ocminpin's Cruella update thread

[ocminpin]

No babies... She still looks the same

 

[ErinMcG]

I keep hitting refresh and thinking "babies yet?" Who knew that baby mollies could be so fascinating?

I am still plotting stocking for my tanks and while most of my plans revolve around things like tetras, I keep eyeing up mollies and wondering if I'd like to go that route instead.

With Cruella being so prolific, do you worry about running out of tank room? Or do you find that it is easy enough to sell the babies? Once Cruella's babies mature, will you then find yourself overrun with their babies?

 

[ocminpin]

I keep hitting refresh and thinking "babies yet?" Who knew that baby mollies could be so fascinating?

I am still plotting stocking for my tanks and while most of my plans revolve around things like tetras, I keep eyeing up mollies and wondering if I'd like to go that route instead.

With Cruella being so prolific, do you worry about running out of tank room? Or do you find that it is easy enough to sell the babies? Once Cruella's babies mature, will you then find yourself overrun with their babies?

Thank you! Cruella is one of my favorites

My favorite type of Mollies are the Silver Lyretails & Black Mollies.

I have my adults in my 29g, Juvie's in a 20g L, newborns in a 10g & a 10g for various needs... At moment it's holding Cruella.
At about 6 wks old I move the babies into the 20g...

I don't leave any babies in my big tank. Not a chance of survival with a Betta & 7 mollies in there...
When I have larger amounts of juvies in the 20g I do an approx 80% PWC every 3 days...
I don't get to keep 40 fry from every batch... Some get born in main tank and I lose a large number. I did get to save 44 fry from Cruella's December batch out of the main tank though.
Luck
I sell the juvies at about 1 1/2" to a LFS for approx .44/fish... He gave me $10 for 25 mollies last time. It's the best price around. I had a few stores offer me $1 or $2 for entire batch! Heck NOOO!
The juvies start giving birth at around 10-12 wks and at this point have all been eaten by morning... When there are dozens and dozens of mouths to eat you, it's rough

 

[severum mama]

The posts above have been moved to this thread from a previous thread. The topic of this thread is ocminpin's molly Cruella. Updates and discussion are welcome here. Chit chat, bumping, and off topic posting are not. Once again, I would like to invite anyone who wants to chit chat to use our chat room from a computer, or feel free to use the private messaging system. AA is not a Facebook wall, and the off topic posts clutter up the forum and make it difficult for others to find information they may need. Thank you for understanding.

ocminpin- hornwort, anacharis, or other easy floating plants are a great way to give fry places to hide. Our livebearer fry always have a much higher survival rate in tanks packed full of these easy plants, plus they are great for water quality. If you haven't tried them before, you might find that you have a lot more survivors when you give them a shot.

 

[LyndaB]

I have had luck with fry in a main tank if I have a decent clump of java moss. I haven't even known that there are fry until I see them hiding out in there. They only come out to join the general population when they feel they are large enough to not be looked at as a food source.

Java moss has also worked for me with cory fry and red cherry shrimplets.

 

[ocminpin]

Cruella's hiding in the betta cave very quietly. She started after I did my 50% PWC.... I definitely added Prime, so that's not the issue and temp is usual 80-82. Just noticed she's just swimming... Hovering near bottom... She's been pooping up a storm the past 2 days. MAJOR amounts...

Perhaps I should feed her a few peas? Or is she maybe just finally close to birthing?

 

[ocminpin]

ocminpin- hornwort, anacharis, or other easy floating plants are a great way to give fry places to hide. Our livebearer fry always have a much higher survival rate in tanks packed full of these easy plants, plus they are great for water quality. If you haven't tried them before, you might find that you have a lot more survivors when you give them a shot.

I'm definitely going to look into getting these plants... I'll be going to a local privately owned store with more of a selection than Petsmart or Petco who's plants aren't usually fully aquatic.

 

[ocminpin]

Should I move her back to main tank? Could she be too stressed in the 10g by herself? She's been in there 15 days! She's hanging out with an occasional lap... Just hovering near the bubbles as usual.
She was square when I moved her in on March 10th... It's now March 25th...
I just don't want to go thru this and have babies eaten overnight as usual..

What do you think?

 

[Artist]

Leave here in there. That would be stress she doesn't need. It just takes time. Do you know the date she last had fry? It should be around 4weeks later when the next drop should happen but it some times takes 45days


Best thing to do is wait and see what happens

 

[ocminpin]

Leave here in there. That would be stress she doesn't need. It just takes time. Do you know the date she last had fry? It should be around 4weeks later when the next drop should happen but it some times takes 45days

Best thing to do is wait and see what happens

Last drop was Jan 17th --- 9 wks 5 days... 69 Days

She is using stored sperm from my deceased male.
She held for 52 days once but this time is different because I don't know when stored sperm was used/activated.
She's been huge and square a long time... She has an avg of 45-60 fry each time...

 

[ocminpin]

Here she is in hiding...



View attachment 84821


Edit: and now she's out doing laps... Perhaps she's close? PLEASE CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!

 

[ocminpin]

I moved her back to main tank... She's skinnier and not a single fry in sight... She's not a fry muncher, so that doesn't make sense...
She's been pooping up a storm greenish/yellow poo for the last 3 days....

I hate this... I was sure this would work... I've never had a female stay separated for so long.... I think she just got stressed or something and started shutting down and going into hiding.

But, now she's in main tank and making the rounds... Her rival female isn't in there anymore... And there's a male since she left... He's just mated with her 6-8 times since I put her in in the last 5 min.

She's so lean i doubt there will be babies, but I'll keep my eye out.

Disappointed this morning...

 

[darkmatter_3500]

Its good that she is active , maybe she will settle down once she gets her bearings in your main tank again

 

[ocminpin]

Its good that she is active , maybe she will settle down once she gets her bearings in your main tank again

I find it hard to believe she ate every single one without any evidence... When they eat fry they have BLACK poo.
She's sure got the tank active at the moment...
She's with 3 other female mollies, a male Molly, a betta & an Oto.
I'm draining the 10g and rinsing hot water and putting it away. Who needs 4 aquariums in their living room anyway?!

 

[darkmatter_3500]

I find it hard to believe she ate every single one without any evidence... When they eat fry they have BLACK poo.
She's sure got the tank active at the moment...
She's with 3 other female mollies, a male Molly, a betta & an Oto.
I'm draining the 10g and rinsing hot water and putting it away. Who needs 4 aquariums in their living room anyway?!

Whats wrong with 4 aquariums in there living room? Lol

 

[ocminpin]

Whats wrong with 4 aquariums in there living room? Lol

Only if I could put up a 20g L and have my Rams... But that's a whole other topic!


Cruella seems to be settling back in at home... She's probably not thrilled about the male... But oh well... She'll get over herself

 

[darkmatter_3500]

You have to get the rams , lol