How Big Should My Molly Fry Get Before I Start Feeding Regularly--not

[wendyngd]

Hi--My molly fry of 2 months are growing and growing but are still not full size yet. At what point do I have to stop feeding them extra--with ground up food and put them within the same feeding routine as the older mollies in the tank??

MERRY, MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! (AND A LATE HAPPY CHANUKAH, TOO-AND SOON TO BE KWAANZA)

Wendy in US

 

[Aden]

I was told "if you can fit it in your mouth, you can eat it",

 

[theotheragentm]

You would be surprised what the adult fish can fit in their mouths. I learned the hard way a couple of times. Basically I oversize the fry before letting them go. If they are in a net breeder, perhaps a separate tank would do them better. As soon as the fry are half an inch, they should be able to tackle full sized flakes. There shouldn't be a need to crush them up too fine.

 

[wendyngd]

You would be surprised what the adult fish can fit in their mouths. I learned the hard way a couple of times. Basically I oversize the fry before letting them go. If they are in a net breeder, perhaps a separate tank would do them better. As soon as the fry are half an inch, they should be able to tackle full sized flakes. There shouldn't be a need to crush them up too fine.

Hi- Thanks for the responses. I guess I wasn't clear enough in my questions. I just wasn't sure at what size/age the fry could eat full sized flakes.

And as an old fishkeeper had advised me, when the molly fry were born, we not only kept the adult mollies in the tank well fed--but had lots of plants and hiding places for the fry--so the adults didn't go after them.

In my first "litter" last year of Molly fry, I did use a separate netted box for them--but this batch seemed pretty safe when they were born so we let them be. Even though they are of variying sizes now, they still seem to be left alone (like for dinner) by the older ones. --They do socialize and play together, though.

Merry Xmas to all the fishies and fishy people!
-Wendy
-

 

[ICEEGRL]

If they are in the tank with the others just watch during feeding time. You will be able to see when they get where they can eat the bigger food. I put both in and watch them. As soon as I see the smallest one eating the bigger food I stop the smaller. They all do it at different stages so the only real way to tell is to offer it and watch them. Usually around 3 or 4 weeks though for most.
Was that what you wanted to know?

 

[chibi]

I'd still feed them small flakes, just more of them. Their mouths don't grow very quickly, but their stomachs do.

 

[wendyngd]

I'd still feed them small flakes, just more of them. Their mouths don't grow very quickly, but their stomachs do.

Thank you all!! That's exactly the info I needed. My mollies send their appreciation, too. Happy New Year!-Wendy