breeding platies?

[kungfuteacher]

Hi

Wondered if anyone had a little help available.

OK it's my first attempt at breeding (and keeping) my platies. I have two girls (I think!!) and two boys, although not by choice, as at the time I had no idea what to look for!

Anyway, my red wag is preggers, she is feeding well and seeing off the males who annoy her, but recently the other female also seems to be protecting her. Is this normal? Or have I got my genders mistaken and it's just another male who is seeing the others off!?! I do plan to move her to a breeding tank soon, it just isn't properly set up yet.

Secondly, she is now finding more still quiet places to rest, and goes very still for a while, before seeming to "tip over" or lose her balance and shoots off to find another spot. Does this mean she is close to dropping or have I still got some time to go yet.

I've included a photo of her.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Irene0100]

well she could have them any time soon, but then again she may hang on and get fatter. it depends how manyyoung she is carrying. the older (and larger ) the female the more they tend to have. so first spawning she may not be as fat as the next one. just keep the water good and make sure she has some nice weeds for cover to hide in and she will drop them when she is ready

 

[kungfuteacher]

Thanks

 

[Doodles]

Also make sure there is cover for the babies otherwise the parents will see them as food. I think females have some sort of hormone released which prevents them from eating the babies for 24 hours. Sexing is quite easy, females have two pectoral fins and a third further down, males have the two fins at front but the third 'fin' is pointy and this is the gonopodium.

 

[macvsog23]

male to female mix mst be over 1 male to 3 females or death by sex will happen to the females.