I've never had fish before. How do I know when my female molly is about to give birth? What do I look for?

Answer 1

Well I'm new to the fish world but when my Molly gave birth she got really big and very aggressive in getting food. I dont know if this helps. Good luck

Answer 2

I have raised several litters of sailfin mollies the female will get REALLy big through the belly it will almost look like you can see between her scales she is so big....its then time to put her in a breeding net in the tank (3 bucks at wal mart) and watch for babies as soon as she has then she will start eating them you have to get her out of the neet when she has them or you wont have many left she will have anywhere from 20 to 100 it is really neat to watch them grow up and see the color variations in them as they grow.

Answer 3

"Gravidity"

Your female Molly will slowly and surely grow plump. This can be difficult to notice if you're new to aquarium fish keeping, since it can easily be confused for natural growth. Ideally you didnt get male Mollies, or you're going to probably get in over your head with this since they're proficient breeders, in my own oppinion even more proficient than guppies...

If you didnt get Males, it will be easier to control at home. First you need to confidently identify males and females, luckily with Molly fish this is a walk in the park, unlike some other fish. First we look for something called a "Gonopodum" this is esscentially the males version of the Phallum (I dont think we need say more). It is easily located infront of the anus and directly behind the pectoral fins. The females will not have this organ.

An even easier method of identification is most often overlooked by some of the most adept aquarists.. The sailfin. Thats right, its not a genetic offset of anything, its actually just on the boys.. Molly fish sold as "Sailfin Mollies" is a cool way of saying "Male Mollies". If your fish all have sailfins, you definately dont have any pregnant ones...

Now if you were unlucky enough to not consider any of the above, and managed to slip males and females in together, you can begin to expect a brood of 30-60 fry on a bi-monthly basis from every female. If you got 2 females you're possibly going to have 60 fish a month coming out of them... This is obviously not something you expected when you picked up the fish at the store...

Another fact people overlook with these fish is that they can actually preserve and hold sperm from the male within her oviduct walls, allowing them to maintain enough fertilization to produce several broods of fish, so even if you have no males, you may end up with a large amount of babies from courtship in the petstore.

When your female spawns and if you only have 1 aquarium to do all this with, ensure it is heavily planted so the young can hide, get a piece of Canister Filter sponge and stuff it over your Impeller intake tube so the fry dont get sucked into it. The parents will not want to be around them after they give birth, and may eat them if they feel their space is threatened. With a heavily planted tank the young can retreat and the parents will not be aggressive towards them. Otherwise follow further instructions below if you have 2 aquariums to work with.

Also you will have to at least pick up a breeding trap or breeding net for the mother, she will need to relax and recouperate after her delivery like any other mother.

Also like any mother, treat the fry like any baby. Dont move them after they are born, just dont do it, or go stuff your own baby in a bucket of water 2 minutes after ITS born... Fry are extremly sensitive and require sensitive treatment aswell.

Feed them liquid fry food for a week after they are born, follow the instructions on the package. After a week, finely (VERY finely) crush tropical flake food and feed that to them slowly so it doesnt sink quickly to the bottom to waste away and rot. Many fry die if you miss a minute detail. 7 of 10 fry who die, die of starvation due to improper feeding. 2 fry die from ammonia poisoning caused by food rotting at the bottom of the tank... The other 1 gets abused or eaten or is born deformed.

Back to gravidity, its a term we use to say "Its ready to pop". As mentioned its hard to really get the hang of until you see it happen a few times. If you have "Silver mollies" you're in a bit of luck since you can often see the eyes of developing fry inside the mother, and that is a sure signal that she will be releasing young within 2 days.

As the mother advances in her pregnancy she will continue to grow plump in the belly, well feeding your Molly fish will ensure she has a larger brood as she is more readily able to produce embryos in larger numbers, and provide them with adequate nourishment.

If you compare the Male to a Female (If you got males) the females before releasing young will almost double their width and height, in a very obvious swelling of the abdomen. Otherwise the females will remain a comparable size to the males, just slightly more plump.

Now if you've decided your Molly fish are pregnant you have to decide what to do with the young. I'd never reccomend you culled them, but they can be raised in any tank until they are big enough to go to the petstore who will usually accept them willingly, and sometimes offering some store credit.

Molly fish are also not freshwater fish, but brackish. Often used to condition Salt water tanks. This being said the parents will be happier in a light salt bath at all times other than releasing their young. In "the wild" the Poecilia familae (Poecilia sphenops, Poecilia latipinna, Poecilia velifera) often migrate to freshwater for spawning. Keeping young in true freshwater will help them immensely, while the parents again, will prefer a light salt bath (1 table spoon for 10 gallons of water >>>AQUARIUM<<< salt!)

When you move a gravid female to freshwater, often she will spawn within 1 hour, otherwise overnight.

If you have males and females, consider returning the males or the females to the petstore if you do not have a means of proper containment for the young.

Answer 4

Look for her really fat stomach. Before she gives birth her stomach will become really fat and disproportionately shaped. Other than that her behaviour will be normal.