I'm new to this forum due to some unlucky fish choices.
First of all, I get my fish from Wal-mart because that is about all you can do around here. The local tiny exotic pet store is really creepy!! Anyways...I went through a betta (died in 2 days to a fungus that was too late to treat even though I tried), an otocinclus (sp?) (he was happy and healthy and died shortly after the betta....stupid sick betta), 2 guppies (I believe after some research that it had problems with the pregnancy and died since it was about ready to pop. The other one, probably a male was sick and died almost right away...stupid wal-mart). By the way after all these fish (the betta and sucky fish then the guppies) there was at least 4-6 weeks of a cleaned out tank sitting and the filter running. Didn't want to try any other fish due to the bad results before, but really liked watching the fish. so I then bought another otocinclus and had him for 3 weeks. He was really healthy, I was giving him algae wafers plus the gunk in the tank. He (she, it?) was swimming around with lots of energy and eating great. Did you know they jump? Even through very small holes in lids?? Yeah....he disappeared after a water change. I think I accidently put the water a little higher than normal and he jumped through the tiny hole and the cat ate him since he is not in the gravel when I cleaned it and not in the filter. Creepy fish store lady (I finally broke down and went there to see if they bought or took babies after the platys described below) told me that he either jumped out or was in the filter as bones stuck to the filter. GROSS. I didn't find bones anywhere so...
Ok after all that bad luck, I got 2 platies that are very healthy, but also very pregnant, which is how I found this site. I bought my platies on the 10th of July. Put them in a small 2 gallon tank, just the 2 of them. On the 11th I saw tiny things darting around. My fish do not eat their young. I have a 29 gallon tank now. and on the 19th found at least 8 (really hard to count in the big tank) more fry. Once again....not getting eaten. My orange one is ready to pop.
2 main questions that I could not find answers to.....
1) When can I put the fry into the big tank? The first set is 2 weeks old on Friday and I have them in the 2 gallon and doing partial water changes every to every other day. It is right next to the 29 gallon and some of the fry line up at the glass like they are trying to get over with the other fish.
2) The orange one is REALLY REALLY fat. I mean she is going to pop any day. Very square, eats like a pig, does the swimming up and down thing that my black and white one did before she had the others. She has just started chasing the black and white one from the food. They are both able to eat but she chases her around. Is this normal? Is she just a cranky pregnant lady? No signs of any disease. Water tests are great.
oh sorry...one more. Why aren't they eating the young? Sometimes they swim right in front and the mothers don't even move to chase them. I don't really want to see them eat the young, but I also don't have room for a ton of babies.
By the way, when the other fish died, I was checking the levels, adding conditioner to any water changes, etc etc. I know it was just stupid wal-mart because right after I got my Betta that died....all of them disappeared off the shelf so I'm guessing they all died then. I just wanted a nice little tank for my desk in my office...is that too much to ask?
First of all, I get my fish from Wal-mart because that is about all you can do around here. The local tiny exotic pet store is really creepy!! Anyways...I went through a betta (died in 2 days to a fungus that was too late to treat even though I tried), an otocinclus (sp?) (he was happy and healthy and died shortly after the betta....stupid sick betta), 2 guppies (I believe after some research that it had problems with the pregnancy and died since it was about ready to pop. The other one, probably a male was sick and died almost right away...stupid wal-mart). By the way after all these fish (the betta and sucky fish then the guppies) there was at least 4-6 weeks of a cleaned out tank sitting and the filter running. Didn't want to try any other fish due to the bad results before, but really liked watching the fish. so I then bought another otocinclus and had him for 3 weeks. He was really healthy, I was giving him algae wafers plus the gunk in the tank. He (she, it?) was swimming around with lots of energy and eating great. Did you know they jump? Even through very small holes in lids?? Yeah....he disappeared after a water change. I think I accidently put the water a little higher than normal and he jumped through the tiny hole and the cat ate him since he is not in the gravel when I cleaned it and not in the filter. Creepy fish store lady (I finally broke down and went there to see if they bought or took babies after the platys described below) told me that he either jumped out or was in the filter as bones stuck to the filter. GROSS. I didn't find bones anywhere so...
Ok after all that bad luck, I got 2 platies that are very healthy, but also very pregnant, which is how I found this site. I bought my platies on the 10th of July. Put them in a small 2 gallon tank, just the 2 of them. On the 11th I saw tiny things darting around. My fish do not eat their young. I have a 29 gallon tank now. and on the 19th found at least 8 (really hard to count in the big tank) more fry. Once again....not getting eaten. My orange one is ready to pop.
2 main questions that I could not find answers to.....
1) When can I put the fry into the big tank? The first set is 2 weeks old on Friday and I have them in the 2 gallon and doing partial water changes every to every other day. It is right next to the 29 gallon and some of the fry line up at the glass like they are trying to get over with the other fish.
2) The orange one is REALLY REALLY fat. I mean she is going to pop any day. Very square, eats like a pig, does the swimming up and down thing that my black and white one did before she had the others. She has just started chasing the black and white one from the food. They are both able to eat but she chases her around. Is this normal? Is she just a cranky pregnant lady? No signs of any disease. Water tests are great.
oh sorry...one more. Why aren't they eating the young? Sometimes they swim right in front and the mothers don't even move to chase them. I don't really want to see them eat the young, but I also don't have room for a ton of babies.
By the way, when the other fish died, I was checking the levels, adding conditioner to any water changes, etc etc. I know it was just stupid wal-mart because right after I got my Betta that died....all of them disappeared off the shelf so I'm guessing they all died then. I just wanted a nice little tank for my desk in my office...is that too much to ask?
