Baby Molly - HELP :D

[senemedar]

This morning I noticed a baby fishy in my tank and don't know what to do now!! My Gourami is "guarding" it all the time, getting some rest only if my shark's taking his place Should I buy the breeding net and put it there until it's get bigger? There's a few plants he can hide (including a floating one).

I didn't intend to breed the fishes (I got the female molly by accident) and thought, that in case of a new fishes Gourami can take care of it, but now that I saw a little one I'm turning softie

 

[houndog13]

he will eventully get eaten probally the others did. You will have many more fry most get eaten right away my mother or other fish in tank. What other fish are in tank? If you want to raise them, put mother in a heated filtered 10 gallon tank when it looks like she is ready to burst. then when she is finished birthing take her out and put in old tank. fill 10 gallon tank with old main tank water for no shock.I used to do this with 2 male mollies and 5 females. After fry would grow big enough in 10 gallon I go to my lfs and trade out for other fish or supplies. Saved alot of $ for fairly easy time.

 

[houndog13]

Also depending on types of mollies you will get assorted colors, mine where mostly dalmation because it is there natual color in wild.Also lfs owner said my mollies had better survival and stonger then where he got his.

 

[senemedar]

The female is Black Balloon Mollie with white spots, and the males are brown (Balloon) and yellow (not-Balloon ).
I can't get another tank - I literally have no room and my other small tank (12l) is populated by shrimps...

 

[houndog13]

Bumer. Most live bearers are fairly easy to breed if you use common sense and watch closely. In your case buy the net and hope he dont get eaten untill u get back

 

[senemedar]

Got the breeder.... and I can't get to him, he's hidden so well Stuck right in the corner so I can't catch him; I guess other fishes won't catch him either in this case, right?

 

[Shark_Bait]

I've had 2 batches of swordtail fry so far and i have had 4 survive and grow up so far. You almost have to accept the "only the strong survive" moto. As long as there is hiding spots, the fry have a chance to survive.

 

[jumbaaa]

I had a similar problem with Guppies about 4 weeks ago what i ended up doing is taking a spare piece of air hose, creating a siphon and then sucked them (well actually they are mostly females) right into the fry tank which was right next to them... The only issue I had (and maybe someone here has an idea) I could not filter the tank without sucking up the young fry. Even with the net they got stuck against the net. I have 2 more pregnant guppies in a breeder tank in the main tank but trying to figure out the whole filtration aspect... Any ideas?

 

[houndog13]

Put cheese cloth over intake... A fry tank does not need a powerful filter. When they reach a reasonable size remove them. 10 gallon tank minium.

 

[houndog13]

sharkbait, no offense but I had 80% of my fry live. But when I see them ready to burst I put them in 10gallon tank always 90% original home tank water in 10 gallon tank water and small amount of filter media in 10 gallon.jumbaa thats cruel!

 

[Shark_Bait]

No that is fine. I just don't have the set ups to handle the fry populations

 

[houndog13]

Oh yea after taking out mom from 10 gallon take some water out of tank and add 1 quater teaspoon of new life secteum fish food and put in blender. I feed new life in all my tanks best fish food ime.

 

[ocminpin]

My newborns get put in my 10g and on the filter I bought the sponge that slides onto the intake. It was $2.99 at Petsmart. After they grow.. About 5-6 wks ok'd depending on growth rate... About 3/4", I move to 20g L.

 

[houndog13]

I lke that idea.

 

[ocminpin]

Trial & Error with that technique!
I started putting newborns in the 20g as they were born one day and the 6 week olds mauled them! I was horrified and never again will make that mistake. Luckily I only lost about 5... The rest I put in the 10 gal.
The 6 wk olds were about 3/4"... Much bigger than my current 5 wk olds... Different every batch.

 

[senemedar]

Baby's in the breeder
How long do I have to keep him there?

 

[ocminpin]

Yay! You saved him!
I've never used a breeder net so someone else would have better advice on that specifically, but I know my fry were old enough not to be eaten at about 6-8 weeks... HOWEVER, two of my female mollies bullied my little girl Molly the second I put her in tank. They chased her and poor thing was laying in corner "panting".... I reintroduced at 10 wks old... When she was approx 1 1/4" an they're fine now.

 

[senemedar]

Just as an update...
Found TWO more babies today
Didn't manage to put them into breeder-- lost sight of them