This is caused by the eyes of the unborn fry pressing against her scales. Platys are livebearers. By using our site, you agree to our. Because the Platy fish is a livebearer the female Platy gives birth to fully formed live young (fry). They will graze on vegetation, so keep that in mind if you have live plants . All the family species are divided into 26 genus. try to but the breeder tank if you planning to breed your platty. Do they freak out or stay completely still or what? Rather than laying eggs, this species bears live young; the appearance of the tiny fish \"f… The male Platy isn’t very subtle in his mating behaviour. So the other fish in the aquarium are likely to see the fry as a tasty snack. Temp is also a big factor> Slow Growing Fry Which means that the female Platy gives birth to Both species are livebearers, similar to other fish of the family Poeciliidae, such as the guppy and molly.Platies are native to the east coast of Central America and southern Mexico. A pregnant platy will have a black or brown dot on the end of her stomach. If you want to take care of baby platy fish, feed them multiple small meals a day, consisting of fish flakes and dried worms and shrimp. Because with the Platy you never can tell how many babies are likely to appear. one of my platys seems to be pregnant but has been "pregnant" for a while now, 2 months atleast (when I know should be a few weeks) . I know this sounds rather nasty but it’s just the way that Platy fish are. So at around 4 months old your Platys will start to get the urge to mate. Platy giving birth amazingly up close footage! What is the size of platy fry at the time of birth? Aquarium Doctor works with manufacturers and products such as Clear for Life, Sea Clear, Bubble Magus, Tropic Marine Centre, Salifert, ReeFlo, Little Giant, Coralife, and Kent Marine. Do I need a separate tank for the baby fish? ", section. Thank you! That worked out to be an evolutionary advantage over the egg laying species The mother will not be able to follow them. Platies are usually pregnant between 6 - 8 weeks. Platy are a prolific fish, so if you have both males and females, there is a strong possibility you will end up with babies (also known as fry). And how will you know that your female Platy is pregnant? Definition of give birth to in the Idioms Dictionary. Good service. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Here is the formula to calculate your numerology birth number and get more insight into your life path, along with several examples. A Platy fish reaches sexual maturity at around 4 months old. Using live plants to help cycle your tank is a great idea. Platy reach full size after about four months. Particularly if your Platy is so dark in colour that you can’t see the gravid spot. I think three of my platys look pregnant. This article has been viewed 237,060 times. It's also common for a pregnant female to develop a dark spot near her back fin. Guppies do well on a diet of commercial tropical fish food; they generally live 12 months to three years in captivity. Platy fish certainly don’t need any encouragement to breed. Expert Interview. Right before your fish is about to give birth, her cloaca is going to look dilated. Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Doctor Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. Platy fry are born more or less fully developed - they hatch from eggs inside their mothers' bodies - so they aren't difficult to care for. She’s not being antisocial. % of people told us that this article helped them. How can I tell if my platy fish is pregnant? Don't keep mother with their baby for long time.Otherwise if she gets hungry she can even eat their baby. She’s just looking for a quiet spot to rest undisturbed. In fact, having live plants in your aquarium is a good thing for the long term too. I do have some awesome tuxedo x red wag crosses. as long as there are lots of hiding places for them. It says you want to have one, but it is not necessary. However, the fry do have a defence mechanism against being eaten as soon as they are born. 3-6 months. You can see now why I said approximately. Especially if you weren’t planning to breed your Platys! Keep close watch and feed them regularly. So … Don't buy fish if you don't have an aquarium large enough to accommodate them. + 9 vote up Answer by cmoore (20) They get very fat before they give birth, depending on the size of the mother. Once the mother gives birth, you can expect to have 20-40 new fry on average. Platy fish are live-bearers. I guess I just needed more than one female for them to mate. Which is useful to know, whether you want to breed them, or you would rather not. how will I know she is about to give birth specifically? When will my platy give birth? The female only needs to mate with a male once to give birth for several months in a row. I have so far isolated the fry to give them a chance to live, but I don't have a male platy just a male lyre tail mollie. Having so little time available to multiply is probably one of the reasons that the Platy starts to breed at an early age. He has a large community tank and his Platys decided to increase the population of the aquarium. The fish was first brought to Europe in 1907 from South Mexico and Guatemala, where they live in lower reaches of rivers flowing into Atlantic Ocean. How long does it take for the babies to grow to full size? when she gave birth the fry were not moving! Females of this species are slightly larger than the males (about 2-3 inches or 5-7.5 cm in length). Few interesting facts about platy breeding that I want to add further. give birth to phrase. Her belly will be swollen and rounder, and she will develop a black spot near her anal fin, called a 'gravid spot.' I have been told that female Platys won’t breed in overcrowded or poorly kept aquariums. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. The babies will come out fully formed, and ready to eat. They just wouldn't. Yh platys r beautiful are'nt they my father breeds them..he as lots. 1 male to preferably 3 females is best. Or fit a breeder box/hatchery into the tank at the top. Dense leafy plants, whether live or soft artificial ones, make great places for the fry to hide in. Shortly after they spawn, the abdomen of the fish will increase in size. And it’s here, in the quiet space, that she starts the process of bringing her babies out into the world.. When we think of pregnancy the first thing that springs to mind is a swollen belly. They seem to have babies every 4 to 6 weeks. water wisteria. This site gives me a lot of information, "I have a pretty big aquarium with about 25 mollies, 17 red wagon platys, and 13 comet goldfish. I have my female platy in the breeding tank and her previous babies in the bottom of the breeding fish hatchery ( not the platys she is going to have now) , i put her in the breeding tank sunday evening, i am concerned for the space of the baby platys, there are 7 of them and are not crowded but will they be okay? Until I did a bit of research I didn’t realise that the Platy fish is a livebearer and they don’t lay eggs at all. Changing 25 percent of the water at least every two weeks is typically adequate. In the wild platy coloring is ochrous (brown and yellow) with two dark spots in front of its tail fi… ", "My Red Wag Platy is pregnant, and I had no idea how to care for mother and fry. [1] Some platy owners like to crush or grind pelleted or flaked food before feeding it to fry, as this will make it easier for them to eat. I learned a lot of things!!! This is called a gravid spot. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. The female will then store the sperm within her body to continue the breeding process. And they choose when to use it. When giving birth, separate the mother from other fish in the aquarium, she is not a danger to her young during the first 12 hours of birth. And it’s also a great way to spot Platy mating rituals too. To give the fry the best chance of survival the hiding places need to be small. Caring for Your Platy Fish Use commercial fish food for the majority of your platy fishes' diet. Read more for tips from our Veterinary reviewer on safely breeding platy fish! If you are intending to breed and sell them, I would recommend a separate breeding tank. None of them are moving, and they are all in the bottom of the rocks. This is a sure sign that the fry are about to emerge. In the right conditions, female platies can give birth to 20 to 50 babies per month. You will probably also notice a change in the behaviour in your pregnant female Platy. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If you have any tips on helping me with angelfishes, I would like to hear them. ", the help. This urge is strong with Platy fish. For the so called live bearing fish, like Guppies, hatching their eggs internally means that none of those eggs will be eaten by predators before they hatch. Great customer service and just an overall good company. They do produce eggs, however, which the female platy carries in her belly until the eggs hatch. Platy fish profile and care information such as tank size, tank mates, life span, diet, breeding, behavior, tank setup and temperament. The gametes are directed towards the inside of the female Platy’s anal fins. Guppies, platys, mollies, and swordtails are the classic livebearers. This is because the fry are moving closer to the cloaca for the birth. The pregnant female delivers her baby Platys tail-fin first. one of my platys seems to be pregnant but has been "pregnant" for a while now, 2 months atleast (when I know should be a few weeks) . A platy fish looks pretty similar to mollies but also a little like … What does give birth to expression mean? Hi guys, My tank has about 8 baby Platy's (fairly new so can't tell the sex) but I was wondering if Platy fry are weighed to one sex more than the other? The last batch I only had one survive, the batch before I had 6 survive. As the fry get nearer to being born, and are pushing against the inner wall of the abdomen, it’s sometimes possible to see the eyes of the fry if mummy Platy is pale in colour. I do give them lots of hiding places, and do give them a chance. Only then does she release the eggs, giving birth to live fry that can swim and accept food. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Again fry are fine but mom was found dead yesterday. The links provide me a small percentage of commission but do not cost you anything extra to use. Perhaps because they are more active at night, maybe because we tend to breed in the afternoons, but it seems that the rabbits will give birth at dusk or dawn. Poecilia family encounters about 170 species of various colorful fishes dwelling in different waters of South, Central and North America. The female'a vent will transform from circular and rounded to square. The Platy’s breeding process is quite simple. Read more for tips from our Veterinary reviewer on safely breeding platy fish! It will be quite heavy at first, and you'll need super-absorbent sanitary towels. Elise Hu-Stiles, a mom in California who has given birth to three children without pain medication, said she felt more in control of the process. Now, this might make you think that this would decrease their rate of reproduction; but think again! Research source You can expect your platy fish to give birth during the night. ", about breeding them and caring for the babies. I already see that one of my platy is pregnant, and I am excited for the new little ones. how will I know she is about to give birth specifically? Almost the same as the adults (76-82F), but a little bit on the warm side. ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. If you have a platy fish, then you might be wondering if it is pregnant. But as I say, it can be hard to judge it precisely. Which means you need to look out for physical rather than behavioural signs to tell if your Platy is pregnant. Some platy owners elect to have male-to-female ratio of 1 to 2. i think in ur case there is some live one but got eaten. I saw this site and read the breeding, "This info is very helpful to me. Then we ended up getting more than 30 and putting them with my other 12 babies. Judging when the birth will be can be a little tricky though. So what signs are there to look out for that tell you that your Platy fish is pregnant? You can usually identify the dead ones because they will look like they are decomposing or falling apart (sorry for the graphics) but as long as they are all eating they will be fine. The other day while I was cleaning out my tank, I saw a platy fry go by, " I used to breed mollies a long time ago but I never tried platy fish. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The male Platy’s idea of courtship involves a lot of chasing, pushing, nudging and generally pestering the female. Hi, platy can give birth over a few days, or have the lot in one go, even hold them back a few extra weeks if they feel like it, if shes still huge she will prob wait until dark to give birth, the eggs could be cories. Start feeding them twice a day to begin, and then four times a day when they start to get bigger. normally mature platy give birth every 2~3 months Erica: normally you wont get 100% lives babies. This is unusual: The majority of fish do not mate directly. Many thanks.". In the modern era, 12 is a tragically young age to give birth in developed nations. And it definitely seems to be their favourite one! ", know what to do exactly, but I came here when my mollies got pregnant. they give birth to live fry, they're not egglayers. Her belly is still fairly large as well. But because the Platy is a prolific breeder there really is no guarantee of that. Very highly recommended. And the thing that fascinates me most is the synchronised swimming bit. The mother is placed inside the breeding trap, and when the fry are born, they can escape through the small holes to avoid being eaten. And at the same time she’s finding a place that she feels is safe to give birth to her babies in. water sprite . Fish which do not lay eggs, but give birth to live young, include:guppymollymosquito fishplatyswordtail Do platy fish die after giving birth? Platies come in a variety of colors: orange, red, yellow, blue, white, or sunburst. The fin in the rear, or anal fin, is called the gonopodium. Many of them. I've had my 4 platys for about 5 months now, 2 females and 2 males I realised. Also both artificial and live grass or moss will make useful hidey holes for the fry. I have a platys that is pregnant. Or maybe it’s just the way they are. At first a, "It helped me find the right hiding spots. The ideal substrate is small to medium-sized and darker in color, which also serves as a good contrast to show off the pretty colors of this fish. You will most likely see the tail of the fry come out of the mother first. Well, at least that’s what it looks like to me. The fry are likely to be born within this time frame. Guppies are part of the group of tropical fish known as livebearers, meaning that they give birth to live, swimming babies instead of laying eggs. At first I didn't, "It helped me very much, because breeding angelfishes and platies was something I want to get into. Platy fish are also known as livebearing fish. Now I know this doesn’t sound romantic, and it’s not, it’s just the way they do things. So she does her best to hide away out of sight of the other fish in the tank. You can combine them with older fish once they are full grown, which takes about 4 months. they give birth to live fry, they're not egglayers i recommend you either getting a bunch of plants for you main tank like water Look closely at your platy's underside, and note the two fins protruding from its belly. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Favorite Answer A platy is normally pregnant for about 28 days after insemination. Instead, females lay batches of unfertilized eggs, which males will fertilize at a later date. You can create hiding places in different ways. Bleeding after birth (lochia) You'll bleed from your vagina after the birth. Your options about where to have your baby will depend on your needs, risks and, to some extent, on where you live. Platies will give birth to around 30 live young approximately every 30 days. References In fact, he can become quite aggressive in the way he goes about trying to get the attention of a female Platy. I have 3 male platies, and am going to get 6 females so I can have some babies! Plastic plants can be used, but live plants can often be a source of extra nutrition for your fish, who may take small bites of them to supplement their diets. Platy fish (Xiphophorus) are a common variety of fish that come in many different colors and are easy to care for. You can give birth at home, in a unit run by midwives (a midwifery unit or birth centre) or in hospital. Platy fish give birth between 20 to 80 juveniles and can give birth as soon as every month. How are you going to know that your Platys are gearing up to become parents to lots of little baby Platys? SUPER helpful. ", in the fish tank. It’s actually a beautiful thing to watch. I see 20-30 fry, some look like they're still in the egg. If you spend some time each day watching your fish you’re likely to spot some changes in their behaviour. unlocking this expert answer. panicked because I didn't know what to do but this site helped me so much! Good choices include bunch plants, such as anacharis and cabomba, floating plants like hornwort and water sprite, and mosses such as java moss. I'm very new to keeping fish so I need some help. You generally have between 24 and 30 days to make accommodations for your new fry once the mother shows signs of pregnancy. This article was co-authored by Craig Morton. You will not have to do much (just keep two fish of opposite sex in the same tank) in order for them to breed. I have a female platy fish who I presume is pregnant because she has the blackness in her stomach above her anal fin. As long as their environment and diet are healthy they will reproduce. When the time is right the pregnant female finds herself a quiet, secluded part of the tank. You can remove the fry to a separate tank if you prefer. The Birthing Process. But now that I have just looked at her again, there it remains, the blackness in her belly. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Sometimes even up to 40 or more at one time. Make sure the water temp is correct. "Got my birth certificate fast and I didn’t have to leave my house. Male platies are very keen to reproduce. It’s like they’ve been practicing for months to put on a synchronised display just for you. How do I take care of my baby platy fish and not have them die? Especially if you weren’t planning to breed your Platys. Whatever the reason for the early start they begin breeding as soon as they are mature enough. Unlike most fish, platy fish are actually livebearers, meaning they give birth to live fry. Too small for the bigger Platys and other adult fish to get into.