Pregnant Mollies Or Needing To Diet....?

[Ami]

Hi y'all

A week before xmas we added 2 female black mollies and a young male, who was much smaller, to our brackish tank for some added interest.

As we've got some greedy gobies in there, I didn't really expect them to survive. However, surprise, surprise, I've only lost the little male and even he wasn't eaten!

Anyways, the 2 females seem to have been getting fatter and fatter. I'm not sure if it's because they're pregnant or they've just been stuffing themselves (they give the gobies a run for their money!).

I've attached a not very clear pic (sorry, it was taken at night and no flash of course so as not to startle the poor fishy - although it's quite a good outline shot!) and wondered if anyone could guess if they were pregnant and how far along so I know when to take action?

Thanks,
Ami

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hmm, they both look pretty pregnant to me- i'd say another 1-2 weeks .

 

[kthorne]

id say they are pregnant.
i have over 40 mollies now due to the breeding over and over again
i only started with three a blak male, a white sailfin and a spotted orange female. you can imangin the mixture i have

 

[Ami]

Hmm, they both look pretty pregnant to me- i'd say another 1-2 weeks .

Hi Tokis! Hope you've had a good new year.

Thought so. Oh well, better get ready for the babies then otherwise the gobies will have a feast! I did want to get some more mollies for the BW tank, they're so cool, but I didn't think I'd be looking at fry! Eek.

kthorne, you must have a weird mix of mollies from that lot! Should post us a picture.

Ami

 

[Ami]

Well, it looks like one of them was either not pregnant, or had had her babies during the night, because her tummy is way smaller than it was when I went to bed.

Couldn't see any fry in the tank, but then I didn't have much light and there's a lot of hiding places.

Will try again later and think I'll put the other in the breeding trap just in case - that's if I make it home in time!

Ami

 

[Ami]

Ok, got home and still no sign of fry. She looks tubby still, though not as tubby as last night. Fed them and she got even tubbier again!


I think they are pregnant but because they're little gannets, it just makes their tummies swell more. Does that sound right?
One seems more pregnant than the other a few hours after beeing feed, so I guess one could just be further along.


Oh - was reading up and now know that breeding traps can be particularly stressful for mollies and possibly lead to premature labour so won't be putting them in it. I think I'm going to have a go at building a tank divider and keep the mollies on that side, then remove them if and when they have fry. Will then let the fry grow a bit before removing the tank divider and letting them fend for themselves.

I like the idea of having fry because it's exciting, but don't want to be over run!


Ami

 

[kthorne]

tell me about it.
just finished work and found more fry i dont know what im goiong to do with them all
the funniest one i have is half orange and half black or the pure white apart from a line of black on his tail

 

[Ami]

tell me about it.
just finished work and found more fry i dont know what im goiong to do with them all
the funniest one i have is half orange and half black or the pure white apart from a line of black on his tail

I saw your other posts about this - wonder how many you'll have by tomorrow morning?!

That one sounds like a cutie.


Ami

 

[kthorne]

they are all cute but i wish they would stop. i dont have room for a bigger fish tank

 

[fish4meplz]

Hey good luck with your fry when ever they arrive. I've got guppies and they are a blast to raise the problem now is they wont stop having sex lol now im over populated but im getting a new tank prob solved.

 

[Ami]

Hey good luck with your fry when ever they arrive. I've got guppies and they are a blast to raise the problem now is they wont stop having sex lol now im over populated but im getting a new tank prob solved.

That won't solve you're problem - it'll just give them more space to multiply in!! Next thing you know you'll be buying another tank, then another....


You'll need to sex them and separate them as soon as you can.


I wish mine would hurry up though.

Ami