bizarre unidentified fish.....

[El Roberto]

Hey there,

I've just stocked my ultra-small 6gal tank with some nice tropical fish - 6
neons and 2 platys to be precise, and I'm pleased to say they are all happy
and interacting fantastically.

However.... I only got them on Saturday and already I've noticed two tiny
fish that I *didn't* buy... only noticed them when I fed the others today,
and now they are swimming around enjoying themselves with the others. They
are maybe about 7mm in length, quite yellowish and jaundiced looking with
protruberant front eyes, reddish gills, and transparent tail... in fact,
have a look here:

www.robbiemusic.com/fish/

So, a few questions:

1. Both my Platys are female - is there a chance that one of them could have
given birth in the last 2 days? I don't know if it looks like a baby platy -
it's quite like a neon, too, but I certainly didn't get any eggs with the
neons....

2. What can I do? My temperature's around 76 just now and the other fish
aren't trying to eat the two little ones. I also have no other tank, so
unless these things are going to grow and develop in my tank then I don't
fancy their chances of survival, to be honest.

Oh yeah, and question 3... at the moment I'm taking 3 tropical fish flakes
and crushing them into little bits - I take it this is an adequate amount of
food for 6 neons and 2 platys? My last fish was a goldfish, which was a
greedy little *******!

anyway, thanks!

R

[Gill Passman]

El Roberto wrote:
> Hey there,
>
> I've just stocked my ultra-small 6gal tank with some nice tropical fish - 6
> neons and 2 platys to be precise, and I'm pleased to say they are all happy
> and interacting fantastically.
>
> However.... I only got them on Saturday and already I've noticed two tiny
> fish that I *didn't* buy... only noticed them when I fed the others today,
> and now they are swimming around enjoying themselves with the others. They
> are maybe about 7mm in length, quite yellowish and jaundiced looking with
> protruberant front eyes, reddish gills, and transparent tail... in fact,
> have a look here:
>
> www.robbiemusic.com/fish/
>
> So, a few questions:
>
> 1. Both my Platys are female - is there a chance that one of them could have
> given birth in the last 2 days? I don't know if it looks like a baby platy -
> it's quite like a neon, too, but I certainly didn't get any eggs with the
> neons....
>
> 2. What can I do? My temperature's around 76 just now and the other fish
> aren't trying to eat the two little ones. I also have no other tank, so
> unless these things are going to grow and develop in my tank then I don't
> fancy their chances of survival, to be honest.
>
> Oh yeah, and question 3... at the moment I'm taking 3 tropical fish flakes
> and crushing them into little bits - I take it this is an adequate amount of
> food for 6 neons and 2 platys? My last fish was a goldfish, which was a
> greedy little *******!
>
> anyway, thanks!
>
> R
>
>
>
Looks like Platy fry to me - congratulations on your new babies :-)

I would say almost definitely they are from one of your female platys -
Platys can store sperm and therefore produce a few broods just from one
mating. Chances are you will have more in a few weeks time

As for the others eating the fry - if moving them is not an option
provide as many hiding places as possible - Java moss or stem plants
such as hygrophila work for me...if the tank is new you might need to
consider adding some fry food for the babies - or make sure that you
crush up some of your usual flake into a fine powder - my platy fry will
hoover up flakes that are bigger than them :-)

With the feeding - if they eat all the food that you give within a
minute or so you are not overfeeding. If you find foodstuff left over
try and remove it and then reduce the feeds. I feed my fish twice daily
with the occassional 24 hour break. Feeding a variety of food as treats
also works well - frozen brineshrimp, bloodworm for example

Hope this helps
Gill

[El Roberto]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
...

> Looks like Platy fry to me - congratulations on your new babies :-)
>
> I would say almost definitely they are from one of your female platys -
> Platys can store sperm and therefore produce a few broods just from one
> mating. Chances are you will have more in a few weeks time
>
> As for the others eating the fry - if moving them is not an option provide
> as many hiding places as possible - Java moss or stem plants such as
> hygrophila work for me...if the tank is new you might need to consider
> adding some fry food for the babies - or make sure that you crush up some
> of your usual flake into a fine powder - my platy fry will hoover up
> flakes that are bigger than them :-)
>
> With the feeding - if they eat all the food that you give within a minute
> or so you are not overfeeding. If you find foodstuff left over try and
> remove it and then reduce the feeds. I feed my fish twice daily with the
> occassional 24 hour break. Feeding a variety of food as treats also works
> well - frozen brineshrimp, bloodworm for example
>
> Hope this helps
> Gill

Hahaha, I don't believe this, it's hilarious. Fingers crossed they will
survive - do these things grow quickly? I already have lots of hiding places
thankfully - a big rock decoration with caverns in it and a long stem
plant - but occasionally the little ones have been poking their noses around
the front of the tank and checking what's going on.

Food-wise, it was only when I crushed the food up that I noticed the two fry
appearing, and they got more than their fair share, so that's cool. Is 76 an
alright temperature for them, or should i hike it up a bit?

Anyway, thanks for your - as always, expert - help Gill!

R

[Köi-Lö]

"El Roberto" > wrote in message
...
> Hey there,
> However.... I only got them on Saturday and already I've noticed two tiny
> fish that I *didn't* buy... only noticed them when I fed the others today,
> and now they are swimming around enjoying themselves with the others. They
> are maybe about 7mm in length, quite yellowish and jaundiced looking with
> protruberant front eyes, reddish gills, and transparent tail... in fact,
> have a look here:
> www.robbiemusic.com/fish/
==========================
Gill already answered your questions on feeding etc. They are obviously
platy babies. If well fed and the water in good condition they'll grow fast
and they reproduce just as quickly. Good luck with them. :-)
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[Gill Passman]

This is a pretty good article giving the basics on Platies:-

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=419

Come back if you have any follow up questions

Gill

[swarvegorilla]

A tip, try building floating fry savers like those used by african cichlid
breeders.
livebearer fry do very well in them




"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
...
> This is a pretty good article giving the basics on Platies:-
>
> http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=419
>
> Come back if you have any follow up questions
>
> Gill