JoshuaTree
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Just a curious question, how long does it take for live bearing fish to go full term with its pregnancy, and what are some signs to look for if a live bearing fish such as a platy or molly are pregnant?
How long does it take for Platy or Molly to give birth?
- Thread starter JoshuaTree
- Start date
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Super_Blueberry
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I unknowingly got a pregnant Black Molly from the lfs, and a month after her first batch, she had her second. I'm sure each specie is different though.
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
they can give birth to fry about every 28 days. you will notice a gravity spot (dark brown or black area) in their belly region. about a week before birth they will "square off" - will look like their is a box in her belly. and she will get huge and look like she is going to explode. (all of this is less noticeable the first few batches of fry, but the more batches she has the more noticeable it will be, and each time she will have more fry) then 1-12hrs before she starts popping out fry she will poop white. then it can take them up to 24 hours to give birth to all their fry.
once they are finished they will poop normally again, and will start eating their own fry if not separated.
also im pretty sure that mollies and platies are just like guppies, they can store sperm and have up to 5 batches of fry even if they were only impregnated once.
hope this helps answer your question. if you want to know anything else just ask
once they are finished they will poop normally again, and will start eating their own fry if not separated.
also im pretty sure that mollies and platies are just like guppies, they can store sperm and have up to 5 batches of fry even if they were only impregnated once.
hope this helps answer your question. if you want to know anything else just ask
Ashes2ashes
Aquarium Advice Regular
Everything rreekers said is correct. You can also add that when she is ready to give birth she will most likely start either hiding and chasing all the other fish away, especially the male attention, or she will go to the top of the tank and kind of look like she is panting a little. If you are planning to keep some of the fry you will want a lot of hiding places for them like moss and bushy plants where they can get away from being eaten. Or you could get a breeder trap where you could place the fry once they are born and raise them until they are too big for the parents mouths. Mollies are notorious for eating their fry if they can find them.
Additionally, if this is her first batch of fry it can sometimes take even more than 24 hours. It could take her up to 3 days to finish.
Additionally, if this is her first batch of fry it can sometimes take even more than 24 hours. It could take her up to 3 days to finish.
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I didnt know their 1st batches could tank so long.. wow..
ashes stated that alot of times they will go to the top and "pant", my guppies go to the top and my mollies go to the bottom. so that is a good sign. also they generally stop eating, like of you were to feed your fish and she was planning on giving birth in a few hours she would probably not eat
JoshuaTree
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Awesome Thank you rreekers and ashes this information helped a lot, i do not think any of my fish are pregnant at the moment but my M and F Creamcicle Mollys keep chasing eachother around the tank, especially the male chases the female a lot, how do i know if they are mateing or just aggressive towards each other?? they are both in excellent health!
JoshuaTree
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
gmanova
Aquarium Advice Activist
Do black mollies mate with silver mollies anyone?
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
JoshuaTree said:
you should have a ratio of 1 male to AT LEAST 2 female (3 or 4 is better) or just have all females.
it is probably both, aggression and mating
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
gmanova said:
yes, they all breed together.. they are the same species but different colors
Aron
Aquarium Advice Freak
That's how you get marble mollies!
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Aron said:
but sometimes they just come out 1 color or the other.. not always marble
gmanova
Aquarium Advice Activist
Thanks rreekers, good to know. What color would they be if a black molly mated a silver (almost white) molly? Speckled??? or dominant color of a parent???
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
it would either be speckled, black or white... lol.
I had a batch where a black and silver mated... I ended up with 32 fry that survived to ½-¾ inch. and they were still changing colors. but when I rehomed them.. I had 1 silver ,12 black , and the rest were speckled/marbled ( whatever you want to call it)
I had a batch where a black and silver mated... I ended up with 32 fry that survived to ½-¾ inch. and they were still changing colors. but when I rehomed them.. I had 1 silver ,12 black , and the rest were speckled/marbled ( whatever you want to call it)
JoshuaTree
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
So any type of molly can mate with any other? such as a lyretail molly with a regular molly? Lyretails are so beautiful they are my favorite molly!
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
JoshuaTree said:
yup... they can. I have 7 Molly juveniles in my community tank, they out grew my fry tank. and 1 is a lyretail.. and the rest aren't
JoshuaTree
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Wow thats good to know, i always thought they had to be the same type of molly!
rreekers
Aquarium Advice FINatic
JoshuaTree said:
they aren't picky lol.. just like guppies will breed with any type of guppy. .. I've found my male sword tails to be the most picky about their mates ( in my tank at least) they stick with their own color.. although in pretty sure I have a Molly swordtail mix juvenile in my community tank
