Pregnant Fish??

Hiya everyone - wow there's been a few changes on here since I was last on! Looks really good

Firstly, thanks for all the information you gave on my last lot of posts, it really did help get us sorted. We now have a happy tank, and after deciding we didnt want a load of babies we went and got some cherry barbs that we thought were male but now I think two of them are pregnant females, and also some female plattys that are also looking a bit broad.

I want to plan ahead for the babies and do the best thing for them. I have been reading and there seem to be a few things you can do

Leave them in the big tank but they might get eaten - dont fancy doing that.
Get a breeding net, but some people seem to say they are not very good.
Get a spare tank but would have to do dailu water changes to make syre the ammonia didnt get high.

Which is the best way to do it? Also how many babies do barbs and plattys normally have?

Hiya Bravo, glad you like the changes

I have never used a breeding net but as you say a lot of people think they are no good for the fish. I have a small cheap tank that I keep in the shed and just bring out whenever I have fry. I keep a spare filter primed in the main tank, and a spare heater and just set it up when needed. It's also good to have for whenever you have a sick fish that you want to keep seperate, or get new fish that you want to isolate for a while.

Cherry barbs scatter eggs so they have a better chance of surviving of there are lots of plants etc in the tank to keep them hidden from the other fish in the tank. I have only had a couple of batches of fry from the barbs, much less than from the livebearers.

Bravo wrote:

Hiya everyone - wow there's been a few changes on here since I was last on! Looks really good

Firstly, thanks for all the information you gave on my last lot of posts, it really did help get us sorted. We now have a happy tank, and after deciding we didnt want a load of babies we went and got some cherry barbs that we thought were male but now I think two of them are pregnant females, and also some female plattys that are also looking a bit broad.

I want to plan ahead for the babies and do the best thing for them. I have been reading and there seem to be a few things you can do

Leave them in the big tank but they might get eaten - dont fancy doing that.
Get a breeding net, but some people seem to say they are not very good.
Get a spare tank but would have to do dailu water changes to make syre the ammonia didnt get high.

Which is the best way to do it? Also how many babies do barbs and plattys normally have?

Best thing to have is a small spare tank, also you need to have a think what yoyu are going to do with the fry when you have them - keep them or try and find them a new home somewhere.