Mosquito Fish Question?

HI guys,
My female mosquito fish looks incredibly pregnant, however, she’s looked this way before without delivering fry. About a month ago, over the course of a week I noticed she was getting a lot larger. I tried putting her in a breeding box during the night and letting her out during the day and nothing. After two weeks or so it was like she had suddenly shrunk to normal size. The same thing is happening now. Over the course of a week she has continued to grow larger and larger. She has a very large appetite, could she just be large from eating so much? My tank is planted, so at least some fry should have lived if she had given birth. The other strange thing is that I’ve had her for since November and she’s had no contact with a male since. Could she be pregnant from storing sperm for so long?
I know these fish can delay pregnancy if they feel uncomfortable, but how long can they delay it for?
She’s happy and eating, just HUGE! I’d say it might be bloat except for her scales are later flat and she seems perfectly fine.
I can’t get a picture of her because she won’t hold still but her condition looks a lot like the fish’s in the picture.

 

They can go for up to a year storing sperm. That means around 8 pregnancys from one insemination. As for your fish, she is pregnant. that dark spot under the tail near the vent is called the gravid spot. When she gets closer to giving birth the spot darkens. Probably you goingto beable to start seeing the eyes of the fry in the mother if you look closely enough. Hope this was helpful.

 

You will not see fry from a female Gambusia unless you have at least a 10 gallon tank that is about 2/3 full of bushy floating plants like Guppy Grass or Hornwort. They are extremely efficient fry eaters, and a small space just makes it easier for them to find all the young and eat them. Thick plants are necessary to make it hard for them to chase the fry. This is likely what happened when she went skinny all of a sudden.

They can store spermatophores for at least a year, so you should have a couple more chances.

 

Also, it could be abortion due to stress. I only put livebearer in the breeder box when they are showing the signs of giving birth soon(hiding, boxy stomach).

 

I don't put any fish in a breeder box. They are death traps. Better to put it in a gallon drum bowl than a breeder box, but best to give it a separate tank. And any livebearer should have bushy hiding places for the fry.