My Mollies Getting Fat

[Mr&Mrs Newb McFish]

Hi there, already had a Molly give birth the day after we brought her home from the pet shop so didn't really get a chance to see her progress and get fatter This was two weeks ago, we now have six little Molly fry doing well and hoping to put them into the main tank when they are big enough.

This is a photo of my two Molly females and are they pregnant ? or am i just hoping they are ?

I suspect they are both pregnant but still quite new to the fish being pregnant thing, also does anybody recommend birthing trap thingy ? didn't really want them being eaten. When she had the last lot we don't think any were eaten but we aren't 100% sure.

 

[Paradise3]

They look pregnant but i would say don't put the adults in a birthing trap. A birthing trap stresses them out and they might abort (meaning they might lay the eggs instead of giving birth) If they abort you won't get any fry (baby fish). I just let my guppies give birth in the main tank them catch all the fry and put them in a different tank. If you don't have a different tank i would get a breeding trap to put the fry in so that the adults can't eat them. I can't tell you how far gone they are or how long they have left because i keep guppies instead of mollies.
Hope this helps.

~AJ~

 

[Mr&Mrs Newb McFish]

thanks for the reply, yh the other fry are in a little tank that we got just for them, i'll wait for them to pop then just fish 'em out.

 

[Paradise3]

Tis a good idea.
Just a little warning though, i hope you haven't got too many decorations and plants.
Last drop i got off my largest female guppy was a nightmare... I had to remove all the adults then all the decor and plants just to catch the babies.

~AJ~

 

[5teady_2012]

The dalmation is close to dropping, i would trap her in a couple of days, when trapping her, out the lights, give her a tiny bit of food, cover tank if the light in the room is bright, and all will be fine, just dont leave her in for no longer than 48 hours (if she drops then take her out soon has u think she has finished.)

 

[Mr&Mrs Newb McFish]

thanks for the reply. i will keep a eye on her.

We already have a small tank with fry in will it be ok to put the new babies in with them there are only 6 of them.

 

[nosoup4you]

Hmmmm...the marble looks more square to me. I would say they are both fairly close to dropping though. Good luck!

 

[Mr&Mrs Newb McFish]

the black one keeps hanging around near the filter in a corner out of the way of everyone else.

 

[omega59]

You might want to read the stickies particularly the ones by 5teady.

 

[OldMan47]

The mollies will not do as well in a trap as smaller fish do. This is a point where I disagree with many other livebearer keepers. I have good success with many fish just isolating them to a tank with no other fish but a decent amo0unt of cover. A few days later, when they have dropped, I move them back to the4 adult tank and leave the fry behind to grow up. If you have 2 week old molly fry that are growing well, they can have the adult that is dropping in with them with very little danger. Another advantage of placing the female in the tank with 2 week old fry is that the female w8ill be less likely to try to chase the new fry after a few days with juveniles like that. For molly judging, one drop to the next, I have a link in my signature area to a thread I put together with pictures of a female from one drop to the next. The link to it in my signature area is called My Molly's Progress.

 

[Duck and Dive]

I agree, breeding traps are far too small for mollys, it would really stress them out. You really need a second tank to put the molly in before she gives birth as this is by far the best way. It wont stress them out as much.

Echoing what others said look aroud at the pinned topics and oldman's topic in his link. It would save another one of these "is my fish pregnant" topics being posted.

 

[5teady_2012]

Most breeding traps now are designed to hold 2 fish, simply take out the middle section and you have one large compartment for the mollie, simple, always done it this way with no probs, she will be in there for minimal time anyways, if you was leaving her in for long period of time i agree its bad, but ur not so no worries, breeding traps are designed for this sort of job, if it was so bad, im sure they would not have been around for so many years.

The correct usage of a trap is all thats needed, only carelesness will result in the fish suffering.

Moving a fish from tank to tank to isolate her to drop can be just has stressfull if not more, this is why i dont fully agree with that way, end of the day its each to thier own and what works best for each individual.

Good luck

If she is being unsocial and just hanging round not doing much, trap her for the night, thats what i would do.

 

[OldMan47]

I have breeding traps bigger than most people do LM. I got mine back about 20 years ago before they started trying to make them with as little material as possible. Mine were made to be used with 4 guppies in them and are still smaller than I would feel good putting a mature molly into. When you add to that the fact that mollies are not very predatory on their own fry, there is no reason to put a molly into a box so small that she only has about twice her body length to turn around once she gets to the end of the box. It is like putting a betta into the cups they have at the fish shop. They can live in it a few days but it is not good for them. I am well aware, from your previous time on TFF, that you are a huge fan of traps but they are a point we will never agree on.

 

[fry_forever!]

I have never had a molly eat her own fry before, let alone bother them, so it would probably be safe to let her drop in the main tank. After she drops, you can move the fry to your fry tank, or just leave them with the other mollies, if they don't bother them. I have raised many batches of livebearers with their parents.

Good luck,

-f_f!

 

[5teady_2012]

I have breeding traps bigger than most people do LM. I got mine back about 20 years ago before they started trying to make them with as little material as possible. Mine were made to be used with 4 guppies in them and are still smaller than I would feel good putting a mature molly into. When you add to that the fact that mollies are not very predatory on their own fry, there is no reason to put a molly into a box so small that she only has about twice her body length to turn around once she gets to the end of the box. It is like putting a betta into the cups they have at the fish shop. They can live in it a few days but it is not good for them. I am well aware, from your previous time on TFF, that you are a huge fan of traps but they are a point we will never agree on.

Thats why i said each to thier own and whatever works for each individual

The fact is there is pro and cons to both ways, both ways have stress related issues, but for a healthy fish either way should not be a problem, Some of my traps also are getting on 15 years old


Im a big fan of traps cos u save all the fry 99% of the times, keeps them out of other predators way, easy to keep seperate from other fry from other fish, easier to know they are getting plenty of food, easier to keep a close eye on, can save on space setting up another tank that many dont have more room for (including myself)

Just these pros to me make a trap well worth while, the mother only is usually in the trap over night cos my drop sheets and my judgment is pretty much accurate enough for me to minimize thier time in it