When do molly fish give birth

Sometimes you have no reason to worry. Even with a new tank and a healthy molly, the birthing process could exceed the expected limit. In such cases, all you can do is wait. Your molly will complete the birthing process when it is ready. At this point, you must take the necessary steps. They will help you to keep the fry and the pregnant molly safe from hostile environments. That is an essential step. Pregnant mollies show weakness, and aggressive tankmates will take advantage of it.

They will probably attack your molly and chase her consistently. Therefore, you should put the pregnant molly in a separate tank. It would help if you also kept in mind that once the molly gives birth, her fry will be prone to attacks. Putting the pregnant molly away will keep both the mother and the fry safe. Nevertheless, I suggest doing that gently. Avoid using nets for that matter.

The pregnant molly is susceptible at this stage and may get hurt or refuse to deliver if mistreated. That is why I recommend using a cup or a bowl. Place the empty container beneath the molly, and she will be forced to get inside it. I made sure to review there the precise one that I use. Getting it will save you a lot of money and allow you to grow future fry in ease.

The water parameters within the breeding tank must be suitable for a pregnant molly. The best choice would be to move some of the water from the last tank to the new one. That will prevent the need for acclimatization. Even if the previous tank featured relatively low water quality, setting up the perfect conditions may kill your molly. That is because the adjusting process is stressful.

Some fish cannot acclimatize to a new temperature or a pH range so quickly. However, you should make sure that the new tank features a heater and a filter. You may also use airstones for oxygenation. That will relieve the stress and will prevent the temperature from dropping. The ideal range should be degrees F. From this point, successful delivery is up to your pregnant molly. However, you should introduce a few decorations and plants to the breeding tank.

That is because the pregnant molly herself is dangerous for the newborns. Mollies show no sympathy and will consume whatever fits in their mouths. Make sure that the plants are relatively low since fry usually frequent the lower sections. Once the molly gave birth, you can move her back to the original tank. Get her back to the original tank by using either a net or an empty container. Now, you should feed the fry.

Mollies that are ready to deliver are usually presented with physiological changes. Those include a darkening gravid spot and a distended, squared belly. Those molly fish also tend to be shyer and frequently get behind plants and decorations.

Mollies are livebearer fish which means they do not lay eggs but rather gestate their young and give birth to them live. You will not need to do much to get mollies to breed as long as you have males and females in the same tank.

Keeping the tank on the warmer side and feeding more insects can help encourage mollies to breed. It should be noted that molly females can store sperm from the male for several months and can give multiple births up to one month apart from one single mating. You can tell when your females are pregnant by their swollen belly and a small blackened shape will appear near their anal area.

They will also appear lethargic and less social with their tank mates and may hover around the tank heater. Female mollies will gestate their young for about 60 days. They can give birth to between 40 and fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry. When a molly female is near her time to give birth , you will need to separate her from the rest of the tank.

This can be done in the same tank using a breeding net or box, or you can put her in a completely separate holding tank. Once the female has given birth, she should be returned to the main tank immediately. Otherwise there's a good chance she will begin to eat her young. Baby mollies should be kept separate from the main tank until they have grown large enough that they are too big to be eaten by other fish. A suitable nursery tank will be around 10 gallons in size.

They should be fed baby brine shrimp, microworms and ground up flakes. You should also provide lots of floating plants in their tank that they can hide in as they grow bigger. A heater is also important for growing fry to thrive. Mollies are a great fish choice for beginners through experienced aquarium owners.

They're colorful, easy to care for and breeding them can be a fascinating addition to your hobby. As long as you care properly for pregnant mothers and keep the baby fry safe, you can enjoy breeding and caring for this gentle fish.

All About the Molly Mollies are related to another popular fish, the guppy, and they have similar needs and care requirements. Types of Mollies There are a few species of mollies commonly found in aquariums. Types found include: The shortfin molly, of which there are two types: Poecilia mexicana and Poecilia shenops. Poecilia sphenops is also known as the black molly and is one of the most commonly found mollies.

The sailfin molly, which also has two types: Poecilia latipinna and Poecilia velifera. The velifera, or Mexican sailfin molly, is much rarer while the latipinna is a very popular fish. Other mollies that are less common are: The liberty molly Poecilia salvatoris The brackish water shortfin molly Poecilia gillii The swordtail sailfin molly Poecilia petenensis.

Molly Appearance Mollies have a rectangular body with females appearing larger by the tail end. Molly Size Mollies are generally small fish. Molly Lifespan and Health Mollies live on average three to five years. If you have any questions feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. Hello there, I purchased an aquarium which is only a starter kit and approximately 25 litres in size. I originally bought 2 mollies, one bottom feeder and 2 guppies but the male Molly appeared to have attacked the male guppies overnight and they were floating in the morning.

My local store where I purchased all the fish at once had given me some tips and to double check I pH tested the water from the tank and all was good so I assumed she was right and the male Molly had actually appeared to have killed them!

So my question is.. Is she possibly pregnant as she has all the signs.. Do you think I should remove the male molly or the female as I only have a tiny goldfish bowl for either of them to go into due to the lack of services currently..

Apologies for my newness to this and I appreciate your help and advice. Thank you so much. You should test your aquarium for ammonia and nitrites and not the pH. In this case, pH is irrelevant. If you want to save the fry, you should move the female into the fishbowl right before giving birth and place some plants in the fishbowl, so the fry have enough hiding spaces.

Once she has finished, put her back into the aquarium. The fry are more likely to do better in the fishbowl, than the male molly — this is why I recommend this option. Good luck! Thank you so much for your time and advice which I will carry out right away! Hello again, I was just about to transfer the fish and she gave birth to lots of tiny fry!! BUT — on the down side — I have noticed that there were also VERY tiny worms gliding up the tank walls right after she delivered a cloud of fry?

Is she infected with something or is that usually the case? Sorry to bother you again! Tiny worms are normal in any aquarium ecosystem. Probably those tiny worms are planaria.