Newbie In Need Of Molly Advice

[kelly jo]

Hi guys, joined your forum as I have just bought 6 very pretty mollies for kids having been told by guy in shop they're easy to keep, can't go wrong!!!
Am really worried now though as I have been reading up on them and think maybe they're not quite as easy as i was led to believe.
I have 3 males, 3 females in 6g tank heated to 26C with established filter and 1teaspoon aquarium salt added. 2 females in breeding tank as looking very fat, but now i'm thinking maybe they're just greedy. Am very worried now though as one is just laying at bottom very quietly, not gasping but not moving either. Is she about to give birth or is she about to die? I guess i'll know by morning.
Am sure that is much more i should be doing to keep them better and was hoping you guys might be able to point me in the right direction as want to do my best for them.
I'm sure i sound very ignorant and probably a bit stupid for listening to advice from some lad in a large store but just want to get it right!
Thanks in advance for any advice, Kelly x

 

[ridewake210]

welcome to the forums!!


but whoa!!

big problem!

tank is way to small for 6 mollys.

i had 3 in a 10g and they were ot big for it. now they ar ein a 16g bowfront and 2 days after i moved them the female had 18 molly fry.

but yea

get a bigger tank. and for the gasping. make sure u dechlorinated the water and did it well. fish have an oxygen source? make sure u add an airstone.

good luck!

 

[eddied316]

Also,

When you get new fish, in a new tank, the tank has to be cycled, before the fish will thrive. As yours being very small, it shoudnt take long, but you should get a new one. At least a 10 Gal, if on a tight budget.

The reason why the Molly wasn't looking so great is because of the cycle, and it ahd just started. When you add fish to a new tank, you need to understand the Toxic waste they give off, which is harmful to them. (their pee and poo). Which if left in the tnak, can and will kill them, in the early stages of the cycle. Your tank will soon begin to figh off the bacteria, but that takes a while.

Just watch over them very carefully. Make sure you have a filter as well

 

[xostrawberryox]

I would say you may have a case of new tank syndrome (being too eager to add too many fish to your new tank in one go). 6 fish of any breed is a lot to add in one go, especially into a new tank. I'd say your best bet is to take back 2 of the males. The ideal ratio with mollies is 1 male to 3 females, males are very randy. Theres very little doubt your mollies are pregnant... I saw a tank of baby mollies in the LFS ive been kinda watching their growth over the last couple of weeks, theres 4 pregnant ones already!!! Anyway both my female mollies are constantly pregnant. I'm waffling now... If you dont want to keep the babies then just let nature run its course, its likely the adults will eat the babies anyway, if you do want to keep them (and invest in a larger/additional tank) then purchase a breeding net or trap!

Anyway back to the main issue, if you find shes hiding in one particular place and only coming up for food, it sounds like shes preparing to birth, just keep your eyes peeled for babies and keep us updated!

Jo x

P.s. Invest in a test kit to test your nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and PH levels, that way if anything goes wrong you can display the results on here and people will be able to help more.