Help!

[Jenni84]

I bought 3 dalmation mollies yesterday and i think one of them is pregnant!!!

I am new to fish keeping and have no idea what to do!

Please help

 

[SchottayB]

If you want the babys and you have room in your tank for them... just leave it to give birth. Most if not all will more than likley get eat any way if there is no hiding in your tank.

Is the tank cycled?

 

[Jenni84]

I have quite a big plant in the corner of my tank and she is just hiding behind that. The other fish are just leaving her to it.

Do i need to get a trap?

Yes its cycled

 

[SchottayB]

You can get a trap if you want to keep all the babys. Other wise just leave her to give birth. If you have a few plants here and there then you will get a few babys that will survive so there wouldn't be any need for a trap.

Are all three mollys female?

If she isn't getting harrased, just leave her be tbh

 

[Jenni84]

Tbh i dont know how to tell if they are female....i was told they were all male

I do have a few plants, the biggest being an artificial one that she is currently hiding behind. I have real ones too though.

Im a little nervous and excited now!

 

[SchottayB]

Hmm, i'm not 100% sure how to tell from male and female. But someone else will be able to help you with that.

But i'd say your best bet would be to just leave her to it. That's if it is a female and not just a large male

Can you get a picture of this fish?

 

[bubble87]

Look for the gonodopodium, the male sex organ. It looks like a backward facing anal tail. The female doesn't have this, she just has an anal fin resembling a fan.

take a look at this

http/www.bio.txstate.edu/~gabor/caito/f2.jpg

hope this helps

 

[Jenni84]

I thought it was maybe just a big male too but after looking at some pics on here im not so sure.....

 

[roz568]

I thought it was maybe just a big male too but after looking at some pics on here im not so sure.....

hi that pic is defo female thats for sure

 

[Jenni84]

OMG lol....does she look pregnant to you too?

She seems to be showing the characteristics of being pregnant and the belly looks squared off to me....will try to get some better pics

 

[roz568]

OMG lol....does she look pregnant to you too?

She seems to be showing the characteristics of being pregnant and the belly looks squared off to me....will try to get some better pics

hi yes she looks pregnant to me,if u have got a trap id put her in it if u wanna try and raise the fry but if u dont have a trap they will prob get eaten by the mum and other adult fish.a few may live tho.good luck

 

[Jenni84]

i think i may get a trap and give it a go but if i lose them, its not a problem

it was completely unexpected after all!

thanks for your help!

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Jenni.
The fish in your picture is a female. Let's try to clear it up so you will never doubt the gender of a common livebearer. A female common livebearer has a fan shaped, call it triangular, anal fin. That is the fin next to where a fish eliminates its waste. A male of the same species will have a modified anal fin, called a gonopodium, that is long and thin. How about some pictures. This is a female of a fairly common fish, a golden teddy, that happens to be a female.

This is a male of the same species.

Now to the present state of your female. She may indeed be carrying some fry but I doubt she is close to a drop. I have a thread that I posted that shows the development of a female from one drop to the next. As I took pictures along the way I made some comments about what I was seeing at each stage of the pregnancy. The end result was intended to be a place you could review and decide for yourself what the female's stage is that you see in your own tank. There is a link to that thread in my signature area called My Molly's Progress.

 

[Jenni84]

Thanks for the info Oldman.

Unfortunately i lost 2 of my mollies, including the pregnant one but the other fish are fighting fit!

At least i now know what to look for. Im learning slowly but surely!!

Jenni