Stop platies from breeding?

[NotGumbel]

Another platy question on behalf of my mother: Is there a way to stop platies from reproducing, aside from removing the male from the tank?

Guess the poor lady wasn't anticipating batches of 30 babies every so often :joke:

Thanks in advance,
Bryant

 

[gourami]

Hi, the problem with platys is that they will keep on breeding utill they die or are seperated. you could use a seperater to keep the male away but IMO they can easily ruin a tank. maybe you should rethink about moving your male

 

[wataugachicken]

i've never had platies, but i do know that female guppies will store sperm from previous matings. they can spawn weeks after you get them with no males around, and even if they've spawned already. it's possible that platies can do the same thing (not entirely sure though), so the best bet would be to get rid of the females.

 

[mooman]

You could snip off the males gonopodium.


I'm totally kidding. Don't do that.

 

[gourami]

i've never had platies, but i do know that female guppies will store sperm from previous matings. they can spawn weeks after you get them with no males around, and even if they've spawned already. it's possible that platies can do the same thing (not entirely sure though), so the best bet would be to get rid of the females.

you're right but only guppys do that not plattys (at least mine havn't ever done so anyway)

 

[tricksterpup]

you're right but only guppys do that not plattys (at least mine havn't ever done so anyway)

All fish within the family Poeciliidae will store sperm like this.
This includes:
Platies
Mollies
Guppies
Swordtails
Endlers
Gambusia
Belonesox belizanus
Girardinus denticulatus
Heterandria formosa
Merry Widows
Limias

I could go on but I think everyone gets the hint, Livebearers store their sperm.

 

[Holly9937]

Depending on the tank size and other fish, you might just consider another fish or two that would eat the babies, free food

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

Id say let em eat them...Keeping only males is not the best idea...They can get pretty ornery with each other if there is no one to breed with...

 

[NotGumbel]

IMO they can easily ruin a tank

Could you define "ruin" please?

 

[gourami]

what I mean by ruin is that IMO they can look ugly and can make the tank look less impresive (i don't think that they have any negative afects on the tank other than looks) . however this is based on personal opinion, i'm sure that some people think that they look good.