i have this(as well as some floating plants and other hiding spaces) and it worked.. but i am not sure for how long. over the last couple of days i have discovered and caught six of my platy babies but watched many more come out from hiding and get snatched up by one of my four adult platies(they do hide in it but sometimes they come out and get eaten).. i bought a breeder net, however i still have maybe two baby platies inside of the main tank (they are too fast to catch) they seem to be smart and know when and how to hide.. if you want to keep most of your fry catch them right after birth and seperate them from your other fish.. if you want just a few i think baby hideout mixed with other plants and hiding spaces should work