As long as the nitrogen cycle has established, add the new fish. Maybe just the 2 males or 3 females one week, then the remainder a week or 2 later. Are you going to use a QT tank before placing them in the 29G (long?)?

ummmmm.....i know this may sound bad, but i dont have a QT tank yet......so no.......

Sorry but I have to ask..fancy what???

True, I assumed guppies. "ummmmm.....i know this may sound bad, but i dont have a QT tank yet......so no......." Its the safest route to go, if one fish has a problem you dont have to treat a whole aquarium and risk having to start over. I have not always done this before and was lucky, somewhat. I have also had whole aquariums crash by not doing it. I think its totally worth it. If you still have your old smaller aquarium(I think you had a 6 gallon, unless I'm confused w/someone else) you can use that. With that said, its really up to you. One suggestion would be to use the smaller one or buy a 10 gallon bare tank, a heater, and an inexpensive filter or a complete kit and "fishless" cycle it. Get it when you get the new fish (put them in the established tank) That way you have a backup started just in case. Some fish disease/parasites don't show up even after a month. I have been keeping new additions 2 months in QT for this reason.

hey, just a heads up, one of my platies died giving birth bout a week after i got her. I found two of the babies, one is healthy, but one just sits on the bottom, oh yeah, i have them both in a breeder net. I tried feeding them liquid hard boiled egg yolk, they didnt seem to eat it, i tried powdered fish flakes, no luck, im going to get some fry food. Any suggestions? Thanx

Did you raise the temperature? Breeders usually keep the temps. on the high side in fry tanks to increase metabolism and encourage eating.

I never had any issues with fry eating regular finely crushed fish food - but fry food will have them grow very quickly (extra protein).

I'm sorry about your female. Sometimes this will happen. Sometimes they've already bred a lot prior to coming to your home.

I have never raised the temps in a fry tank...I keep fry tanks between 76 and 78F....There is no need to raise the temps.

You don't have to use those liquid formulas...they are not needed and only polute the water. Livebearer fry can eat crushed flakes.....if you want to give them a really good start give a small amount of newly hatched baby brineshrimp....but even this is not needed.

The fry that is sitting on the bottom.....has something wrong with it.....its best to cull.

Also livebearer nets are not a good thing to use.....if you are going to breed these guys....you should have another tank to move the fry into....to grow out.

Sierra

I don't use breeder nets or containers either. I just provide an environment which has lots of hiding places. I started out with artificial plant mats... letting them float up on top of the tank. The babies would hide in there. Now I have a mix of artificial and one live plant (which grows like a weed).

In a sense, I don't mind the slower babies to be eaten. And in my tank it does seem to be "the survival of the fittest" set up - but plenty seem to survive well. And I never seem without lots of guppies to give away on all occasions! ;)

I've had platy babies survive in my large community tank. Again - that tank has tons of places to hide. I don't get a lot of babies - maybe just one or two survive, but quite honestly, I'm happy enough with that.

With Platys, I don't mix them up (like I do with guppies). If I want Micky Mouse blues, I only get Micky Mouse blues. I like the wild colours that guppy mixes produce, and I'm not into breeding for specific colour or pattern. But with platys if you let them mix, you don't really get very pretty platys in return.

Your right sky, the problem is...buying platys that haven't been in a mixed tank in the store. Well thats a problem here anyway...maybe not everywhere.

Sierra

If I had some really pretty platys, I'd throw them in with the guppies for your water sprites, Sierra!

heh heh....

Pretty guppies going your way soon!

Eeeekkkkkssss! :O Nope don't really need any platy's either. LOL!

You guys are wearing me down....

Sierra