The Fry Are Here, Will Mum Get Pregnant Again Straight Away?

Jozlyn · Mar 28, 2007

Ok so the first batch of fry are here :wub:

I've managed to save about 16 so far, hopefully I'll be able to catch a few more tonight, if they haven't been turned into fishy-snacks already, although they do have lots and lots and lots of hiding places.

I only have the one Molly who was, without my knowing it, pregnant when I got her and given what I've read regarding them "storing" sperm what I want to know is will Mum start a new batch brewing straight away (there for I can anticipate another batch of fry in 8 weeks

, do they wait for a while before they decide to become pregnant again, or is it unlikely that she'll have anymore at all?

Edit > I have managed to get a tank to put the fry in BUT there's no heater or filter. So, I'm going to take the filter off the Betta's tank and use that. But can I take his heater too? It will only be for 2 days and my house is quite warm.

Also, with regard to the fry food, I've crushed some of the normal flake food with my motar and pestle, will this be small enough for the babies to eat, it looks like powder now.

theotheragentm · Mar 29, 2007

If your house is warm enough, it might be okay, but the swing from day to night may be a problem. The filter might not be necessary as fry bioload is pretty small normally. You might be better off getting a huge cup and poking holes so water can transfer through it and put the fry in the cup in the main tank. That way your filter and your heater work for the fry too. It's a makeshift breeding net.

Jozlyn · Mar 29, 2007

I have the fry in a sieve at the moment floating in the top of the main tank, will they be ok like that till Saturday? I've read that they don't like too much light, and given that they're right under the light, it's pretty bright for them. I've put a couple of bits of plant in the sieve with them tho.

theotheragentm · Mar 29, 2007

Just keep the lights down for the couple days.

Jozlyn · Mar 29, 2007

Ok, thanks theotheragentm that answers that question.

Any takers for the others?

dwarfgourami · Mar 29, 2007

If she is healthy and happy, she will probably start growing on the next batch of embryos straightaway (strictly speaking, it is fertilised eggs/embryos she is storing, not sperm on its own). Sooner or later she will run out of fertilised eggs, though, if kept without a male. When that happens depends partly on how long ago it was she mated.