How Much Longer Until Mollies Ready?

[FishHobbyist1564]

how do i know when my balloon molly is only hours away or a day away from birth?? are there any signals, or do i just not put her in a breeding net? Thanks

 

[theotheragentm]

It's not an easy tell, but the fish should separate herself from the rest of the fish.

I would not put the fish in a breeding net. You can have plenty of surviving fry if there are hiding places. The breeding nets stress fish, and unless you are positive about the approaching birthing time, the fish may abort fry.

 

[hotpsx]

Ive had a Ballon Molly ashes been getting bigger over the last 2 months ,She never seems like she will give Birth,I moved her into a 70 litre tank along with my Pregnant guppy and platy they too seem to of been pregnant for an eternity.
If the Ballon molly gets any bigger I think she would explode.
Antony

 

[SnBMeg]

If you have floating or surface-reaching plants (i.e.: Cabomba, Vallisneria, etc., etc.), or even just some plastic plants floating on the surface, the fry will instinctively hide among the leaves near the surface. I always move the fry to their own area as soon as I find them, but I've had fry survive in the adults' tank for several days before I find them (hiding places can also work against the breeder. ;p)

So I've always just left pregnant females where they are.

Antony, is it just your molly's belly that's getting bigger, or her whole body? How long have you had her? Did you get her from a store? Have you been keeping her with a mature male? When I bought one of my original female balloons, she already looked ready to pop any day, but she was the last of my females to give birth--over 3 months after I got her.

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

whenever my molly gives birth in the tank, i always get only 5 babies... so the reast must have been eaten, so i want to put her in a breeding net now