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Protecting baby platys

2 replies

StanleyLambchop · 03/07/2014 12:25

Our platys have been busy, we have about six babies in the tank, we spotted them yesterday but they could be a few days old already, I am not sure. Our tank has plenty of hiding places, and the babies were quite good yesterday, just hung around cautiously in the pond weed. Today however they are all off and about, swimming around totally unconcerned that the bigger fish may eat them. My question is how old do they have to be before the danger of getting eaten is passed? The babies are very quick swimmers, which I suppose gives them some advantage. The big fish in the aquarium are very 'lively' today and seem to be poking around trying to get into tiny nooks and crannies, so I presume they know there are fry around and are looking for them? The 'babies' seem quite long, I am not convinced the big fish could get them down without a struggle, but I an worried for them. Any advice? (ps- we do want to try and keep these babies as my DD wants to set up a tank of her own, so she is waiting for some baby platys to put in it)

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EauRouge · 03/07/2014 13:38

Once they are big enough to not fit in the other fishes' mouths then they're safe. You could put them in a floating breeding trap if you're worried, or an ice cream tub with a few holes punched in it would do. Make sure they have some plants in with them.

If you've got both male and female platys then you need to come up with a long term plan because they could produce hundreds of babies over their lifetimes. A lot of people just leave it to nature and only the strongest, healthiest fry survive.

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StanleyLambchop · 03/07/2014 14:41

Thanks Eau, we have three females and one (very busy) male. So far they have produced three (litters? batches? I don't know what you call them with fish) of fish. Two in the first batch(one survived) ten in the second batch (two survived and are about a month old now)and this recent batch of babies with about six. I know that we will be overrun if they all survive, I just hate to think the babies won't all get a chance Sad. They are very cute with their enormous boggly eyes!

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