setting up a new tank??

Ok, so here's what's going on...

I have a 10 gallon tank set up and my one of my Mollies gave birth (again) to 33 fry. So I have a 20 gallon sitting on my floor that I've been trying to decide if I should set up or not and the 33 little babies were the last straw! I'm about to set it up.

I think I want to keep one of the tanks as the "adult" tank and one of the tanks as the "baby" tank, or possibly the have a species only Molly tank. I'm going to take some of, if not most of the babies to my LFS (already asked, and the owner said it's cool with him.) but for right now, 33 babies plus the fish that are already in my 10 gallon is too many fish!

So, should I move my adult fish into the new 20 gallon when it's finished cycling (most likely I'll add bio spira) and keep all the fry in the 10 gallon, move my fry and a couple of my adult fish into the 20 gallon, or put all the mollies in the 20 gallon (the fry are in a breeder box right now, so the adults won't eat them.)

Thanks very much!

 

Why not move everything up a level (if the tanks in your sig are all still the same) and use either your 3 gallon or your 5 gallon as a fry/hospital tank.

 

I would set the larger tank up for fry. 30+ babies need room to grow! Usually the LFS won't take them until they are 1"...Which means you will have 36 inches of fish in a tank, and LOTS of water changes to keep the water good and babies growing. Fry need special feeding, a water change EVERY day, and really good filtration. Be sure to cover the filter intake with netting, or a sponge (split with knife to slip over intake).

Your female Molly will have another batch in about 28 days, so you better get started! The fry can't stay very long in the box!

If you are going to use bio-spira, you can get the tank set up today, and move the fry right over as soon as the temp is up.

My method of dealing with molly fry is:

All my adults are in the big tank (125 g), when a female is close to giving birth, (I keep track on the calendar and notice the "square fat tummy") I move her into the birthing tank. This is a 10 gallon, with java fern, after giving birth, she will rest there overnight, and then put back in the big tank.

The 10 gallon is home for the fry for approx one month, then they go into a 55 gallon set up with lots of java moss, shrimp & small fish. The 10 is then again ready for the mom to be.....

When the fry in the 55 get 1/2" or so they go over into the big tank, and grow out to 1" when they go to the LFS. They only pay $1.50 each, but that is at least something to help pay for all this madness!

 

That's what I was thinking, because there are so many of them they should go into the 20 gallon. Do you know how many times females can give birth without a male around? I bought my 2 females from the LFS and it looks like only one of them was pregnant at the time...

There are three of them that are older, from the first batch. They're about 3/4'' now... They're mature enough to see that at least one of them is a male, so I'll put him in with the fry, I think... Babies are cute and all, but I don't think I'd want to do it all the time.

 

Females can have several batches of fry without a male, usually not a huge bunch of fry however. If you want to keep a few of your babies, and get a new male that would give you genetic diversity.

I got some liberty mollys, and I have one Lyre tail silver molly male that came from my breeding. I have put them together to see what will result. I have some fry from this breeding now, I can't wait to see!

 

I'll probably keep a few. I know I'm going to have to do more water changes with the 33 fry in the tank, but I can't afford another tank and I don't have the room, unfortunately. (College student...!) They should be ok... I like to spoil my fish anyways! haha

I was trying to decide if I wanted to set up the 20 gallon I have. (I got one of those you'd-better-buy-this-because-you'll-never-find-another-deal-like-this-again kinda deals on it...)

Thanks for the info! I hope she doesn't have another batch of 33 of them! I'd go nuts!! Haha she'll have to wait till I'm out of college and can afford a nice, large tank for her to have lots of babies in!

Sounds like it should be an interesting combination you've got going there! Good luck with your fry!

 

Molly talk

My poor mollys aren't doing so great. Two b/b mollys and two fancy tail (f) are fine, but, one m and one f have hunched backs. I don't have a clue what to do for them. The f (dalmation fancy tail) is ready to give birth, at least that is what I thought, but for the last few days she has gotten very bad looken with the hunched back, the m (dalmation also) was also doing great then wham hunched. Any thought? If this is the wrong place for the question, sorry, I just saw the Molly talk and hoped you might have a idea. Thanks

 

It's all good! What are your water parameters? I've heard of some diseases causing hunched backs... Is it only the hunched backs or do you see other signs of illness?

 

Parameters

pH 7.8 (good for my area!), nitrate 20, nitrite 0, ammonia 0. The water in this area runs a little hard even after going through a water softner. I use Stress Coat, (half the suggested amount since it isn't a huge water change), after each (25%) weekly water change. The only other thing I noticed is that as the hunch gets worse, they have trouble eating, they do try though. Thanks for listening, I really enjoy my Molly's.

 

My mollies are in high ph like that... It doesn't seem to affect them. I've heard that as long as they get used to it, it's ok.

I've heard several things about bent bodies. Fish TB, congenital defects, ammonia poisoning, or overfeeding are just a couple of things. I think this is one of those things that people still don't really know for sure about.

I enjoy having my mollies around, too. They're such characters!

I don't think I've heard about the spine going back to the way it was, though... By the time the spine curves, it usually stays curved. I think that if they're still eating, they're ok. (When do they not want to eat?!? Little piggies...!)

Although I've never experienced my own fish with bent spines, so this is all hear-say.

I hope they stay happy and as healthy as they can be!

 

They may need Vitamin C. Scoliosis is a condition that's brought on by a lack of vitamin c often. Vita-chem and/or a Garlic supplement with vitamin c added to their water might be helpful in keeping things from getting any worse and hopefully can improve their condition - IF this is what's going on in there.

 

That's good to know. I learn something new every day...

Update:

So I had my 20 set up and put it on my dresser but it was bending the wood, so I had to collapse it. Fabulous, right? I guess my teak isn't strong enough to hold 200+ pounds... I consulted with my mother (I live at home while going to college. It's cheaper like that!) and ran out to buy another 10 gallon. I guess it's better than nothing, because I don't have room for a stand for the 20. (Parents don't want a tank in the living room and my room's maxed out.) So now I have the two adult Mollys in the new 10. I put half the rocks from the 20 and the water from the 20 into the new tank because there was bio spira in it. I'm not sure what that'll do to the cycle but I'll keep watching it.

And so I woke up this morning to MORE fry. I'm up to around 37 or 38 now. I've lost track... HA

 

I have seen you all talk abut vit., but I have asked at the LPS and they don't have them. I looked at PS and PC, but they had too many. I will look for what you all suggested Co-Betta and put it in. Both the dalmation mollies died. I don't want it to happen with the ones I have left.

 

Aww, I'm very sorry to hear about your Mollies. Hopefully it won't happen to the others! Good luck!!

 

OOH, I have one more question for everybody!

I'm going to transfer the fry to the new tank when it's done cycling, but I wanted to know when it was ok to let them go into the tank instead of keeping them in the breeder box. There are a few fry in the tank now because of the one molly that gave birth last night, but I'm just not sure how I'd be able to feed them when they're so small...

Ok, I'll stop being neurotic now.... Thanks for all the help!

 

Provide them with a lot of hiding spots and they can go in with the adults as soon as they're too big to be "bite-size".. usually about 3-4 weeks. The adults will chase them though, so the hiding spots are helpful there.