Balloon Molly's mating ?

I bought two balloon Molly's today and later found one I have some male and female. I assumed they wouldn't mate anytime soon due to them being in a new "environment " but they don't seem to be wasting anytime. I'm not exactly sure on what Molly's look like when they mate but the male of my tank nudges his head under the rear of the female and then proceeds to chase and insert(?) his last rear bottom fin into her
I don't know how long the pregnancy time is for a balloon Molly ,how large the fry is , or how to tell if the Molly is pregnant any help is greatly appreciated

 

Welcome to fishlore!
Yes, that's definitely mating. You want to have at least 3 females to a male. What size tank?

 

I don't know to much on mollies but for my guppies, I could tell if one was pregnant by the black spot (there's a special name that I forget) on her rear, got bigger and more noticeable, the fry look like eyes at first for me, the fry for guppies where very hardy. Hope someone else can help you more. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

It's a 20 gallon tank and a male needs more than one female ?

 

The name your looking for moyburke is gravid spot, and yes Catfish angler if your tank allows it get 2 more females, or at the very least 1more female so he does not chase her and stress her to death, and livebearer males are ridiculously ****, I had one try to mate with a snail when I put him in the tank, so expect lots of babies

 

It's a 20 gallon tank and a male needs more than one female ?

When dealing with livebearers the ratio is 1 male to 2-3 females its to keep the females safe

 

It's a 20 gallon tank and a male needs more than one female ?

Yup, they do. The males will harass the females if there isn't enough.

 

Ok and I won't be able to see the Gravid spot on my female due to her being black

 

nope but she will get very fat and then she will go kinda squarish a few days or hours before delivering \__/

If you float hornwort it will give the fry some shelter as most molly babies stay near the surface of the tank, Java fern, Camboba are also good plants for fry to hide in, and if you have small caves that the adults can't fit in but the fry can, even resting a rock on another giving a little crevice will help

 

She already looks plump to me but I assumed it was because she's a balloon Molly

 

Ya ballon mollys are difficult just cause they are already fat

 

Is it possible for the Gravid spot to be white because she has white spot in the area where it would be

 

is it in the area that she poops in if not ide be checking other causes

 

Mollies are pretty much always pregnant if they have ever been in a tank with a male. Even after you separate them, the females can store sperm for months. Gestation is about 28 days, litter size depends on the female's age they have more as they get older generally. I had 2 male balloons and 4 female balloons, I ended up with 40+ fish in 2 months. In that picture she looks pregnant already honestly which again is very likely. I think it's actually easier to tell in a balloon than a regular molly but that may just be because I kept them for so long verse the regulars. Also since they store sperm for so long and its all mixed up, the fry are going to be all mixed up too, so don't expect the fry to look anything like your males unless they are the only ones that have ever been near the females. I like it that way, its like you get extra fish without having to buy them plus you end up with all different colors when its all said and done. Like people have said, if you don't have some kind of large plant in there most of the fry will be eaten by all even the mother so most of the time about half a litter may survive until they are big enough not to be swallowed. Check you filter too, make sure they are too big to fit in the filter intake or you will have to cover it with some mesh.

After awhile she will start to act funny, hiding a lot near the bottom of the tank and not eating. Leave her alone and she will start to pop out little fry folded in half.

You should read up on Molly fry if you want to raise them, I have a few years experience with it but the are many others with more; it is awesome to raise them to adulthood though and have them have fry.

 

The white spot does core that area however it extends to her belly as well
Iv seen better cages for fry is this worth buying ?
Also would this plant be a good source of cover

 

They will use that and anything else they can, mine liked to hide in some corkscrew val and a few lilies across the top of the tank. I never used a breeders cage or net, I always had more fry than I know what to do with with four breeding mollies in one tank plus two males, you will (unfortunate as is sounds) want most of them to be eaten unless you have means of dealing with all the fish. Imagine if everyone of them made it to adulthood, would you have room for them all?

 

 

Ok that makes since

 

Fry like to be up near the top of the water column. That's why it's recommended to float hornwort in your tank to provide them with cover.

A couple baby platies I had when I first started fishkeeping. That's hornwort floating behind them. They would dart into the thicker parts of it if another fish got too close,
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