F1indy2000

SOS! I'm a little embarrasssed to say and probably out of the norm and don't know what to do or say, but I have over 30 fish in my ten gallon tank. I understand that's way too many. I should have around 8 or 1 fish to each gallon pending on size of fish, but i have this molly that keeps having fries and somehow they are surving from being eaten. I can't get anyone to take them for FREE, well i know one peron that did and he took 20 of them for his much bigger tank and still had/have mollies. I love the fish, but wow I didn't think I would hit this kind of jackpot. The pet stores tell me they have deals with manufactures and wont take them. It appears everybody is happy in the tank, but I don't know if am. Here is an estimate on how many fish I have because they are hard to count. 1 cleaners i think its an otto cat, 3 neon tetras, 2 Zebra Danios, 2 sword tails, thank goodness they are males, and the rest are black mollies, HUNDREDS of them Not really but just hard to count them. Once apun a time there were on two and now this. So actually I need some good advice on what to do?

sunstrip

I find it odd that your local pet store wont take them for free ? Don't know what to tell ya other than either get another big tank..........or quit giving your fish Viagra...LMAO !

tricky_tink

Buy a carnivor! Problem solved

Chief_waterchanger

Ottos do best in groups of 3 or more, danio do best in groups of 5 or more, and tetras do best in groups of 5 or more. That being said you should buy a larger tank to get rid of the overstocking problem and stock the afore mentioned fish to proper numbers.

I would look on craigslist.com and try to find a 30g-55g for el-cheapo. (It is common place on there for people to just want rid of a tank.) You could check out the classifieds section of your local paper also. If you could get a 30g you could move the danio, tetras, and ottos into that and do better for them. Your mollies could then be seperated. Females in the larger tank with the fish that should be eatting the fry (danio especially), and keep the male(s) and current fry in the 10g.

OR!

If you stop feeding your fish for 2-3 days, if the fry are small enough for them to eat, that will (again, if the fry are small enough) get them more of an urge to eat their young.

Byrd

how bout just separating males and females?

MissMTS

That would solve the problem in the long term, but there is still the issue of how many fish are in the tank.

I would call around to different LFS in the area. Big chain petstores usually won't take them, but many privately owned places will. Even if it is an hour drive it is only a one time trip and your fish will be happier. Either that or get another tank

Chief_waterchanger

The female mollies are like guppies and platies, they can and do store sperm for upwards of 6 months. So he could still be having more and more fry for around 6 months after seperating them, also.

capekate

Have you thought of running an ad in your local newspaper? The Free section usually do not charge to run an ad. You can try that.
I agree with NBFL tho, separating the fish at this point does not solve the problem of over stocking. You are already over stocking the 10g with the adult swords and tetras and danios, oto etc. I would get another tank asap!


~ kate