Not sure if my new molly fry are eating?

[brokenoob!]

Hi there! I'm very new to aquarium life and even more of a noob to caring for fry after my white Molly unexpectedly gave birth to 13 fry yesterday!!

I immediately separated the fry from the mother into a new tank, but made sure to transfer a lot of the water from the original tank to ensure that they are not shocked by a water change. All of the water parameters look good and I have provided gravel and plants for hiding areas. As of right now (30 hours later) only one fry has passed in the transfer, leaving me still with 12 fry, which was more than I was expecting to survive! They are all at a full swimming stage now, darting around and hovering above gravel rather than hiding, which I take to be a good sign.

Here's where the problem comes in: I really have no idea if they're eating. I've tried to grind up a few tropical flakes into a fine powder, but I don't think they touched it. I then got some Hikari brine shrimp and shaved just a little bit of dust off of the cube, but I still think they are mostly uninterested/ I haven't seen them go at it at all. I remove all the uneaten food after about an hour, but if they have been touching it, it's not visible. Any clues as to what I'm doing wrong? What's a girl gotta do to get some babies to eat around here?!!

 

[Retired Viking]

I feed my molly fry the same thing, it may just take them a little while to adjust to being born.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Get some Hikari First Bites at your lfs. It’s a powder and the fry love it.

 

[brokenoob!]

Get some Hikari First Bites at your lfs. It’s a powder and the fry love it.

Got it! I looked for that but they didn't have it at my lfs. Might just express order it online and keep dealing with my other options for now! Thanks

 

[brokenoob!]

Get some Hikari First Bites at your lfs. It’s a powder and the fry love it.

I thought that may be the case...I'll probably wait until tomorrow to start really freaking out haha. Thanks!!

 

[Carolyn N]

You are not the only one have trouble getting live bearer fry to eat something. I had 4 baby Platys given to me and could not get them to eat anything I put in the tank (small tank). I tried newly hatched brine scrimp, two different kinds of flakes that I ground into dust with morter and pistol. One died, one was bullied to death by fry that was eating and was 3 times bigger. The bully I had to remove to another small tank, he is eating. The other one is in a tank with 2 leopard corys, that also would not eat brine scrimp. They spit everything out. Also tried pellets and discs. I figure they are getting something or they would all be dead. I see them picking at the floating plants. Good luck with yours.

 

[brokenoob!]

You are not the only one have trouble getting live bearer fry to eat something. I had 4 baby Platys given to me and could not get them to eat anything I put in the tank (small tank). I tried newly hatched brine scrimp, two different kinds of flakes that I ground into dust with morter and pistol. One died, one was bullied to death by fry that was eating and was 3 times bigger. The bully I had to remove to another small tank, he is eating. The other one is in a tank with 2 leopard corys, that also would not eat brine scrimp. They spit everything out. Also tried pellets and discs. I figure they are getting something or they would all be dead. I see them picking at the floating plants. Good luck with yours.

I'm so sorry to hear about your fry! I know dynamics with other fish are hard (had a swordtail nearly bullied to death by 2 aggressive guppies) so I'm isolating the fry for now. Luckily all the fry are the exact same size at the moment, and hopefully I can monitor their eating to ensure the maintenance of their size.

I hope your other fry will grow up healthily! I agree with your assessment that they are probably eating something or else they wouldn't still be sticking around. I have read that often times fry just pick at leftovers among gravel and plants and live on that for weeks! So maybe they're thriving on that alone!

 

[CassCats]

Do you have any decor from your main tank? If its been set up for a few months, there should be a good layer of biofilm, many fry will pick at that naturally.

Many livebearer fry will also enjoy grazing soft algaes, so leaving a rock inside a jar of dechlorinated water in a sunny window will help grow a little bit for fry to graze in the future (with livebearers, there will be more fry likely next month too).

Good luck, keep trying with foods! I found that my platy fry took to powdered foods after a couple of days, so it may take some time. Keep trying remember their stomachs are really small right now, so it may not seem like theyre eating, but they very well are.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Got it! I looked for that but they didn't have it at my lfs. Might just express order it online and keep dealing with my other options for now! Thanks

That is a good idea to order online. I suggest Amazon.com. You might also be able to get some good deals on PetCo or PetSmart. If the order might take a while, see if you can find some powder food at a Walmart or something. Shipping might be restricted due to COVID-19, so just be ready for that.

Im glad you immediately separated the fry, smart thinking.

 

[brokenoob!]

Do you have any decor from your main tank? If its been set up for a few months, there should be a good layer of biofilm, many fry will pick at that naturally.

Many livebearer fry will also enjoy grazing soft algaes, so leaving a rock inside a jar of dechlorinated water in a sunny window will help grow a little bit for fry to graze in the future (with livebearers, there will be more fry likely next month too).

Good luck, keep trying with foods! I found that my platy fry took to powdered foods after a couple of days, so it may take some time. Keep trying remember their stomachs are really small right now, so it may not seem like they're eating, but they very well are.

Oh thank you so much for the algae idea! I just put some pebbles in dechlorinated water and I'm going to leave it by the sun for a day or two and then integrate it with the rest of the substrate.

A quick question--you said that livebearers may give birth to more fry next month, but actually she was pregnant when I got her from the store! Currently she is not with any male fish, do you mean that fry continue to develop on their own without a second impregnation or just that she'll be able to breed again? (Sorry if that is a stupid question, I'm just wondering how big of a tank I should be looking at getting )

 

[Retired Viking]

She may have more, I had some that over 2 weeks later were still having fry. Depends on how safe and comfortable she feels.

 

[Essjay]

Female livebearers can store sperm, and use this sperm to have batches of fry for up to 6 months. You may have a lot more fry still to come.

 

[brokenoob!]

Female livebearers can store sperm, and use this sperm to have batches of fry for up to 6 months. You may have a lot more fry still to come.

Wow...ok GOOD TO KNOW!! I would have been so confused a month from now. Would have changed her name to the Virgin Mary

 

[CassCats]

Yeah they can keep having babies multiple batches in a row even after being away from a male. Its pretty fascinating, and very unexpected if you arent aware of the fact.

(I saw a petstore worker advising someone to buy either only males or only females if they didnt want babies, but nooo just go males if you dont want babies lol i said nothing, theyd figure it out)

I had 5 batches of babies from a female platy who was not housed with a male for those 5 months.

Mark which day she had babies this time, around the same time next month you may see more

 

[Retired Viking]

It is so easy with mollies and guppies to have fry, I have had plenty of both. Just wish it was a little easier with tetra. With getting the temp, lighting, water conditions and even landscape just right and then only having one or two survive but I am not into breeding it just feels good to see a little fry hiding out in my hornwort.