Preganant Black Molly

[njnauticalnut]

A few weeks ago, I thought my black molly was pregnant, but she never had any fry. I had had an outbreak of ich and she was one of the fish who showed symptoms. I treated the tank, the spots cleared, and all seems to be fine with my tank. She did not seem to get much larger in the belly.

Tonight, when I went to feed the fish, I could not find her and then I saw her hiding behind the filter tube. Her stomach is certainly not huge, no more so than it has been for the past week or so. The area around her anal fin is very noticeable, almost looks like a target or circle. She is also breathing harder than usual. Is this normal with fish who are in labor as it is with women who are in labor? Anyway, I put her in the breeding container and will keep an eye on her. She is either about to give birth or she is sick.

What do you all think? Should I keep her contained?

 

[Da_Oz]

Do you see any fry in the tank?? If you got a large tank with lots of hiding places the best way to see them is to turn all lights at night and place a flashlight in front of the tank and shine it on one spot for about 5 mins if there is fry they will come running to the light. If after about 10 mins of this you don't see any fry more than likely there aern't any.

 

[njnauticalnut]

I have been scanning the tank, it is 75 US gallons, and I have not seen any fry. Tonight when I turn out the light I will shine a flashlight in one spot to see if any fry appear in the light.

I will keep her in the breeding container (it has a fry holder) in case she hasn't given birth yet. As this is my first fish birth, I am very uncertain, heck I'm even uncertain if there is going to be a birth!

 

[njnauticalnut]

Some more questions...

How big or should I say how small are the fry when they are born? In case she already gave birth, where in the tank should I look? I do not have any floating plants. Also do they give birth all at once? Is it typical for them to hide after they have given birth? I am just trying to cover all bases.

Thanks!

 

[njnauticalnut]

I just checked on my black molly, I still have her in the breeding container. This container is in two parts, as there is a section below for the fry to go to. The above section is where the mom stays and has a V-shape to it. Anyway, there is something laying on the bottom of the top section where mom is. I can not tell what it is, it is small, somewhat clear, but it has some dark spots and some yellow in it. Any idea what it could be?

 

[njnauticalnut]

I checked and it was a dead fry. I took her out of the breeding container as she may have aborted because I moved her yesterday when she was going to give birth. I know that it is not normal for them to have only one fry, but I do not see any others in the tank. She is out and about today not hiding like yesterday. I will continue to keep my eye out for any fry.

In the future, what is the best way to handle this? Should I just leave her in the tank and hope a few fry make it. I will get some floating plants for the fry to hide. I am concerned that if there were any fry in the gravel, my cories would have had a nice meal.

 

[Da_Oz]

1 Molly Fry is about the size of rice.
2 If you really want go results set up a birthing/fry tank (5G to 10G). 10 G fry tanks are really good.
3 You would be shocked to see what some fry go threw to live to adult hood. I have had guppy fry birthed in my 55g and make it to adult hood with 20 fish trying there best to eat them.
4 Sorry to hear of you and your fishs lost.

 

[Da_Oz]

Guess I should have read your fish list first. Yea your 75g will be a hard place for a fry to live. With all the Gouramis but every tank is different, but my Gouramis I had years ago loved to eat on any fry that did get born with them. Silver dollors and Danios love fry also. And Danios can catch them.

 

[njnauticalnut]

Thanks!

Would you recommend putting the mother in a breeding net then? Since the one and only fry I found was dead I figured she aborted and so I put her back in the tank. She is still breathing hard and hiding behind the filter tube or heater.

I have another pregnant black molly and want to know if it makes sense to move her to the breeding net when her time is approaching so that the fry have a chance. What do you think?

 

[Da_Oz]

Well tricky ? moving fish stresses fish and stress cause them not to birth. I am concerned with the fact your treated her for ICH while preggy. I know life or death time. She may have a tummy full of dead fry stuck in her. If so she has about a 50/50 chance of living. I am not trying to be harsh just factfull. If you have some snow peas rinse one or two and pell them and se if she will eat them. Either way I think in the box would be better than in your tank.