More baby platys

[CACAdmin]

My favorite female platy (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=403) (Hifin Marigold Wag) gave birth today:red_dance: (while I was at work of course! :rolleyes: ) I haven't seen the fry yet so I don't have any idea who the papa was but if even some look like her I'll be thrilled! :yes: )

[Melody]

Congrat's! :Applaud:

[jordonsmum]

That's awsome Jay, congrats!!!! ;)

[fishykisses]

Very Cool Jay!

[CACAdmin]

And there's going to be even more!!!

This evening when I fed the fish, I saw my very pregnant Mickey Mouse Platy (yup another pregnant one...lol) resting on a rock. She didn't even bother coming up for food. However, she looked fine (fins erect, etc.) I watched her for a while and she remained there until some fish came, hung around her and and bugged her enough that she swam off and found another place to rest.

I had sat myself in front of the tank thinking I might actually get to see the birth when the fish started hanging around her again. This time she swam right up to the glass and laid her belly on the gravel right in front of me. It was almost as if she somehow knew I'd keep the others away (which I did). As I kept shooing everybody else away she just stayed there and watched me trustingly and never flinched (other than straining occasionally as if trying to give birth).

I sat there for ages (standing guard to protect her ) thinking people would think I'm nuts. :laugh: She was so trusting that I actually got up, got the camera and returned and she didn't move from the glass except to occasionally reposition herself slightly.

At one point I thought I saw a baby about to emerge but none did. After a lot of straining, she finally swam back among the plants. As I think she was about to drop the fry, I turned out the lights before the other fish could see where she had gone or be on hand to await the birth which they would consider an after-dinner snack.:mad:

I did try to get a picture of her (without a flash so as not to alarm her) but none turned out. I'm tempted to check on her now but think I'll wait until morning & get up and feed them at first light. (as I have no idea how long it takes for a platy to actually give birth.)

[Melody]

And how many glasses of wine did you have? :laugh:

But seriously though, hopefully you'll catch a glimpse in the AM. Have the camera ready!

[CACAdmin]

Good grief... you're telling me she could be in labor that long???:swoon:

As for the wine? I'm not saying. :Neener:

[Melody]

Long? It took me three days - fish have a picnic!:laugh:

[CACAdmin]

3 days?... I don't even want to think about that.:swoon:

[Melody]

Do what the kid does - clap your hands over your ears and go LALALALALALALALA everytime I mention it.:laugh:

Any babies this morning?

[CACAdmin]

No babies yet... she did show up to eat with everybody else but hasn't dropped the fry yet... maybe she's taking her cue from you & going to take 3 days! :twitcy:

[Melody]

I find that both Platy's and Swordtails look like they're about to burst for the longest time before they actually do. I can predict Mollies & Guppies almost to the hour, but Swordtails & Platy's still fool me on a regular basis.:rolleyes:

[CACAdmin]

I just got in the door and checked... nope, nothing yet. The only reason I thought it was going to happen last night for sure as she was spending so much time resting. Who knows maybe she just needed a timeout away from all those males.:twitcy:
And so, I will continue to watch and wait.

[jordonsmum]

Wow, Melody, i'm impressed. I thought my TWO days was long. I had a picnic compared to you!!! LOL

Jay, watch out buddy, you're turing into me... just kidding. I'm happy for ya. It's so nice to look foward to. It's like winning the lottery all over again!!!

[CACAdmin]

Jay, watch out buddy, you're turing into me... just kidding. I'm happy for ya. It's so nice to look foward to. It's like winning the lottery all over again!!!
:nah: I'm not going to obsess. She still hasn't had them tonight (but nor is she resting like she was last night... who knows... maybe false labor:twitcy: ). I just make sure I feed everybody well before turning out the lights so hopefully if she does give birth tonight that some of the little ones will escape with their lives.:wideeyed: It's a well planted tank so a lot of fry usually do.

[jordonsmum]

Hey Jay,

Did you happen to get any pics the other day after running for your camera while she was resting on the gravel? I'm just curious to see what she looks like and compare. My female blue platy was doing the same thing this morning resting right on the rocks. And then she went and found herself a place in the middle of a plant right near the base of it and stay for very long time. She's usually zipping around like the other day when I couldn't get her to sit still for the pics. She also isn't interested in food this morning. Is your female eating?

Thanks!

[CACAdmin]

Sorry, but the pictures I took we not in focus do I deleted them. As far as eating... yes, she's back to eating. I suspect your Blue platy is really close... I find they tend to rest more when they're close to giving birth... probably because they get so big & it's much more of an effort to swim.

There's a picture here (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=507) of one of my Red Wags here when she was very preganant... you don't really see her gravid spot because of her coloring, and the flash but you'll see how huge she was. Your female probably won't get that big... mature females tend to get larger and have bigger broods.

[jordonsmum]

Thanks Jay, that's very helpful. Nice to know what i'm looking for lol. You're right, she's not nearly that big but she is quite the little beach ball with a tale.
By the way , I noticed your beautiful Lyretail sword male... very nice! Is he one of your fry??

[CACAdmin]

By the way , I noticed your beautiful Lyretail sword male... very nice! Is he one of your fry??
No, I don't breed swords (only platys and mollys), so I only have keep males. That pretty boy came from Melody.:D

[jordonsmum]

Well, that explains the beauty then...LOL :yes: I can't wait till it's my turn to get some of those beauties...

How's the mama to be doing today? Any sign of fry?

[CACAdmin]

Mama's doing fine... still no fry... :Dunno:I guess she had me fooled this time.

[Melody]

They plan that. It amuses them. She's laughing at you Jay.

OOOORRRR Imagining that my fish have evil plots against me is a sign of a problem.:twitcy:

[CACAdmin]

A little paranoid are you? Next it'll be "Attack of the Killer Swordtails!":laugh:

[jordonsmum]

LOL Jay, you're going to give the poor woman nightmares!!! Poor Mel... ;)

[Melody]

They have swords!!!! It could happen!!!!:wideeyed:

[CACAdmin]

Finally, last night mama gave birth! Wow, was I ever off on the due date... she kept me waiting a week!:twitcy: Haven't see the wee ones yet, but that's not unusual... they're good at hiding... that's how they survive.

[Melody]

Congrat's! Platy's are already such waddling piglets that its often tough to tell. I bet she had a big brood.

[CACAdmin]

She did have a big brood. I finally got to see some of them just now... tiny little things that they are I counted more than a dozen I could see in just one small area of the tank.:rolleyes:

[Melody]

Get that magnifying glass out & let us know what colors/finnage you think we have!

[CACAdmin]

Hey! With my eyesight, I'm lucky I could see them at all.:laugh: You're just going to have to wait a couple of weeks before I can speculate on colors & finnage.
Hmmmm. I just thought of something. That comment about my eyesight could scare a whole lot of 'bus riders'.:laugh: It's OK folks, it's the microscopic things I can't see, I can still see big things... like you running in front of my bus! :Eek:Hey, don't do that! :no: :mad:

[Melody]

Yeah, if you drove like a busdriver who can't see, they'd make you be a taxi driver.:rolleyes:

[CACAdmin]

:rofl: Hey, you mean those guys I used to follow from the airport (when I drove an airport shuttle)?!... like the several I saw go airborne after hitting the crosswalk/speed bump at the bottom of Level 3 (Departures) because they couldn't read the 20kph speed limit sign?:rolleyes: