# Breeding



## gingergnome (Jun 25, 2013)

Hi, I've got a community tank with highfin platys, glowlight tetras, harlequin rasboras, a dwarf gourami and a albino bristlenose pleco. There is only one male platy but he's a happy boy and all three of the adult females are pregnant.

Up until now we've not separated the pregnant platys from the rest of the tank as we were unsure when they'd give birth and we didn't really want to distress them. However, our LFS has said that they'd buy platys from us so we're kinda thinking we'd like to start doing things properly.

What's best to do? When would we need to remove a pregnant female? And how big a tank would we need?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

A seperate tank for fry(I'd go at least 20g) and a larger tank for growing out juvi's will be the most effective.I started with a couple pair of swordtails and now trade 50-100 every month.My swords breed and birth in 40g breeders with so many plants they are almost all you see.I catch fry daily,and place them in a 30g breeder and then move them to a 75g in about a month.I use air driven sponge filters in all of these tanks.


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## henningc (Apr 17, 2013)

I'd go with a 20L or larger. I take a plastic pasta colander and wedge it in the tank so there is 2-3" of water in it. I place the female platy in there and put a paper plate over the top as a lid. The fry fall through the holes and once finished the female goes back to her tank. Just an FYI, use a large sponge filter, as large as you can get, and feed live baby brine shrimp. You'll thank me later.


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