Help! Where did that little fish come from?

[totally_tonto]

Er, HELP!!!!!!

I was doing usual water change today and noticed a black thing floting around. Was about to suck it up until in noticed it look uncannily like a miniature Black Molly! and it was swimming! AHHH!!!!!



Wasnt planning to do this breeding thng yet (with fish anyway).
Dont think my tank is really good enough to handle fry yet.

I had a funny feeling one of the Mollies was looking a bit bigger than usual. Tart! She told me she'd used protection!

Anyway, HELP. I dont know what to do. I dont have another tank but i know they shouldnt be left with my other fish (couldnt they eat it? have they eaten its sisters?)

What do I do? do i need special food? where can i get a babysitter at this time of nite?

 

[Jen]

you should go out and get a breeder net/mini tank. they hook on to the side of the tank and keep the little guy safe until he is big enough to swim with the rest of your fish!

 

[KtS257]

Ok, here goes...
Yes, you need to move them out of the tank because yes they will get eaten. For the first 3 or 4 days they need to be fed liquid fry (you can get this at almost any pet store) after that just crunch up your regular flake food (make sure the pieces are real small though) After a few weeks they'll be big enough not to be eaten and can go back into the regular tank!1 Good luck and have fun!

 

[marks69]

for food just crush up some flake. a zip lock bag and a rolling pin work well.
you could leave the fry in the tank if you have lots of plants to hide in, if not you could use a fry net and keep it in the tank, or put it in a bucket with an air stone for a week or so till it gets big enough to go back in the main tank.
gl and congrats
mark

 

[MartinB]

If it's a Molly fry.
Just leave it with the rest.
My fish don't seem to eat mollys after thay are a day old.
Seeing your one may be a few days old allready I think it should be ok now.

 

[totally_tonto]

Thanks Guys.

Do you think there will be more? do mollies have several brats at a time?

I'm a bit stuck for little nets etc as this has happened right before a start of shifts at work. gonna be difficult to get to a pet shop before friday/saturday.

From what you say i's probably not worth worrying about by then.

I may have to lwet the little guy take his chances.

 

[MartinB]

There maybe more
It's the first time I have had molly fry.
1st day I saw 3 and 2nd day counted 6 and now thay are 6 days I have seen 8.


Don't know how many fry thay have.

Also found 2 dead ones stuck in the gravel.

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

I have to many Fry fish and i dont use anything except for large stones and plants. If you pile loads of medium size stones in the corner and suround that by plants then in a few months you will have hundreds of fry and baby fish.

THe fry will quickly race towards the plants and hide or they will head for the bottom of the tank. if you have enough stones where the fry can go but the adults not then that is safe enough.

I found that i lost loads of mothers to be in breedeer nets and tanks. this way most of the fry will survive.

and if you are looking at doing it as a pro then the other ways are good enough. be aware the more places you have for them to hide then the mor fish you will have....

just a warning. i have to many now....

 

[guppymonkey]

Mollies give birth to up to a hundred fry in one drop. I doubt you have that many fry hiding in your tank but there may be more. If there are some plants for the fry to hide in than I wouldn't worry about breeder nets or taking the fry out of the tank. Breeder nets end up stunting the growth of fish anyways. With Molly babies feeding is simple. They can eat flake food from the moment they are born. So, as long as its not eaten by another fish it should be fine.

 

[MartinB]

Mollies give birth to up to a hundred fry in one drop.

WOW!!!
Learn something every day here.