platy babys

Question
my platies have had 3 lots of babies and i'm wondering if it's normal.  The tank is also full of babies now and they just won't stop coming! what should i do? will all my fish die?

Answer
Hi Cassandra
Yes, that's normal :)  Platies and other livebearers can have babies/fry about every 28 days, give or take.  And, females can store the sperm inside them, therefore they can continue to have fry for up to 6 months-with no male presence during that time.  

You're best bet, is to net the babies out and care for them in a separate tank if possible.  Once they get to a good size, about 1/2 inch or so-a size where they won't get sucked into a filter or eaten by other fish in the tank, try finding a mom and pop pet store that'll take them for you.  The only problem, since they breed so easily and prolific, it's hard to find a place that will take them.  Some places will offer a small amount of money or store credit, others won't.  

It'd also be a good idea to separate the males and females you do keep, either with another tank, or possibly giving away one or the other as well.  If the tank ends up overstocked(which it most likely will be), it can cause the water parameters to go out of control-which would stress the fish and possibly kill them.  Be sure to do frequent water changes, especially as the babies get older.  One thing you can try, but I don't guarantee it'll work, if your tank is heated, turn it down (slowly) a degree or two.  Most people keep their tanks around 78F, drop it to 76F.  With some fish that'll help....

Hope that helps, and good luck!!!  Let me know if you have more questions.

Christy