Well after an unsuccessful unplanned batch of fry, I decided to give it a real go.
Unfortunately I lost the mum from the first batch and the rest didn't seem to be getting anywhere!

So I bought a few more, making it a 2:4 (male:female) ratio in my tank.

Now at least two of them are pregnant, possibly three

Tonight I am collecting a smaller tank off my dad to set up as the pregnant ones will go in there to have the babies then get moved back into the 2ft tank.


I am attempting to make a diy air filter... they are expensive here and I'm short this week.

I already have some spare plants and some liquifry.

I will take some pics later. If anyone has any extra tips I would be greatfull, this is my first planned batch

x

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-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy

for livebearer fry, i would skip the liquifry. when they are born they are much more developed than the fry of egg laying fish, and much larger, meaning they are capable of taking most regular foods (if ground up small enough). liquifry would probably be too small for them, and they would starve.

my livebearers occasionally drop young in my tanks, and i sometimes raise them randomly. when i feed them, i just crush up regular flakes into a powder, and use that. occasionally feeding them newly hatched brine shrimp as a suplement.

but good luck raising them, you seem to have everything else figured out, so go for it, and let us know how you do

Thanks I will feed them crushed food. I had problems with my fish food getting damp before. But now I keep it ontop of the tank and it stays dry and easier to crush.

__________________

-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy

Not a lot I can add, but make sure the water quality is just as good as their normal tank, because ths stress of the move can make a fish abort their babies, or even try to stop themselves giving birth.

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Just going to take water out the 2ft tank to go in the other tank. If I take 30% of the water out the tank to fill the smaller one.. if it's not got enough in I will top the 2ft tank back up and leave it a few days then take some more out.
Also going to put the small filter from the 2ft tank in the small tank while the new filter goes in the 2ft tank to mature a bit before swapping them back over.

__________________

-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy

I found 3 babies when I was just about to do a rescape in my tank!

I don't understand how, I have been watching them carefully, none of them looked ready to have babies yet!
The babies are about 5cm long, how old does that make them?

I haven't even got my other tank yet. my oh is bringing it home after work so I have put them in the breeding net until then, wee buggers! Lol

__________________

-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy

Oh wow Congratulations mummy Platie lol!

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5cm long? is that an error? because thats about adult size, lol. meaning they must have been there a good 4-6 months.

putting size asside for a moment, one fertilisation from a male can make them pregnant for sometimes 8 or 9 times, because they can store the sperm. because of this, they can drop broods in the tank once a month, so its likely these are lucky survivers of previous broods that mananged to hide themselves well enough to survive. we had a 200L tank at work that we put a couple of black mollies in. a year later when the tank was taken to bits and the fish moved on, we found loads of mollies from all life stages.

Oops I meant 5mm! Lol

I have put them in another tank now and they are ok.

__________________

-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy

Oops I forgot I made this thread. Lol. So here's an update

There were 4 surprise babies, I found another afterwards. They are doing really well

I also purchased a pregnant platy from the pet shop and the same day she had 31 babies! That was last week. They are all doing well too

I will try and get some pics up.

x

__________________

-MY DOGS ARE NOT MY WHOLE LIFE- BUT THEY MAKE MY LIFE WHOLE-

Dave and Dixie
Milo and Maisy