Becca
Fishaholic
ok. Let's not get into the details of how I got 2 females and 1 male Molly in my tank, let's just get to the question I need answered.
I thought I had 2 females and 1 male. (Both females have a fuller anal fin, the male has a longer, pointier one.) Assuming I didn't make a mistake, it appears the male has taken a keen interest in one female and not the other. But I'm not quite sure if he's trying to mate with her, or just trying to stress her out.
What I'm seeing:
She's paying an awful lot of attention to the gravel - attempting to feed off the rocks (no, she wasn't pregnant before, she wasn't fat at all, and I've had her for a month or so before introducing the new male and female to the tank.) She's also seems to be very interested (within the past few hours) of spaces where she can be alone (the cave, behind the single plant I have, behind the castle, etc. And always, laying almost all the way on the bottom.
When she does swim up, the male watches her for a few minutes, then makes his move. First swimming up directly underneath her, then he seems to pay very close attention to her belly with his mouth. Not biting her (from what I can see) but more, from what it looks like, sniffing and just nudging her around the tank. She doesn't fight it - at all (unless she's eating). Mostly she just relaxes and lets him push her. Then, after a minute, she'll grow tired of it and swim away - usually to reinvestigate the gravel.
So, my question - is he fighting with her, or are they working to make me an early grandma?
I thought I had 2 females and 1 male. (Both females have a fuller anal fin, the male has a longer, pointier one.) Assuming I didn't make a mistake, it appears the male has taken a keen interest in one female and not the other. But I'm not quite sure if he's trying to mate with her, or just trying to stress her out.
What I'm seeing:
She's paying an awful lot of attention to the gravel - attempting to feed off the rocks (no, she wasn't pregnant before, she wasn't fat at all, and I've had her for a month or so before introducing the new male and female to the tank.) She's also seems to be very interested (within the past few hours) of spaces where she can be alone (the cave, behind the single plant I have, behind the castle, etc. And always, laying almost all the way on the bottom.
When she does swim up, the male watches her for a few minutes, then makes his move. First swimming up directly underneath her, then he seems to pay very close attention to her belly with his mouth. Not biting her (from what I can see) but more, from what it looks like, sniffing and just nudging her around the tank. She doesn't fight it - at all (unless she's eating). Mostly she just relaxes and lets him push her. Then, after a minute, she'll grow tired of it and swim away - usually to reinvestigate the gravel.
So, my question - is he fighting with her, or are they working to make me an early grandma?
