Creamsicle molly just unexpectedly gave birth ...HELP!!

[nicole0701]

So I finally got some fish for my aquarium, one dalmatian molly and one creamsicle molly. I was pretty sure they were both females. For the first day both fish seemed odd and were only hanging out at the top of the tank. Next day the dalmatian molly is fine and happily swimming, however, the other molly had been frantically swimming at its reflection for hours. So I started to become worried and I have been watching them


Well as I was watching the creamsicle molly gave birth!! I saw at least two tadpole looking things come out of her and float down to the plants and now I cannot see them.

What do I do???

Thanks!

 

[Ben the Betta]

You can either:
1. Keep them. Depending on how many fish you have in your tank, and what size it is, they would make a great addition to your tank
2. Sell the fry to a pet store. Most pet stores buy your fish

To find the fry, I would take a net, and just try to pick them up. If they are around the plants, remove all the decor.

 

[aquandrew]

they can both be females they can keep reproducing for a few months after you get them because at the store they were mixed together with males and they can carry their genes and keep reproducing a few times. this happens a lot when people buy female mollies, platies and guppys

 

[nicole0701]

How can I tell if the other is pregnant? The other molly (dalmatian) just ate one of the fry. Will this likely happen to all of them? I only have a 20 gallon tank too, was not expecting this!

 

[nicole0701]

being aggressive now

So now the molly who gave birth is being aggressive towards the other molly who is eating all her fry. Any advice?

 

[wildroseofky]

I had the same thing happen to me. I bought two females so I wouldn't have to deal with fry. 5 months later I see a little fish swimming around the bottom of the tank. I freaked out, came here, and got some good advice. I tried to save them but all but two died. I only found 5 when I went looking. The fish had ate the others. Both my females gave birth twice close together but only two survived. I decided to let nature take its course the other three times after the first bunch died while in a fry net. Sadly the two adults died. The one dalmation molly kept bullying the other female and finally killed her. Then the other one got a fungus and it killed her. If you have another tank you might separate them for awhile. Fish do not have long memories and in a week you might be able to add her back with no problem. Or maybe separate the tank with a divider. Leave it off the substrate a little to allow the babies to move about. Just google tank divider or something similar and you will find many ideas for do it yourself ones.

I still have the two babies I saved. I ended up with one female and one male. Of course they have mated and the girl is ready to give birth soon. I got a creamsicle female to give the male anther girl to bother. He was driving his sister crazy. He has even tried to mate with my neon tetras. LOL Frisky little booger.

 

[Ozy]

I had a nightmare with my endler guppies. Started with 3 males, the guy at the store mistakenly gave me an extra female. by 2 months I was giving so many away to the lfs they asked me to stop. No one wanted them. I couldnt keep up with trying to seperate all the males and females. The females just wouldnt stop giving birth! I ended up taking them all out one day and drove to about 3 fish stores and begged them to take them.

 

[Toad]

Yeah if you don't/won't/can't deal with fry, figure out how to sex livebearers, take your females back and only get males. It's the only way you are guaranteed no fry.

 

[nicole0701]

well pretty sure all the fry got eaten by my big Dalmatian molly. so problem solved i guess? The pregnant molly seems to be fine with the other one at this point. They are even hanging out together. Oddly enough the Dalmatian molly keeps nudging the pregnant one like she wants her to have more babies aka more lunch. The pregnant molly is much smaller than the other too so I think she can hold her own at least. It would have been cool if maybe one baby lived. she is still acting somewhat weird tho so I wouldn't be surprised if she has more. So I heard they can get pregnant multiple times after they have been separated from the males. They will eventually stop tho right?? lol

 

[wildroseofky]

Yes, If there is no male than they will use up the stored sperm. Everything I read said they only have 2 or 3 pregnancies from stored sperm. I have been thinking of removing my male and putting him in one of my other tanks. I have a snail tank he can move into. I just hate for him to be alone. I don't know if mollies need companions or not.

 

[nicole0701]

I heard they don't need to be with other fish but definitely like it. I don't mind having females. I also read that you need to have at least two females per male molly. seems way easier to just have females. hopefully the pregnant molly and my other one make it and I will eventually get them another friend or two. I had been thinking of getting a snail too are they cool?

 

[Ozy]

Snails are super cool!!! Just keep an eye on them too. Ive had huge issues with them over populating my tank as well. Mine came free with some plants so i wasnt sure what kind they were - at the time i was overfeeding. Little did i know i was fueling a massive snail army.