GypsyGirl71

I've got 2 female black mollies, one gave birth last week and I put the other in a breeding net tonight because she is huge and the male was chasing her all over the tank constantly. Funny thing is now he isnt paying any attention to the other female and the pregnant one was even nipping at her earlier. Anyone seen this kind of thing before? I feel bad for her being picked on and neglected!

KyWildFish

Ive seen this behavior before with my mollys. The male can probably sense that she is about to birth and is waiting to snatch up any fry he can. The breeder net can be stressful and might cause the female to abort the pregnancy. I would think about giving her better places to hide. My female eventually will start nipping back at the male, but nothing that looks harmful. I would leave her in the tank and only remove her if you notice any damage being done. Fish can't talk it out so they have to be aggressive at times.

GypsyGirl71

I worried about the net being stressful. I'll probably let her out when I get home this afternoon. As for the other female molly - problem solved, she was dead this morning.

KyWildFish

Ive only lost one molly and it was because she had a fry stuck in her birth canal. They are supposed to live for a few years, so you may want to poke around with you water chemistry and see if something isnt out of wack. Mollys also need a little salt in the water, specifically feshwater aquarium salt (a couple bucks for a pint box) to make them thrive. When you get home check the water parameters and see how the remaining female fairs in the tank. Dont be worried with some bothering of the male, he just really likes her a lot.

GypsyGirl71

Water is in good shape. That molly had had ICH and never really looked as healthy as the others. I bought him 2 more females last night so maybe he'll like the variety.