Did I Move Them Over Too Soon?

[RobertsKitty]

I have a pregnant Molly and Platy that I have moved over to the 10 gallon tank for them to give birth and where I will raise the fry. After looking around online I am wondering if I moved them over too soon. Can someone give me a GENERAL idea of how long I have till they give birth.


The fish were both being brats so these are the best I was able to get. Very washed out sadly.

 

[KittyKat]

Both look like at least a week away, but it is actually better to move them early, rather than late: moving them late can actually induce a premature birth due to stress.

 

[Lyra0727]

I'm just compareing the picture of your dolmation molly to others that I have seen.. and it kind of looks like shes a bit closer than your other one. She looks a bit more square but maybe it's just me.. I'm no expert since I'm still trying to figure out my guppies

But considering that you have them in a 10 gallon they should be fine even if its early. It's a lot of space so they wont be stressed.

Here is a link about how to tell your mollys progress. Since we can only go by the pics theres no garentee that we are correct. But you can see them in person and compare. Good luck!
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=285369

 

[RobertsKitty]

I've got Molly babies! I am rushing to the store to pick up a breeder net. Shes got quite a few swimming around in the java moss but shes pretty listless so I think she might have more to go.

 

[Lyra0727]

Was it the dolmation molly that dropped? Btw congrats! Very excited for you!

 

[RobertsKitty]

Yes it was the Dalmatian Molly. We have 26 fry. The is full of Java moss pushed to one side so they have swimming/feeding room on the other side. I am very pleased.

 

[Lyra0727]

I thought she looked very square I guess my judgement has improved on that.. sorry I needed to know I have been stareing at molly and guppy forums about how to know when they drop for a few days now.

What are you going to do with all the babies?

 

[OldMan47]

If the molly fry are staying in the java moss they will be fine. Molly fry are quite large compared to guppies or platies so it will not be long before they can venture out. Once your molly is done dropping fry, move her back to your main tank and keep the platy well fed to reduce predation. By the time platy mama gets done dropping, you will need a larger tank to grow out the fry.

 

[RobertsKitty]

Momma Platy dropped this morning. I am unsure just how many fry there are. Most of them high-tailed it into the Java moss. Their pink bodies are the only way I can see who they belong to. I walked in on her birthing so I set up my camera for while I was out. I am going to watch it soon. I'm hoping to get a few good drop shots. I will move Mom out this evening once I'm sure she is done dropping.

I found 3 dead fry this morning. Hard to say if they were Platy or Molly. All 3 appeared to have died of birth defects including one heartbreaking little guy whose head was fused to his tail. I did a 1/8th or so water change (about 3 inches down in the 10 gallon tank). I have been using a drinking cup to add the water back so as not to disturb my little swimmers too much. I have been feeding them Hikari First Bites. Should I be doing this or feeding something else?

Thanks for all the congrats!

 

[LadyRiv.]

congrats on your fry, can't wait for some pics

 

[OldMan47]

Your feedings will be fine RobertsKitty.
I often feed my new fry nothing but a high quality flake food ground between my fingertips to be the right sized particles for them to eat. Right now I am caring for some newly acquired Xiphophorus alvarezi fry exactly that way. They were about 1 cm long when I bought them at a club auction last weekend and now they are half again that big. By feeding them 2 or 3 times each day, they can get the energy they need to grow and mature. Don't let up on the water changes. Water changes are an essential ingredient to getting optimal fry growth.

 

[RobertsKitty]

I can't figure out how to, if possible, to post a video so here is a link:
http/smg.photobucket.com/albums/v203/skyshadowkitty/?action=view&current=babybirth.mp4

It is my Tiger/Mickey Mouse Platy giving birth to 2 of her babies.

She jumped out of the breeder trap and ate an unknown number of babies.

I went ahead and did another water change, about 3 inches in the tank. I vacuumed a few more dead fry but for the most part it was just general cleaning. I don't plan on doing it as often as things level out and we stop loosing the weaker fry.

I have yet to get an accurate number of total fry because I don't want to remove all the Java moss in the tank and run the risk of a baby getting trapped in it. I will when they are a bit older and more likely to be able to escape if I pick up the moss. Right now I have about 2 large handfuls in the tank.

 

[OldMan47]

Let me try posting a link here for you.

The IMG code provided by photobucket can often be posted here on TFF as if it was your picture itself. Just paste it in as if it were text. This is my first experimental use of that code to link to a video but I expect it to work much the same way.

Yep, the preview view of my message tells me it works the same way.