When are platy fry old enough to...?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 adult platies (2 female, one male). The females have had fry, the oldest of which are now maybe about 3-4 weeks old. The fry are in one of those breeder net things, so they're safe from being eaten. I know it's hard to gauge how much they've grown, because I see them every day, but it doesn't look to me like they've grown much at all. They're swimming around and eating and none have died, but I don't think they're getting much bigger. So, here are my questions; How old will they have to be before a) they are full grown b) they get colour and actually look like platies rather than generic fry and c) before they can go back in the rest of the tank safely without being eaten? Thanks!!

Answer 1

they're mature enough to breed when they're about 4-6 months of age, which is considered an adult

they also grow extremly slow as well

especially if confined to a small space like a breeder

i recommend getting liveplants like watersprite, water wisteria and breeding grass for your tank, and let the fry out

you will notice that they will start to grow and also color up