Pregnant Platy. What To Do? To Move Or Not To Move

HI guys! So I have a pregnant platy in my community aquarium... at least I think I do. She flirts around with one of the others and now she is huge! Not dropsy and seems happy and healthy

The aquarium is heavily planted.
We have 4 ottos
1 female dwarf gurami
4 neons
6 platys
4 danios
2 guppies
1 scissor tail (he was a rescue)

I will buy more stock as and when I can. One of the tetras I brought from a lfs introduced ich into the aquarium. Wiped out a few fish and I haven't dared put anyone new in yet. Used interpet white spot meds. Didn't harm fish or plants seemed to work but didn't. Then used protozine which didn't have fish or plants and worked amazingly! Top rating for them.

So anyways. I have a quarantine tank which is not set up but the filter is in my main aquarium and has been for 3 weeks so should be matured. Shall I take some water out main tank and set her up in a tank alone? Don't want to stress or hurt her.

Advice please

Thank you

 

Its best to let her give birth in the main tank, since moving can be quite stressful for the fish. In the main tank, you can add some bushy plants (such as hornwort), or some decor for the fry to hide in after she gives birth.

If you really want to move her to a quarantine, make sure that it is at least 10 gallons, at an acceptable temperature range, and filtered.

 

Seconding what FishFish221 said. It'll be stressful for her if you transfer her. Your tank is heavily planted so a good chunk of the fry should survive anyway.

 

Make a spawning mop and put in near your heater if you are that worried. It should attract her to that spot to birth the fry, if not the fry will end up finding it and use it for cover and food. Infusoria love spawning mops.

 

Thanks guys. What is a spawning mop? Also I have a filter in my main tank I can use. The spare tank is about 30 gals and I could fill it up from my main 130 gal tank? That way she shouldn't even notice the change should she?

Or I can leave her put. I do have a heavily planted aquarium.

 

Thanks guys. What is a spawning mop? Also I have a filter in my main tank I can use. The spare tank is about 30 gals and I could fill it up from my main 130 gal tank? That way she shouldn't even notice the change should she?

Or I can leave her put. I do have a heavily planted aquarium.

It isn't the water condition as much as the entire environment. it is all new and stressful so it can cause issues even with using the same tank water. A spawning mop is just a faux plant like material that people use for certain species of fish when they lay their eggs. However it can double as cover for fry and a food source because as I mentioned before it traps so much "stuff" that the micro-organisms called "infusoria" will flourish, giving your baby fish a home to hide in and food to eat. Its pretty cool and I even made a couple to help jumpstart my cycle. (gave more places for bacteria to hold to considering I had a pretty bare tank to start with.)

Look up killifish spawning mops.