pregant fish

Question
i have a couple of questions my first one is i have a boy and a girl swordtail and my girl is quite big but isn't getting any bigger and i have had her nearly a month and she hides alto and the boy chances her alto should i put her in a net just in case she is pregnant.and my other question was i have three baby platys 2 boys and 1 girl and my girl is kinda big but gets bigger when she eats is it possible for her to be pregnant to she is still quite small and the boys chase he alto to and she stays at the top do u have any advice thanks.

Answer
Hi Camile;

Female swords and platies are pretty much pregnant all the time. They can start pretty young too. Your tank needs more females (girls) though. There should be at least two females for every male. Otherwise, your females could really be stressed and worn out from the males' constant attention. It could seriously affect their ability to have successful litters of babies too. Such stress is not good for them and they can actually get sick and die from it.

When a female platy or swordtail is getting ready to have babies she will hide more and her belly will develop a "boxy" look to it. It will become more flat on the bottom and sides. Then it's just a matter of days. Don't just keep your females in the breeder net most of the time though. It's just too small and can cause stress to them. Even if they have babies and you don't catch them in time, try again on the next batch. Put plenty of bushy live plants for the babies to hide in if they are born when you aren't watching. They like to nibble on them too. You could also set up a "nursery" tank. The females can live over there for a few days until they deliver and the other fish can't get to them.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins