Preggo Molly Question

[rcm87]

Well my Molly is looking pretty plump. Do i just throw her in a hatchery until she pops a couple fry out or what. She is in there now, and she has has been pregnant one time before this. Thanks for the help.

 

[platylover]

What size is the hatchery is she in? How long has she been pregnant?

The hatchery size is important because if it is one of those breeding traps then leaving her in the trap for more than a few days could stress her and she may abort the pregnacy.

 

[rcm87]

It is a 3 chamber, which mean it will hold 3 preggos and has space at the bottom for the fry to drop through. I took out the divider so she has even more room.

 

[Terry]

When it comes to mollies, it is a case of judging it right. One thing i always do when it comes to live bearers is wait for the fish to get quite fat, and when she stops swimming around and sits on the bottom, or hangs at the top then that is a sign she is about to give birth.
I am not a lover of breeding traps as i feel they stress the fishes into premature births, so the least amount of time you can keep the female in there the better.

HTH

 

[platylover]

I totally agree with Terry. The molly will literally look like she is about to explode right before she is going to give birth. Another option that you could do is to make sure that the main tank is well planted with plenty of hiding places for the fry and just let her give birth in the main tank. I have done this with 2 batches of molly fry now and average right at 20 fry per birthing. I don't know what other kinds of fish you have with her, but that could be an option.