Very Pregnant Black Molly

[Mandy Gibbons]

She is so fat, that her scales are practically horizontal to her body. I've seen someone squeeze babies out of mollies and guppies, but I really don't want to hurt her. If she were human, I'm sure she'd be 11 months gone. Any suggestions on how to help her out? We would have tried a really hot curry, but you know, the other fish may not appreciate it - the lobsters, maybe!

 

[SinJin]

I see but from what i know DO NOT try that. Usually she will do it on her own and it usually happens when she gets hurt or sick near drop when you have to touch her. It could hurt her and disrupt the slime coating on her scales.

 

[Alind]

That's something i had never heard, Don't do anything that you have heard somewhere.
Just ask it here and do as our seniour members direct you,
i can help you only as much i have learned from the seniours,

Just leave her on her own,and take care you did'nt stress her out, stress can kill her !!

And make sure you have proper arrangements to seperate the fry from mom, or she will eat them,
Only today my molly droped fry and have one in her mouth,but i managed to take it back.
Best of luck !!

 

[hughessomefish]

great advice alind, yes do not try and squze the fry out of her,let her do things on her own and bothering her will stress her even more

 

[Mandy Gibbons]

thanks everyone - my brother phoned me in the end and said that she probably had dropsy. I never knew he was so knowledgeable! After looking it up on the internet, it really seems like that was the problem. Unfortunately, she didn't make it and became food for our lobsters - nature taking it's course I suppose, but we were so looking forward to a little 'school' of black mollies.

 

[OldMan47]

Dropsy is an insidious disease that is too easy to diagnose, due the the "pine coning" look of the fish and very difficult to treat. If there were other fish with the one who had the symptoms, keep a close eye on them. Dropsy can be very contagious depending on the particular disease agent involved. One of the problems of dropsy is that it describes the symptoms, not the disease organism. That means that something that works with a particular case will not work with the next.

 

[hughessomefish]

O sorry if i didn't relize it was dropsey,i just have nerver come across it in my tanks