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Home / What Size Tank Should I Use for Baby Fry

What Size Tank Should I Use for Baby Fry

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Platy fish (Xiphophorus) are a common variety of fish that come in many different colors and are easy to care for.[1] Platy are a prolific fish, and so if you accept both males and females, there is a strong possibility you volition end upwardly with babies (likewise known equally fry). Platy fry are born more or less fully developed - they hatch from eggs inside their mothers' bodies - so they aren't difficult to treat. Yet, it is very common for the developed fish to eat the fry, so if you lot want many of them to survive, here are some actions you'll need to take to ensure this.

  1. ane

    Be on the lookout man for pregnant fish. Pregnant platies are easy to spot, and then if you continue a close eye on your fish, they shouldn't be a surprise. A meaning platy will develop a noticeably swollen belly. They can also accept an almost rectangular stomach too when they are close to giving nascency.

    • It'southward likewise mutual for a pregnant female to develop a dark spot near her dorsum fin. This is acquired by the optics of the unborn fry pressing confronting her scales.

  2. 2

    Ensure your tank is large enough. For a few adult platies, a ten gallon tank is usually sufficient. All the same, if y'all program for your platies to brood and y'all want to keep the fry, a much larger tank volition exist necessary.

    • A minimum tank size of 29 gallons is recommended if y'all plan on letting your fish reproduce non letting them eat their fry.

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  3. 3

    Consider a separate tank. Because platies exercise swallow their young, you will end up with the greatest number of surviving fry if you purchase a split tank for them to live in while they grow. [two]

    • A separate aquarium for your fry can be purchased at most pet stores. This tank should be at to the lowest degree 5 gallons (or more, depending on how many babies the female parent produces).

  4. 4

    Purchase plants and/or a convenance trap. To survive, whether in a customs tank or in a split up tank with only their mother, your fry volition need hiding places to escape to. This purpose can exist served by either a lot of plants or a breeding trap.[3]

    • Plastic plants can exist used, only live plants can oftentimes be a source of extra diet for your fish, who may have small bites of them to supplement their diets.[iv]
    • At that place are many types of live plants that platies enjoy, which should be available at your local pet store. Skillful choices include bunch plants, such as anacharis and cabomba, floating plants like hornwort and water sprite, and mosses such equally java moss.[five]
    • Many (but probably not all) of your platy fry will survive in a customs tank if it contains enough plants for them to hide in.[six]
    • A convenance trap is a plastic box with minor holes that goes inside a fish tank. The mother is placed inside the breeding trap, and when the fry are born, they can escape through the minor holes to avert existence eaten. The mother will not be able to follow them.

  5. 5

    Separate the mother from the community tank and wait. If you lot've opted for a separate tank to go on the fry isolated from the adult fish, separate the female parent every bit shortly every bit you can after you lot've noticed she'due south pregnant.[seven]

    • You lot generally have between 24 and 30 days to make accommodations for your new fry one time the mother shows signs of pregnancy.[viii]
    • Once the mother gives birth, yous tin can wait to have 20-40 new fry on boilerplate. Sometimes, this number can climb as high as 80.[9]

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  1. 1

    Return the female parent to the community tank. After the mother fish gives birth, you can return her to the community tank (assuming you separated her). The fry will now exist costless to develop without threat of being eaten.

  2. 2

    Feed the fry. Baby platy fish do not crave different food from adults. You tin can feed them the same pellets or flakes that you feed the adults, as well every bit freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex, and brine shrimp.[10]

    • Feed the fish small amounts several times a day, about as much food as they can eat in three minutes.[xi]
    • Some platy owners like to crush or grind pelleted or flaked food before feeding it to fry, equally this will make it easier for them to eat.[12]
    • For platy fish to develop the brilliant colors that make them and so beautiful, they must be fed a varied nutrition early in life, containing both poly peptide and plant-based foods.[13]
    • Specially formulated nutrient is commercially available for platy fry, just is not necessary.[14]

  3. 3

    Go along their tank make clean. Merely every bit with your adult platies, you'll demand to continue the tank for the fry clean.

    • Changing 25 pct of the water at least every two weeks is typically adequate.[15] If the water becomes cloudy or full of droppings, it should be changed more oftentimes.

  4. 4

    Introduce new fish into the community tank. One time they have grown big enough to fend for themselves, you can move the young fish to the community tank with the older fish.

    • Platy reach full size afterward nigh 4 months.[16] If you decide to endeavor to introduce them to the community tank sooner than that, proceed an eye on them to make sure they aren't being eaten by the adults.

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Add together New Question

  • Question

    How do I keep my fish salubrious?

    Craig Morton

    Craig Morton
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doc Inc.

    Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Physician Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orangish County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. With over 30 years of aquarium experience, Craig specializes in creating custom aquarium designs forth with aquarium installation, service, and maintenance.

    Craig Morton

    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.

    Practiced Answer

  • Question

    What is the size of platy fry at the time of nascence?

    Community Answer

    They are born about the size of half a grain of rice and and are transluscent. They will also hide, so they are non piece of cake to spot

  • Question

    I call up three of my platys look significant. How long will it take for them to drop the fry? Also, should I utilise a fry trap, a plant nursery tank or an aquarium divider to separate them?

    Community Answer

    Platies are ordinarily significant between six - 8 weeks. Once you find that your platy's breadbasket has a \___/ shape, and so you know she is due to give nascence soon. Platys tend to stress out when yous put them into a breeding trap, so small, separate 10-liter tanks might exist meliorate prior to the births.

  • Question

    How long does information technology have for the babies to grow to full size?

    Community Answer

    3-6 months. Longer than that If they are kept in a pocket-size enclosure (breeding box) for a long period of fourth dimension.

  • Question

    I just noticed our fish had babies. I see xx-thirty fry, some look like they're still in the egg. None of them are moving, and they are all in the bottom of the rocks. I presume they are dead, right?

    Community Answer

    Really no, the ones at the bottom are non necessarily dead. My babies are resting at the bottom of the breeding cyberspace and they are doing just fine. You can ordinarily identify the dead ones considering they will await like they are decomposing or falling apart (sorry for the graphics) simply equally long equally they are all eating they will be fine.

  • Question

    How can I tell if my platy fish is pregnant?

    Community Answer

    Her belly will be swollen and rounder, and she will develop a black spot most her anal fin, called a 'gravid spot.' The darker it becomes, the closer she is to giving nascence.

  • Question

    How do I accept care of my baby platy fish and not take them die?

    Community Answer

    Keep close watch and feed them regularly. Make sure the h2o temp is correct.

  • Question

    How frequently should I feed them?

    Community Answer

    Outset feeding them twice a twenty-four hour period to begin, and then four times a twenty-four hour period when they start to get bigger.

  • Question

    What should the water temperature exist for babe platy fish?

    Dieyun Ding

    Almost the same as the adults (76-82F), just a lilliputian bit on the warm side.

  • Question

    Do I need a separate tank for the infant fish?

    Community Answer

    It says you lot want to take one, but it is not necessary. equally long as there are lots of hiding places for them.

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  • Crush food pellets or flakes to make it easier for the fry to consume.

  • If yous don't desire to dissever the fry from the primary tank make sure at that place are many plants so the fry can hibernate.

  • Don't keep mother with their baby for long time.Otherwise if she gets hungry she tin can even eat their infant.

  • If the h2o in the tank gets cloudy information technology may hateful you are putting in too much food.

  • A meaning platy will have a black or brownish dot on the finish of her stomach.

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  • Don't buy fish if you lot don't have an aquarium large enough to accommodate them. Platies are very prolific, so a pocket-size tank can get over-crowded very apace.

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About This Article

Commodity Summary X

If you desire to take care of infant platy fish, feed them multiple pocket-size meals a twenty-four hour period, consisting of fish flakes and stale worms and shrimp. To preclude overfeeding, adjust how much yous feed them until they can stop each meal in iii minutes. In add-on, yous'll need to change 25 percent of their water every two to 4 weeks, or when the h2o becomes cloudy. You lot tin combine them with older fish once they are total grown, which takes about iv months. Read more for tips from our Veterinary reviewer on safely breeding platy fish!

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