Baby mollies -- are they there??

[crcurrie]

My daughter brought home for Christmas break seven mollies from her college dorm room and put them in our aquarium. These mollies had been reproducing in her dorm room tank during the first semester, and she and her roommate were up to 40-something fish.

Anyway, my daughter said that a pregnant molly gave birth in our tank (she didn't see it happen, but the fish was very pregnant and then not pregnant). I see no evidence of any baby fish, but my daughter insists that, although some get eaten by their parents, others hide in the tank until they are big enough not to get swallowed, and then join the community.

I've looked intensely for signs of any baby fish in our tank but see none. There are not many places to hide (just one living plant, for example). My daughter thinks they hide in the gravel (since her tank has no plants or other decoration).

Is it possible that there are baby mollies that can live undetected for days/weeks at a time? (One thing our tank has that hers doesn't is an adult angelfish.)

I'm wondering because it's time for the weekly siphoning of the gravel and I don't want to inadvertently kill any baby fish ...

 

[coralbandit]

IMO the angel has or will get them.. Syphoning you might capture some if they are there?

 

[Angellove78]

Oh yeah! shark bait for angels. Gonna need more hiding places, smaller hiding spots, even then you'll be lucky. Might wanta get alittle hatchery. Pull mom when she gets a square look to the belly.

 

[Toillion]

In my experience most my baby mollies stay near the top of the tank but have found a few underneath an ornament but never under the gravel. There have been a few times where I don't see any for a time but I have lots of hiding places. Most the time mine give birth overnight but then are all eaten by other fish in the first couple days. I've just had two live to become large enough to swim around with the other fish.

 

[flitabout]

Oh yeah they're gone for sure

 

[crcurrie]

Well, that's the way of the wild. Since my daughter has decided to leave these mollies with us, I'm actually feeling a bit relieved I'm not likely to end up with dozens of them.

They have really livened up our aquarium, though. Our five-year-old angelfish was getting more and more sulky, and the few other fish (other than the cory cat), were afraid of him and tended to cower. Now, with the mollies, all the fish are swimming around and lively, and even our angelfish seems to have a little of his old spunk back.

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback!