I Got Some Free Fish

[kribensis12]

Well, I went to petsmart today and was looking around. They are having a livebearer sale. All platy's and molly's are on sale for a dollar. So, naturally, they were out of stock. I looked into the molly tank, and there were several fry in there. I asked how much they were, and I was given them for free. I know they are mollies (they have color to them), but i am unsure as to what kind exactly. I was given 9 of them, and almost all of them are a greyish color. I will take a picture tomorrow to show you guys what they look like. They can't be more than 2 days old.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Excellent find dude!

-FHM

 

[kribensis12]

Thanks!

 

[OldMan47]

It can be hard to tell what color mollies will turn out based on their early colors. I find some of my creamsicles start out as a dusty gray and eventually develop that strong yellow that we associate with creamsicle color.

 

[biokid101]

wow i am toatally gonna look at the livebearer tanks more closely!

 

[kribensis12]

Thanks guys! I can't wait to see what they look like when they get older!

 

[fishyfeet]

I got one like that once, in a tank with some adult fish there was a young fry, didnt look anything like the adults so i asked what it was, they hadnt a clue, so i said, can i have it then, great to watch when you new to the hobby, so well done you i love getting fry and seeing them grow and develop, i hope they turn out to be stunning. di

 

[OldMan47]

The first fish I had when I was a youngster were ones I bought like that. The LFS used to collect all the fry from the tanks and dump them all together into a tank where they were sold dirt cheap. I got my first ever stocking from that tank for under $1. I lived in a home with tanks and fish so I chose mollies as my first fish. After a bit, you get to where you can sort out the more common livebearers even as small fry.

 

[kribensis12]

I find it easy to tell common livebearer fry apart. Unless they are swords and platies. THe swords fry are normally a tiny big larger, but I have always had a hard time with them. Guppies, large for the size of fish, with no color, and skinny body. Mollies, pretty bulky, and they have color.

 

[Aequora]

Best bet to scoring free, mostly healthy fish at any Petco is to find out what days they restock. My local one restocks it's tanks every Wednesday. Go in in the afternoon and eye all the livebearer tanks and ask for any babies you find. A hospital tank is a perfect place not only to raise them, but to keep them apart from your other stock at home should there be anything wrong with them. I've found, most of the time, that the fry were probably born on the trip over (if they're shipped) or born in the tanks once they arrived at the store. I don't so much distrust the mass breeders as I do the pet stores for their lack of water quality and clear disregard for disease control. =\

 

[kribensis12]

That is a very good idea! Petsmart gets their fish I believe on thursdays.

 

[kribensis12]

They have nearly doubled in size. When I set my tank back up (its be decommisioned for a week), I will plop them in there with some plecos and a male krib. The krib is so shy, I doubt he would eat them. If he did, I got them for free, so it's not like I am losing money. I'd rather they stay alive though.

 

[Paradise3]

I can't go in and get the fish the same day they get them in My LFS quarantines any new fish for at least a week before they put them for sale. Well saying this they usually have healthy fish anyways.

Xxx~misscosmo~xxX

 

[kribensis12]

Thats good and bad for you. Good because your fish are most likely healthier , but yet you don't get the benefits of fry for free. These fry seem to be growing at a good pace.

MISSCOSMO: Did you know that you misspelled your signature? You spelled hail "hale". "Hale" means vigorous and robust. So, your sentence would be saying " All the vigorous (robust) the guppies. It just doesn't make any sense. Sorry to be a grammar Nazi!

 

[fry_forever!]

I always get fry for free from LPS's and LFS's, but they normally don't survive, because I don't have any reputable pet stores near me, and all their tanks are infested with disease. Last weekend I got 10 molly fry from where I volunteer at, one died, because he was a straggler, but other than that, I've never EVER had molly fry so healthy. They are already huge, and are on a nice diet of crushed algae flakes, peas, and the occasional feeding of frozen and fresh BBS. They started out gray, just like you explained yours did, but now they are starting to turn more white and are getting black spots. They are from a dalmation molly mom.

Good luck with the fry!


(Mine)