Molly fry being eaten? Or not?

[gmac]

Hello there,

Things seem to be going well with about 17 molly fry... with their mother a balloon molly floating around the tank, unfortunately their father died a week ago. We have left the fry in the tank and all seem to be fine with the other inhabitants... 11 neon tetras and a large common pleco.

The first time we had fry by this balloon molly a few months ago... the male black molly was always near her before the birth nudging her etc... and then I think we noticed him at her rear... possibly as she was giving birth... was he eating the fry as they were born?

We removed the fry before he would have had a chance to eat ones anyway which got past him and now sadly he is dead so we don't know what would have happened had we left him in the tank with the fry...

If we got another one... or a male balloon molly rather than a male black molly... would they try and eat the fry that are now in the tank, or just accept them as the other tank mates have? Not sure how molly's work with the whole fry thing.

Many thanks.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

My males did the same thing. They would follow the female around the tank before and during the birth of fry. It looked like he was either eating the fry, or just pulling them out. I know, sounds weird. But we always had tons of fry, so I thought that he was just pulling them out, kind of like assisted birth.

 

[Andos99]

I just leave the male in....if he eats a few, no biggie.

 

[Heiko]

How dyu sex mollies?

And what kind of numbers do you keep them in and what kind of male:female ratio?

Thanks if you can help

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I had 2 males and 2 females and they were fine. But it is ideal to have more females than males.

Pulled from www.liveaquaria.com

"The pointed anal fin and much larger dorsal fin on the male, and the rounded anal fin and pregnancy spot on the female differentiate the two."

 

[Heiko]

Thanks,

Im just hoping to get some when i get my angels a new home. would you say 1 male 2 females would be about right? If i do this hopefully i can raise some fry of my own.

And would it be ok to keep 2 sets of livebearers together as i have swordtails too.