My New Balloon Molly

[RoeyMCool]

Just recently, I bought a Ballon Molly at a Petco nearby. I wasn't sure about anything so I just bought it, got a small tank, and put it right in (with new water, of course). Currently, it's Day 2 and my Balloon Molly is very inactive. He/she seems to have enough space so...anyways, I decided to join this site and perhaps make this fish thing go a bit further, especially breeding (I always wanted to own a baby fish). I have a few questions, though.

1. There's this really thin line hanging from my Balloon Molly. What is it?
2. How can I determine my Balloon Molly's gender?
3. What should I feed my Balloon Molly, how much, and how often?
4. I'm just planning on having this 1 fish separately so I can see him/her while doing homework.
5. What should I know about my Balloon Molly?

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Roey and Welcome to TFF!

Oh don't we all wish it were so simple!... Just buying a tropical fish, dropping it in a box of tap water and watching it while we do our homework!

Unfortunately, the environment to keep them alive is a bit more complicated that that, but as luck would have it you've happened upon one of the best forums out there for learning about how to keep your molly alive, hopefully! Any number of members are knowledgeable about mollies and will answer your specific questions I'm sure but for the moment I'm just going to mention some more urgent things:

Your tap water will have needed what we call "conditioning," which is where you add a product, per instructions, that removes chlorine or chloramines from the tap water. This is important for both the fish and for what we call the "biofilter," which is the primary tool we use to maintain a fresh environment for the fish to "breath" in. Otherwise, for the fish, its like it would be for us if we were locked in a garage with a running automobile polluting our air: the fish will be in an environment where the wrong chemicals are being exposed to the gills and bloodstream.

You are in what we call a "Fish-In" cycle and the "fix" is written up in our Beginners Resource Center, pinned right here at the top of this forum.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Harlequins]

Hi there and welcome

Firstly you will need to read up in the beginners section about 'fish in' cycle,this will explain what to do,your tank is new so the filter hasn't cycled.

How big is your tank?

Thin line hanging could be poo?,is it possible to get a pic?
If your balloon molly is female,its quite possible for her to drop fry has they're livebearers,females doesn't necessarily need a male has they can store sperm for several months.
males have a pointed anal fin in males called a gonopodium. Females anal fins are rounded and resemble a fan.
Just feed her a little pinch of flake twice a day,overfeeding can cause bad water quality,especially has your tank is new.
Have a read here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/34974-molly-balloon/ it tells you about the balloon molly.

 

[RoeyMCool]

Thank you. I guess I should have done some research before going out and buying a fish.

 

[natalie265]

Well, i think a lot of us have made the same mistake you did. Jumping in without any idea of how to care for a fish and just assuming it was as simple as providing a container of water. Unfortunately, most pet stores aren't very helpful either.

Most importantly, you should be doing daily water changes while your tank cycles. This is the only way to keep ammonia down as you complete your fish-in cycle. As others have noted, you will need to buy some tap water conditioner first.

Finally, read the topics that others have recommended, and keep the questions coming! Good luck!

 

[Mozely]

I might be barking up the wrong tree here, but did you buy a filter and heater with the tank? Or did it already have them? If not then you also need to get those as soon as possible.

 

[OldMan47]

Thanks for chiming in Mozely. It never occurred to me, while reading through this thread, to even ask those questions.