Pregnant molly!! Urgent, updated - more help needed! - Page 2

[wishuponafish]

Even if you get rid of the male, the female will keep making babies for another few months so you can still look forward to them.
I guess it can't be helped that you're at the mercy of your parents for now since it's their house, but once you move out you can get a 125g tank or whatever you want!

 

[SavTheArtist]

Yeah, Imma have to agree with Canacullus on this one. Awesome job at keeping your cool with your mom, idk if this is a normal thing for you or not but it sucks either way. I really hope your fish are ok even with your mom being stubborn. I also agree that if your mom can't deal with it, and just let you take care of your fish.

Sadly, she does get mad at me quite a lot, especially because I worry so much. I'm just gonna keep doing my best

Even if you get rid of the male, the female will keep making babies for another few months so you can still look forward to them.
I guess it can't be helped that you're at the mercy of your parents for now since it's their house, but once you move out you can get a 125g tank or whatever you want!

I wanna have a 150g It's gonna be densely planted with a lot of driftwood. And yeah, at least I still get babies!!

Lil' update: Bought a breeder net today to put the babies in once they're born.

 

[KAitlynn Robi]

Sadly, she does get mad at me quite a lot, especially because I worry so much. I'm just gonna keep doing my best

I wanna have a 150g It's gonna be densely planted with a lot of driftwood. And yeah, at least I still get babies!!

Lil' update: Bought a breeder net today to put the babies in once they're born.

WOO! You go! Keep planting and breeding and doing! You got this!

 

[SavTheArtist]

WOO! You go! Keep planting and breeding and doing! You got this!

Thank you It's a tough situation, but I'm just gonna keep going!! Giving up isn't an option

 

[SavTheArtist]

So... It's been about 4+ weeks now of her being pregnant. I'm worried as she looks pretty big, and it's almost been 5 weeks... No behavior changes, still eating well and very active.

 

[fishbreeeder]

They won't drop all there fry at once. After a week-2 months she will drop the rest

 

[SavTheArtist]

They won't drop all there fry at once. After a week-2 months she will drop the rest

She hasn't dropped any yet...

 

[fishbreeeder]

well, they can delay birth. She is probably looking for a spot to do it. Forget she is pregnant and just one day you will spot fry in your tank. Maby she gave birth but all the babies got eaten

 

[SavTheArtist]

well, they can delay birth. She is probably looking for a spot to do it. Forget she is pregnant and just one day you will spot fry in your tank. Maby she gave birth but all the babies got eaten

I'll keep an eye out, but the fry most likely weren't born/eaten. I have clumps of floating anacharis everywhere and lots of hiding spots...

 

[LightBrownPillow]

So... It's been about 4+ weeks now of her being pregnant. I'm worried as she looks pretty big, and it's almost been 5 weeks... No behavior changes, still eating well and very active.

In my molly-breeding experience, the female seems to stay pregnant forever and gets F.A.T. before suddenly popping the fry out, usually around dawn for some reason, so you're doing fine so far! The two queues I watched for which told me to put her in the breeder were:
1. Swimming around less, hovering in sheltered/dark areas
2. Cloaca/anus becomes a distinct white spot. Pretty easy on a black molly, I've not bred any other color.

Once *both* of those signs appeared, I would put her in my floating breeder and within a few days I'd have fry! Only once did I see the actual birth. Usually I would check on her one morning and there'd be 12-18 fry in the bottom of the breeder. Then I'd put mom back in the main tank, give the fry a marimo moss ball to hide in/munch on, and begin the raising process. Be sure you get some *very* small food for the babies and grind it up in your fingers when you feed them.

If you miss the mark and the fry are birthed in the main tank, they will retreat to the corners but usually hang around near the surface (check especially near the filter since it's nice and dark). They'll be fine so long as the bigger fish don't eat them, but I still scooped them into the breeder for safety/easier care. But they can be hardy, I had one baby get sucked into my cannister filter (didn't know), and when I opened it up for cleaning a month later he was alive and growing just fine in the dark!

 

[fishbreeeder]

My platy gave birth in a similar tank of 13 fry and only 6 made it through the night

 

[thatfishlover122]

my guppy fry escape the slits inside the hatchery boxes so be careful! i bought a hatchery/breeding net off amazon to stop them escaping, and it gives them more room.

 

[SavTheArtist]

In my molly-breeding experience, the female seems to stay pregnant forever and gets F.A.T. before suddenly popping the fry out, usually around dawn for some reason, so you're doing fine so far! The two queues I watched for which told me to put her in the breeder were:
1. Swimming around less, hovering in sheltered/dark areas
2. Cloaca/anus becomes a distinct white spot. Pretty easy on a black molly, I've not bred any other color.

Once *both* of those signs appeared, I would put her in my floating breeder and within a few days I'd have fry! Only once did I see the actual birth. Usually I would check on her one morning and there'd be 12-18 fry in the bottom of the breeder. Then I'd put mom back in the main tank, give the fry a marimo moss ball to hide in/munch on, and begin the raising process. Be sure you get some *very* small food for the babies and grind it up in your fingers when you feed them.

If you miss the mark and the fry are birthed in the main tank, they will retreat to the corners but usually hang around near the surface (check especially near the filter since it's nice and dark). They'll be fine so long as the bigger fish don't eat them, but I still scooped them into the breeder for safety/easier care. But they can be hardy, I had one baby get sucked into my cannister filter (didn't know), and when I opened it up for cleaning a month later he was alive and growing just fine in the dark!

Ah thank you so much! I've been very worried for my girl. She is a gold dust, which means her rear side is black, so hopefully I'll be able to see the white spot.

I'm going to cover my filter intake soon and I'll keep my eyes open, luckily I have A LOT of anacharis in one area on the surface, so they can hide. I also have a lot more plants that should be arriving today!

You've been a big help, thank you so much

my guppy fry escape the slits inside the hatchery boxes so be careful! i bought a hatchery/breeding net off amazon to stop them escaping, and it gives them more room.

Yeah I figured that could happen, so I'm starting with a net breeder lol.

My platy gave birth in a similar tank of 13 fry and only 6 made it through the night

Ok... I'm expecting for a few to not make it, as it's only natural.

 

[SavTheArtist]

Ack! Update! Today I was feeding my girls and noticed that Joyce's anal area is white!!! I'm watching carefully for when she isolates herself, then I might put her in the net.

LightBrownPillow

 

[LightBrownPillow]

Ack! Update! Today I was feeding my girls and noticed that Joyce's anal area is white!!! I'm watching carefully for when she isolates herself, then I might put her in the net.

LightBrownPillow

Exciting stuff! How big is your breeding net? If it's got enough room for her to move around in, you might go ahead and switch her over. I had my molly in the breeder (floating in the tank itself) for 2 days once before she birthed and there were no issues.

 

[SavTheArtist]

Exciting stuff! How big is your breeding net? If it's got enough room for her to move around in, you might go ahead and switch her over. I had my molly in the breeder (floating in the tank itself) for 2 days once before she birthed and there were no issues.

It's actually really big, like, massive for a breeder.

 

[fishbreeeder]

Then it won't stress her. good luck

 

[SavTheArtist]

AHHhhHH!!! Everyone!!!!

Today Joyce had 4 babies!!!!!

I have them in the breeder net!

I don't know if I missed any or if any got eaten, but 4!!

She still has a bit of a belly... I know that this can mean

A. She hasn't dropped all of them
B. She's just pregnant again

But either way, eek!! I'm ecstatic!

 

[LightBrownPillow]

Congrats fish-mama!

 

[SavTheArtist]

Congrats fish-mama!

Thank you!! I can't wait to watch them grow and color up... I may be able to keep the girls!

 

[SavTheArtist]

Quick question-
Are mollies more prone to have more male or female babies? Or do the tank conditions determine that? Is there a way to make more of them develop female?

 

[SavTheArtist]

Quick question-
Are mollies more prone to have more male or female babies? Or do the tank conditions determine that? Is there a way to make more of them develop female?

When I look at the babies now... at least 2 appear to already have some form of a fan-analfin? Like, a small visible fan?

 

[wishuponafish]

Quick question-
Are mollies more prone to have more male or female babies? Or do the tank conditions determine that? Is there a way to make more of them develop female?

All my molly batches had more females than males, which is a little sad for me because I want one with a big sailfin like daddy molly. You can't sex them until they're several months old though, they all start out looking female.

 

[SavTheArtist]

All my molly batches had more females than males, which is a little sad for me because I want one with a big sailfin like daddy molly. You can't sex them until they're several months old though, they all start out looking female.

Alright, thank you! I hope the majority of mine are female, because then i can keep them~

 

[fishbreeeder]

wow. Finally. You got some pretty fry