Pregnant Balloon Molly

[frannyscho]

How do you know when a black balloon Molly is just about to produce, because she is black I can't see what is going on inside? Her bott is white and I keep thinking she is going to any minute, but as I am totally inexperienced, I have no idea. I have just planted 3 good hiding plants in a small tank.

There is still one pinkish/orange fry in there about 4-5mm long but that looks more like the platy.

Do they all look similar at this stage?
How old might this one be? I only saw it two days ago, and didn't see any more of them.

Also the tank is new and hasn't finished cycling yet. I am changing 1/5th of the water every day with dechlorinated similar temp water. I think I am still on the ammonia - nitrite stage, although there was an anti ammonia chemical put in four days ago ish.

Is there anything else I should know or be doing?

(The tank is 30L, now contains only two female balloon Mollys, one female sunset Platy)

(The poor Danio got itself stuck behind the filter suction bit last night - RIP)

 

[Annastasia]

It can be kind of hard to tell with Balloon Mollies, because they always look pregnant! Usually you have to go by their attitude, and sometimes they WILL look a lot fatter though. Signs she is about to give birth usually include chasing other fish away, hiding, and generally acting moody.

If the little fry is Pinkish orange, I'd say it's a Platy. Yes, they do kind of look alike at this point..But if you have a sunset Platy, I can almost guarantee the baby came from her.

If you want some of these fry to survive, you can try putting in a few floating plants. Babies can usually hide in there. Or alternately, you can get a fry tank, which will probably be best if you want to raise these babies, as your tank is kind of small. Of course, then you get into the problem of raising the babies in an uncycled tank, which can be bad for them, because they are sensitive. Maybe ask your fish store if they could give you a small piece of sponge or something, that's already been in one of their cycled tanks?

If you do want to get a fry tank, you could probably get by with about 10-15 gallons. If you want to raise them in a seperate tank, you'll have to net them out of the tank once they are born, or put the mother in there right before she is about to give birth.

Fry foods are good for the first few weeks, along with Baby Brine Shrimp. For fry foods, I recommend are Tetramin Fry, and Hikari First Bites. You shouldn't just feed Baby Brine Shrimp, because it's very high protein, and that can cause some problems like bloating...Best to intermingle it. After they are big enough, you can move on to crushed flakes foods, and also keep using the Baby Brine Shrimp. Ideally, You can alternate the Brine Shrimp with freeze-dried or frozen foods like Bloodworms, Daphnia, Tubifex Worms. Variety is good. Mollies also like veggies, so you can blanch a very small piece of Zucchini, Cucumber, Lettuce etc.

If you are going to have a fry tank, I recommend a sponge filter, so the fry do not get sucked up. You'll also have to do water changes pretty often, because fry need good water quality. You can do water changes using an airline tubing siphon, or a turkey baster.

Best of luck!

 

[frannyscho]

She has become fairly aggressive to the other Molly, is hiding a bit, and is a bit skitty (know how she feels!!!) and is greedy for food, partly because it isn't very forthcoming whilst the ammonia levels are high. I looked at the keeper net, and floaty box chambers and although they would just about fit in my tank, it wouldn't leave much room for anyone else. So far I have just the plants, I bought a new one yesterday.

How long on average to fry have to be separated for, until they are too big to be food?

This business of how much flake food to feed them is very confusing for a beginner - what would be about right for three small fish?

If that fry belongs to the Platy then I had no idea she was preggers. She certainly looks empty now. Perhaps she had lots earlier and in my ignorance I ever noticed. How old might this one be if it's about 5mm long? Maybe the Molly IS just very fat!!!

What a lot to learn, but it's quite fun....

 

[Annastasia]

Oooh, how long....I'm guessing at least 2-4 months. It really depends on your fish. The general rule of thumb is you can put them back in when they are big enough to not fit in the biggest fish's mouth.

Are you talking about flake food for the fry? Or the Adults? Usually a good rule for the adults, is no more then they can eat in about 2-3 minutes. For fry, you can't really do that. You have to feed them TINY portions, and you also have to feed them more often. Preferably at least 3 times a day. It's kind of experimentation on how much your fry will eat...but I'll tell you this. In the first few weeks, we are talking reeeeeally small pinch. Like just between your fingernails, or the tops of your fingers.

Platies can sometimes be pregnant when you buy them at the store. They can store sperm from one mating with the males, and they can have 7 pregnancies using that. I'm guessing that's what happened here.

If your little guy is 5mm...I'd say it's VERY young. A week, or 2 at most.

Sorry if any of the post is confusing...I just woke up, so I'm not at my best.

 

[frannyscho]

Thank you... since last night there are now 4 black molly fry and now two platy fry who seem to be dodging about in the bottom.

 

[jackobean]

hi


some times they will of slowed down in there swimming and not go as crazy for there food as usual as they would have had more weight on them

 

[Annastasia]

Thank you... since last night there are now 4 black molly fry and now two platy fry who seem to be dodging about in the bottom.

Awww, congratulations! Best of luck raising them!

 

[soph]

if you want to keep the fry, there are complications. you have to keep them in a seperate tank, in other words a birthing tank, you have to feed them with a special liquid food.

its not until the molly has finished giving birth she will eat a baby.

i am looking forward to fry as well, guppies and zebra danios, so good luck.

 

[rachel21]

though i keep mainly mollies and i've had only about 4 fry eaten and that was by the male! Of the last 4 batches of molly fry i've had they've all survived in my main tank as i wasn't here to net them when they gave birth.