A lot of new aquarium owners are wondering if they should keep their fry in the main tank. Can Platy Fry Survive in the Main Tank? This blog post will talk about Can Platy Fry Survive In The Main Tank? It’ll take about why it’s not a good idea and how it can affect the fry.
The answer is NO! Your Platy fry cannot survive in the main tank. There are a few reasons why it’s not a good idea to keep your platy fry in the main tank.
For one, other predators will eat them. Another reason is that small platy fry can’t compete with bigger fish. And finally, larger and hungrier fish will eat all of your Platy fish babies who have no problem catching large prey items like tiny Platys or Guppies without even noticing what they’re doing!
In this blog post, we’ll discuss how you can protect your smaller fry from predators in the main tank and when you should introduce these little ones into the main tank.
Can Platy Fry Survive In The Main Tank?
No, they cannot. They are prey to just about any other fish in the tank, and their parents will eat their fry if they do not have a place to hide to grow safe from predators.
Even the parents of Paty fish will unintentionally devour their own babies without a second thought. I don’t think that’s what you want for your Platy fry.
If you want your Platy fry to make it, they need a separate tank to grow and be safe from predators.
Keep in mind that the bigger the fish is in size, the more food it will consume. The smaller a fish is, the less food it needs and space needed for its living quarters (although some smaller fish will eat from the surface of other tanks). That’s why I always recommend that you should keep your Platy fry in their own separate tank.
Another thing to remember: do not introduce them until they are at least a month old or more. The Platy baby can’t compete with bigger and stronger predators in an already established tank.
The Platy fry will be vulnerable all the time if you keep them in the main tank without a filter or an air pump. This is why it’s important to have those two things just for them, and only for them!
If you want your Platy fry to live long enough so that you can see them grow and change, you will need to do your research thoroughly.
Why Keeping Platy Fry In Main Tank Isn’t A Good Idea?
It becomes quite important to save your Platy fish fry at any cost. However, it is not always easy to do so. Keeping the fry in the main tank can be a little difficult as there are several dangers they may face when living with other larger fish.
Platy Fish Eat Their Babies
Platy fish babies are tiny and cannot compete with other larger fish who will eat them. However, even their own parents will eat them if they are not given their own tank.
Other Predators In Tank
If you happen to have any other predators in the main tank, it will be harder for your Platy fish fry to survive. Some of these predators may even eat adult Platys. This will also create competition between different species, which is why we recommend that you keep your Platy fry in a separate tank.
Some predators in the tank can also pose a problem to fry as they may be eaten by these big fish that live there. This is especially true when it comes to Angel Fish, Cichlids, or Catfish.
Small Platy Fry Can’t Compete With Big Fish.
The problem is not just limited to fish that are too big for them. Sometimes, the bigger ones will also eat their younger siblings or cousins if given a chance because they don’t have any other food sources around. This can be quite traumatizing and may even affect the whole family of Platys.
Even fish like platy fish, such as guppies and corydoras, may eat them up, while small platy fry cannot compete against bigger ones for food.
Will All Platy Fry Be Eaten?
No, even if all of the fry are eaten by larger fish or other predators, some will survive and grow up to become adults. However, it would not be good for them to have had an unfair start in life. So, to avoid this from happening, we recommend secluding them in their own tank to be safe and happy all the time.
Is It Necessary To Seclude The Platy Fry?
Yes, it is necessary to seclude the Platy fry from predators in the main tank. If you do not want predators to eat them , then this must happen. Otherwise, they will have no chance of living and growing up into adults since much bigger fish continuously prey on their own kind.
Another reason that we recommend secluding them is that they are less likely to be caught by any other fish in a big tank. Therefore, the bigger ones will not bother with them, and smaller fry can live peacefully without being eaten all the time. This way, you will have more chances of having your fish survive.
When Should You Introduce Your Platy Fish In Main Tank?
The best time to introduce your fish fry is when they are still small enough that other larger fish cannot catch them and eat them. It may sound good, but the truth is, from a young age, these little ones can’t compete against bigger fishes for food or space.
This is generally when Platy fish fry reaches the 1 to 2 inches size. After that, they are small enough for other fish not to notice them. And they can still grow up into big adults while leaving the larger ones with nothing.
If you want your Fry to grow into healthy adults, then I recommend that they live in a secluded area until their body has grown big enough – which would be around two months of age.
This will also allow them time to get used to the new environment to be less stressed in the future.
How Can You Protect Platy Fry From Predators In Main Tank?
Well, it seems kind of impossible to save your fry from other fish or predators that can eat them. However, there are some steps you can take to protect them better. The first is making sure they have a separate tank for themselves where the bigger ones won’t be able to get in and eat up all their food sources.
Give Them Their Own Tank
Keeping them in their own tank is the best way to protect them from other bigger fish or predators. These fish could eat them up when these small platy baby fry come in contact with them in the main tank. In addition, this will allow these little ones to grow up and become adults without any fear of other fish making them a snack.
This way, you will also see them grow and not worry that larger fish might eat them while living together in a big tank. This is important because it can cause the whole family of Platys to suffer, which would lead to their demise.
Seclude Them
You can use a breeder net to seclude your fry from predators by placing them on one side of the net, usually against glass or plastic mesh. This is an effective way to protect them during their first few weeks while they grow big enough to survive in the big tank.
In addition, I have found that my tank becomes cleaner and less cloudy when you keep the fry in a secluded area.
Keep Them In A Smaller Tank
You can keep your fry in a smaller tank for now until they are big enough for you to keep them in the main tank. This is good because you will not need to worry about other fish eating them and avoid any stress. As it would lead to the death of most of these little ones. It would help if you were sure that they are comfortable and safe.
This will also allow you to keep an eye on them. So you know when the time is right for them to move into a bigger tank, leading to a more thriving fry than if you leave them alone without watching over.
Eliminate any Predators In The Tank
This is not an easy task, but you can try to eliminate predators such as Cichlids, Angel Fish, and Catfish. These fish are famous for their voracious appetite when it comes to another fish fry. This way, your little ones will be able to grow up happily and without any fear of predators eating them.
Feed Them With Small Amounts Of Live Foods
If you want your fish to grow into an adult, they must have food all the time. You can feed them with small live foods such as brine shrimp or white worms, which are perfect for fry. Once they grow up, you can feed them with bigger food such as bloodworms or mosquito larvae which are more appropriate for adults.
If you don’t follow these steps, there will be a high possibility that your fry will either get eaten by predators in the tank or starve to death even if they were secluded on their own side of the tank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Platy Fry Survive Without An Air Pump?
No, your Platy fry can’t survive without an air pump because we said before that all fish need oxygen to survive.
We recommend using an air pump to have plenty of oxygen. Air pumps are not expensive, and they will help protect your fry from being eaten up in the tank with other fish.
You cannot keep the baby Platy fish alive without one because they may asphyxiate if left on their own in a large tank with no filter or other means of oxygenation.
What Does Platy Fry Eat?
Platys are omnivores which means that they will eat anything from vegetation, live foods, and dead insects (when the case is) – but for them to grow up healthy, you need to feed them with food such as brine shrimp or white worms since these kinds of food are best for fry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are several ways to keep your Platy fry safe and thriving while living in the main tank. This is important because they will be more likely to grow up if you seclude them; feed them with small amounts of live foods or move them into a smaller tank where they can get enough oxygen from an air pump.
It might also be necessary to eliminate any predators in the tank or feed them with small live foods.
I hope that this blog post will have helped answer your question about whether Platy fry can survive in the main tank. If you still need help, feel free to drop a comment below.
Good Luck!!
Happy Fishkeeping!!!