Hi, We've only been keeping tropical fish for about two months. With help from our local fish shop we've got the tank cycled, originally had 10 neon tetras who only lived one day and also 5 small red platys who are all doing fine and growing well. We then got 3 angelfish but only the one larger angelfish has survived, and have now introduced a male dalmatian molly and two females. The fish keeper said these were both pregnant and low and behold a week later we are now the proud owners of 9 babies! We've bought a small birthing box (sorry don't know the technical name for it) and put them in it within the main tank. The adults seemed to have eaten some of their brothers and sisters. My question is - how do we look after these babies and how long should we keep them away from the adults?? Any help would be appreciated.
Baby Mollies
- Thread starter pobfan
- Start date
probally the best thing to feed them is liquidfry or baby brine shrimp. keep them in the breeder box until they are to big to fit in other fishes mouths this is what i do with mine & make sure you clean out any uneaten food out of the fry box as well. good luck with ya fry 
breezer40
Fish Addict
Another food you could also try is crushed flake while you are waiting for the brineshrimp to hatch.
First of all, Welcome to the forum and congrats on the babies!
Could you possibly at least get a breeding net? Breeding boxes are really too small for Molly fry..and they'll get full very quickly, especially at the rate Mollies grow. Could you split the fry into a few?
As for feeding, since Mollies are born pretty big as Livebearer fry go, I'd skip the Liquifry. For the first couple weeks, Hikari First Bites or Tetramin Fry food is good. Another option with Mollies is to just to straight to very tiny crushed up flakes. Baby Brine Shrimp will work well, if you want to alternate that in.
When they get older, they can move on to (or continue with) the crushed up flakes. Just crush them up a little less. Also, very tiny pieces of Frozen/Freeze-dried foods will be good to alternate in. I'd say maybe once a day, every 2-3 days. If you feed this too often, they can get bloated or constipated. And we don't want that!
As they get even older, you can start feeding whatever the adults eat.
Mollies also like Veggies a lot, so you could try feeding some blanched cucumber, zucchini etc.
Remember, fry grow best when they are fed at least 3 times a day, 5-6 is preferable. And keep the water quality good...fry will do well in good water!
Once again, congratulations on the fry! Since you've had these, you can expect more about every month.
Could you possibly at least get a breeding net? Breeding boxes are really too small for Molly fry..and they'll get full very quickly, especially at the rate Mollies grow. Could you split the fry into a few?
As for feeding, since Mollies are born pretty big as Livebearer fry go, I'd skip the Liquifry. For the first couple weeks, Hikari First Bites or Tetramin Fry food is good. Another option with Mollies is to just to straight to very tiny crushed up flakes. Baby Brine Shrimp will work well, if you want to alternate that in.
When they get older, they can move on to (or continue with) the crushed up flakes. Just crush them up a little less. Also, very tiny pieces of Frozen/Freeze-dried foods will be good to alternate in. I'd say maybe once a day, every 2-3 days. If you feed this too often, they can get bloated or constipated. And we don't want that!
As they get even older, you can start feeding whatever the adults eat.
Mollies also like Veggies a lot, so you could try feeding some blanched cucumber, zucchini etc. Remember, fry grow best when they are fed at least 3 times a day, 5-6 is preferable. And keep the water quality good...fry will do well in good water!
Once again, congratulations on the fry! Since you've had these, you can expect more about every month.
Thanks for your warm welcome and helpful comments. We actually went out to get the box as soon as we saw the fry swimming in the tank, trying to evade their parents. They are absolutely tiny (about 2mm) so could it be they aren't mollies at all? I'm not sure about any of this. I've already crushed the flake into powder for them and they seem happy with it; they are already two days old by the way.
I know they are tiny, but some other Livebearer fry are much tinier! I'm just used to seeing Endler fry and such. Though, do you have any other Livebearers? What other fish are in the tank?
Crushed flakes will be fine, for now. As they get a little older, you might want to put some Live/Frozen/Freeze-dried in their diet. As a matter of fact, in any of the fish's diet..it will be good for them. But as I said, no more then maybe 2-3 times a week.
You'll have to keep us updated on the fry...there's also a Livebearer section on this forum that's just for these kind of fish.
Crushed flakes will be fine, for now. As they get a little older, you might want to put some Live/Frozen/Freeze-dried in their diet. As a matter of fact, in any of the fish's diet..it will be good for them. But as I said, no more then maybe 2-3 times a week.
You'll have to keep us updated on the fry...there's also a Livebearer section on this forum that's just for these kind of fish.
i've gota say i got my molly fry in a 12 uk gallon at the moment & they look lost in there, but it is much better than the breeder box i used first time. we only have female mollies in the tank but they were pregnant when we got them & i found out after that they can hold up to 7 sperm packets 
so only batch number 2 now & she looks pregnant again. but its fun lol 
. as soon as these are big enuff their tank is being used for a cory breeding tank
so only batch number 2 now & she looks pregnant again. but its fun lol . as soon as these are big enuff their tank is being used for a cory breeding tank Dubby
His legend will never die
The babies also love to eat algae and other small critters that are in live plants. So I would highly recommend adding a plant like java moss or hornwort to the tank.
If you find that you have not enough room for the fry in the breeder, try adding a lot of plants and other hiding places in the main tank so the babies can hide and transfer a few there.
Since your tank has more of platies and mollys your babies are relatively safer. I find that tetras are extremely efficient at finding and eating babies. You need to watch the angel ofcourse.
Wish you luck with the fry and may you be blessed with many more
If you find that you have not enough room for the fry in the breeder, try adding a lot of plants and other hiding places in the main tank so the babies can hide and transfer a few there.
Since your tank has more of platies and mollys your babies are relatively safer. I find that tetras are extremely efficient at finding and eating babies. You need to watch the angel ofcourse.
Wish you luck with the fry and may you be blessed with many more
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