I could not see eyes (nor a black gravid spot) when she dropped last time. She just looked like she was going to explode! Then came a baby! She's looking that way again, so I separated her into the hanging tank. It has aqua colored glass rocks & a grass plant. She's staying close to the bottom so I think she's gonna deliver (but I'm not an expert, so what do I know? :). She only had one fry, that I saw, last time. I'm hoping for a small batch again, until I figure this whole "having fry guys" thing out.

RE: the Male/ Female ratio. I'm getting a 5 gal. tank tomorrow. I'm keeping Chopstick & FZ (the angry Platy) in it, and getting 2 more females and 1 Male for the other tank. It will then be a Platy only tank.

COBettaCouple

well, fry have been known to show up long after being dropped having managed to hide from everyone and live on the food that falls into their hiding spots.. we use flat marbles for our substrata and when our platy dropped fry, i'd take EVERYTHING out, even the marbles (carefully) and i honestly wouldn't see some because they'd managed to hide using what little debris was at the bottom.

what is her coloring?

punkrockviolet5

She's a Red Wag Platy. Dark orange body, black fins, black lipstick (teehee). The baby I saw looked like a combination of both my Platies, but proably not... makes more sense to be from a previous tank mate. Frank Zappa is a Sunburst Wag and the baby was yellow, orange and had a black spot on its tail. *Super* cute!

I dropped my camera into the Ocean, last Saturday... good times... I'll be getting another one tonight. I will start taking pics again, to keep track of progress.

Here's a pict I took 7/8/07: (Mama is the side profile.FZ is the yellow one, he's Male. This was *just* before Mama Camarillo dropped 1 Fry)

COBettaCouple

yea, it's possible you didn't see her eyes for her coloring. I guess the main thing to watch for is if her back end near the anal fin starts to look more square - that tends to be the indication of another batch of fry coming. They're cute little platys.. i have a soft spot for the little stomachs with fins.

Sam Livingston

Yes its good idea to get another female, this should stop them from fighting, they should be kept at at least 2:1 female/male ratio. I have 3 males and 8 females; all get along great.

COBettaCouple

yea, those males - they just have too much lovin' for one female. :P

armadillo

I'd actually say 1:3 ratio minimum

COBettaCouple

yea, that's working out well with our platys.