Prego Molly :D

[abe]

Hi, I am new to the forums & as a newbie, I have some questions I recently started my aquarium up again, I decided to start off with some mollies. A few weeks ago (or maybe more?) I noticed that one of my Dalmatian Mollies was pregnant, now she looks quite large (at least I think so...). I have never had fry before... I had guppies once, but they didn't seem to last too long, the males always ended up killing the females. Here is a pic of my molly.

Is there any way to tell when she will pop? I'm so excited & I want this to be a success!

Another question. Is it necessary to use a heater? My water temp is around 76 degrees, which is in the green area on the thermometer. With the heater on, it's in the mid 80's, almost out of the "good" range it shows. Is it OK to leave it as is?

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[FishNiX]

sorry i cant answer your first question, but as for the heater...

your temperature should not fluctuate when the heater goes on and off... you need to set the heater to the temperature that you want... the best way is to make sure the heater is on, turn the knob until the light comes on, then back off just a hair so that it goes off...now it is set to the temperature of your tank. now, if you want it to be a little warmer, just turn it up VERY little, (the light should just go on), now wait for the light to go off, if you still want it warmer, wait a few hours atleast, then turn it up again.

cheers!

 

[Lenna]

Yes she's definately pregnant. Look for a dark patch at the base of her tail (gravid spot). You should be able to see it on her as she is a light colour. This is the eyes of the fry inside her, once you can see this it will probably be only a few days until she gives birth.
HTH

 

[Tempestuousfury]

This is all good information that was provided above.

If the tank temp is constant and the tank is in a room that doesn't have temp fluxes or direct sunlight, then you can do away with the heater altogether. However, if you can provide for the fry and want more, keep the temp at around 76 to 78. This'll lower the gestation period and the females will drop once a month.

You might not be able to see the gravid spot, though, because it's hard to see in some fish. Since the molly is white, I think you should be able to see it without any problems.

 

[abe]

Thank you everyone for your help I'll keep an eye on her, hopefully I'll have babies soon. The temperature is constant, I just wasnt sure if that's normal or not.

 

[abe]

heh now I'm curious about the PH level... I had my water tested at a pet store, because my fish are not very active & don't seem to eat much. They told me that my ph was too high, so I went to the store & bought a testing kit. It is 6.6 or 6.8, so isn't that low? I read that it should be higher for mollies & other livebearers, what level would be best for them? Esp the prego one

 

[Lenna]

That's not too high 6 is pretty acidic, mollies prefer hard water (>7) but if you're keeping them with other fish a neutral pH will be fine. My mollie tank is around pH 7-7.2 . Also its good to have a pretty neutral pH if you're breeding them because a higher pH results in more female fry while a lower pH more males. HTH

 

[plecoperson]

It wouldnt be a good idea to have a tropical tank with no heater - there is no guarantee that the temp. will remain constant. I missed the drop of my first molly (i took her outta the net cos I felt sorry for her) and the babies were etted by the other fish except one. Just make sure the fish is in a breeding net or similar, and there is not really any surefire way to tell when she willdrop but Id say she is close! I didnt notice any gravid spots on my mollies.