Is my Platy pregant?

Question

Ok, so I got some new fish this weekend and one of the platys is HUGE! The two of them stick together and the big fat one does not seem to want to eat. I have looked at different pics of platys and still can't tell if it is even a female, but I am telling you, the stomach is HUGE! Could I have a pregnant fish and if so, how do I know for sure...

Thanks..

PS. I have a 55 gallon and only 12 fish right now, I hear that platys have LOTS of babies and will eat there young... If pregant, what can I do to save the babies?

Answer 1

As was mentioned the male anal fin is pointed, (you really cannot miss it) and the females is "normal"

Platy's will but don't always eat their young especially if you feed them a little more while the fry are in the tank. Also a few floating plastic plant in the tank will also help with cover to give the babies hiding places from the larger fish.

If she is as big as you say, chances are she was prego when you originally got her. However, even if you don't have a male in the tank now, she could have another set after this one. You can move her to a breeding net (inside the tank) if you wish and once she has her little ones, take her from the breeding net and keep the small fry in the net until they get a little larger.

Depending on how old your platy is and how many sets of fry she has already had, she could have as little as one or as many as 30. Which ever way you choose to house the little ones is up to you. Also, the small fry will eat algae and flake food. Just rub the food really fine in your fingers.

Answer 2

If your Platy is really close to having her young,just the fact that you moved her may kill her. Never net or bag or do any thing else stressful to a female livebearer that is within two weeks of having her young, it will cause a delay in the birth of the fry and will cause her to die. The best way to save platy fry is to fill the tank with floating or "bunch" plants to provide lots of hiding places for the fry. Don't try to move the poor thing into a breeding trap or another aquarium. The fact that she is not eating is a sign that the damage may already be done. Just leave the fish alone for now,maybe even turn out the lights.

Answer 3

First, you can tell a male from female by the shape of the anal fin. That's the fin just under the fishes belly.

Here's a male:
http://z.about.com/d/freshaquarium/1/0/6/U/livebearer18G.jpg
Here a female:
http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/gold_wag_platy_w360.jpg

See how the fin under the belly is pointed on the male and like a "regular" fin on the female? That's the sure way to tell them apart.

As for being pregnant, a fat female is most likely a pregnant female.

MM

Answer 4

sure, pregnant platies looks fat around their belly, you'll know they'll be giving birth when her swollen area is dark. by the way, you can tell the difference between male and female by lookingat their anal fin (the one underside one before tail) female's have normal anal fin like any other types of fish, while the males' are 'sharp' or pointy to deliver sperm, called gonopodium...
sure they'll have lots of babies, and yes, they'll eat 'em... what you can do is to provide yur tank with lots of aquatic plants and hiding spaces for the fries, or you can separate the pregnants form the main tank, and quickly return the "mom" once she has given birth... but you don't have to rush.. when females gave birth, they also release hormon in their body, which causes the female to be full, so she won't eat the fries for few hours...
anyways, good luck with yur platy...

Answer 5

ummm....well you can put her in a glass container, with a piece of screen or so. cuz the babies will fall to the bottom. or jsut go buy a breeding net.

Answer 6

if your saying its HUGE, it probably is pregnant. to prevent the babies to be eaten, transfer them to a container no deeper than 6 inches. with a weak foam filter.