pregnant platies

Question
hello,

I bought some platies 43 days ago two of them were already pregnant but they didn't give birth till now, is this normal?
one of them is eating very little for almost a week now and she is always hidding so i moved her into a breeding trap two days ago. is she going to give birth soon or should i remove her from the breeding trap? and how long should they stay pregnant before giving birth?

Thank you

Answer
Hi,
Platies and other livebearers usually take between 3 and 4 weeks to give birth, but unless they are deformed, i wouldn't worry about it.
I would remove the female from the breeding trap until she actually gives birth. Then net all the fry (offspring) and keep them in the breeding net until they are 2cm long, when they are safe from being eaten by the others.
Also, feed the fry baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food. Feed the mother and other adults bloodworm, brineshrimp and daphnia as well as flake food too.
Good luck, and I hope all goes well.
Best wishes,
Kathryn