Schmidty

Hey everyone! Thanks SO much for all the helpful information you have provided over the past few days. I really appreciate having a place to go where I can get solid information quickly!!! This site is, hands down, the best fish site I've seen!!!!


OK, my question is regarding fry and filters (obviously). I have a pregnant platy (maybe 2 or 3) and have set up and cycled my QT. The question I have (which just dawned on me about 30 mins ago) is this. I currently have a HOB filter on the 10 gallon QT and am worried that the fry will get sucked up into the filter for an untimely demise. I would like to prevent this. Is this something I should be worried about? Will they do alright on their own? Should I turn off the filter for a while before and after mama gives birth? Should I empty my QT and reinstall the undergravel filter which I didn't install when I set it up instead of the HOB filter? Thanks for all your help. Again, I really appreciate it and I think you guys (gals) are the best!!! Here's to you!

TheEssigs

Simple yet effective solution, which I use most often...

cut the bottom off a ladies stocking, just enough to cover the intake on the HOB tube, and secure it with a cleaned rubberband. Make sure its a tight snug fit, trim the excess, and wha-la - no more fry being sucked into the filter.

GOOD LUCK!

TheEssigs

oh yea, its a good idea to use a new stocking, not one that has been washed or worn and make sure the stocking has been rinsed in treated water before application to the filter.....

COBettaCouple

I found the pantyhose got clogged so easy and used fish net netting the same way. I wouldn't use a UGF with the fry, but a sponge filter would be good if you wanted a filter other than a UGF. The fry mainly have to look out for being eaten so plenty of hiding spots will help more of them survive.

Schmidty

Thanks for your advice! I'll try some of my wife's stockings first.
I plan (hopefully) to get mama into a breeding tank before she gives birth. That way the fry will be separated from mama right away and I can put mama back in the main tank before I let the fry loose. The only prob I have now is, when will I know if she is about ready to pop? I don't know how to determine when she will give birth. Oh well, if they become fish food, that won't stop me from trying again! Any help on the "When is she going to pop" question??

TheEssigs

What I love about livebearers is that livebearers are usually always pregnant.



A few signs that your livebearer may be ready to give birth to fry are , (1) she may stake out an area in the aquarium to give birth (2) she may also stop eating and act very shy and hide from you and other fish and (3) her tank mates may also follow her very closely. (I find this to be true with my platys) Also, the abdomen will appear very large and get a squared box look to it.

Good Luck.

COBettaCouple

be sure the tank for her to have fry in is the same temp as the main tank.. they can hold onto fry if they don't like the water conditions.

0morrokh

Also their gestation is around 28 days (if I remember correctly), give or take a few days, although that doesn't help much if you don't know when she became pregnant.

mamatriad

I just put my fry in my community tank two weeks ago. I just cut the net from the breeder box cuz I KNEW they couldn't get through that.

Of Course, now I am having new fry and had to buy a new breeder.......

Schmidty

Earlier this week my platy gave birth to many fry! We noticed she was quite thin on Tuesday, so she could have had them anywhere from Saturday to Tuesday. Thankfully I had set up a lot of floating fake plants, so I think a lot of them survived. We keep seeing more and more of them. Right now, we think there are possibly 25 or more fry! They all seem to be doing really well. I've been feeding them flake food crushed to a powder. Thanks everyone for your input and help on setting up the fry tank!

TheEssigs

Congrats on the Fry!! Best Wishes & Good Luck!

COBettaCouple

congrats on the fry, they're cute little ones aren't they? Do you have any VitaChem or other liquid vitamins? They're not totally necessary, but they can help the fry avoid things like scoliosis.

0morrokh

Congrats on the fry...I bet they're really cute I don't think you said what kind of flakes you're using but it's a good idea to feed them veggie flakes so they get plenty of veggie matter in their diet. Helps them grow better.