baby fish dying

[corylover5]

Would baby mollies eat each other? I'm asking because 4 days ago there were 12 babies and I fed them, left the room, came back in an hour to check on them , and there were only 8 babies left. I looked all over the place but they weren't in the breeder net and I checked the net for holes and there were no holes in it large enough for a baby fish to squeeze through.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Would baby mollies eat each other? I'm asking because 4 days ago there were 12 babies and I fed them, left the room, came back in an hour to check on them , and there were only 8 babies left. I looked all over the place but they weren't in the breeder net and I checked the net for holes and there were no holes in it large enough for a baby fish to squeeze through.

Only if they were drastically different in size and even then not likely

 

[corylover5]

Here are some pictures I got of the babies. Sorry they are So small and really fast all the pictures are blurry.

 

[Colin_T]

About all I can tell from the pictures is the fish have flared gill covers. This can be caused by poor water quality, low oxygen levels, gill flukes (unlikely in baby fish), white spot, or something else that has damaged their gills.

 

[corylover5]

I know it's not water quality because my water was tested yesterday and I had 0 Ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 7 nitrate. I have 2 airstones in my tank too. Could their gills be damaged from when I had ich in my tank?

 

[corylover5]

I think I found a spot for the 10 gallon tank to go but would the 2 molly fry be able to live with some newly hatched cory fry?

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't put the molly fry with anything until they have been ok for a month. If they have a disease they could give it to the Cories.

 

[terrypin]

I find it hard to believe 8 fry have eaten 4 dead ones in an hour. Is it possible they have jumped out or something from the main tank got in or frightened them into jumping out. Do you have a lid on the breeder net. I had fish jump in with my fry before so always put a lid on to keep them secure.

 

[corylover5]

I find it hard to believe 8 fry have eaten 4 dead ones in an hour. Is it possible they have jumped out or something from the main tank got in or frightened them into jumping out. Do you have a lid on the breeder net. I had fish jump in with my fry before so always put a lid on to keep them secure.

It doesn't have a lid on it but I keep my tank water level down a few inches so the breeder box is only filled a little over half way.

 

[corylover5]

Update: the 2 remaining fry are doing amazing! They're starting to get little spots now. Thanks for all the help
( in the first picture his stomach looks kind of bumpy but it was just blurry. His stomach looks completely normal outside of that picture)

 

[Retired Viking]

Sorry about the other fry, I hope these last two make it to adult hood.

 

[corylover5]

Sorry about the other fry, I hope these last two make it to adult hood.

Thank you. I hope so too.

 

[corylover5]

I moved the fry to my 10 gallon last week because my breeder net looked like it had a hole in it and I don't want the fry getting eaten. They've both been doing really well until yesterday. One is eating and acting normal but yesterday the other one was just staying near the bottom a lot although he was still eating. Today he only wants to stay at the bottom and he won't eat. Water parameters are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 7 nitrate. Nothing other than some duckweed has been added lately. I really don't want him to die. My other molly fry is really healthy and eating well.

 

[Retired Viking]

I lost a lot of molly fry when I first started breeding them, I got better at it as time went on and then I was overrun with young mollies and had two 10 gallon tanks just for fry and a 20 gallon for the adults. My guppies were more hardier or maybe I was just better but it only took them 3 months to over run my 30 gallon tank.

 

[corylover5]

Unfortunately he didn't make it. I hope the other baby will be ok.