Pregnant Mollies smaller than usual

[Bre7337]

Hi, I have two mollies that were bred at the same time by the same male, I witnessed it myself, and their “due date” is supposed to be tomorrow, so I’m doing some last minute preparations for the anticipated fry.. Of course the fry aren’t guaranteed to be born tomorrow, just because it’s been 28 days since they started mating with the male, and because they don’t look as “boxy” as others I’ve seen, I was wondering what you all would think in terms of how long until they’re actually ready? Or if they are close, is there anything else I can do to make them more comfortable? Both are black mollies, one was slightly bigger than the other even before breeding.

These are the pictures I have at the moment but I can always take more/ clearer ones than these.

Thanks in advance ?

 

[Delapool]

I give up with mollies - I've had them go several weeks past "due date".

 

[idol1]

MY mollies don't have a due date when there ready to drop they drop . I know when a mollie is close. She stays hidden in the plants doesn't move much from the spot she has chosen. They don't care about how many days its been. They drop when there ready.

 

[Bre7337]

Seems like it’s just a waiting game lol. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if there are any physical signs they’re in labor? If possible I wanna avoid the breeder box as long as possible.

 

[Autumnsky]

When they are ready they will drop. Make sure you have Fry food for the babies and in regards to the dreaded breeder box, moma fish don't usually like it. If you can use some stem plant chunks or fake plant parts to make it seem more seculded it can help the mom feel more protected.

Those boxes make them feel stressed when they seem like they are out in the open and more vunerable to other fish. If the plants won't fit inside of the breeder box then you can add them around the outside so she feels safer.

 

[Bre7337]

Thanks, never thought of that. How big of a box would you recommend?

 

[Autumnsky]

Best option is to have a separate tank with lots of places for fry to hide and then after birthing remove the mom back to her original tank.

Personally do not favor the birthing box net thing. If you do want to use it the bigger the one you can find.

One problem is in some of the acrylic ones is the space is for babies to end up at the bottom, which many baby fish go to the top of the water, not the bottom. So not always efficient.

I have a fabric breeder net and it is a good area to keep tiny fish or in my case I use it for tiny plants. I have kept baby Platy in there when I was moving plants and fish around just to keep them safe, after they were born in the tank.

Chances are you will likely end up with too many babies anyhow. The mommas will keep having baby fish over the months, and likely , years .

There are some nice artificial grass mats you can float in the top of the water for babies to hide in. And Moss is a great addition, along with plants and rocks and driftwood. Live stem plants are nice for hiding fry too.

 

[Autumnsky]

One other important thing about the breeder boxes is that the water inside will not get a good of flow and the water inside will pollute and become unsafe very quickly, because of the rotting of uneaten food (you feed baby fish numerous times per day for ideal growth.)

If you use treated fresh water pretty much daily pour gently into the net to help flush out old water.

Place the net in the side/area of the tank where the water inflow is for maximum circulation possible.

I killed some baby fish by not realizing that.

 

[Bre7337]

That’s exactly why I tend to stick with the mesh type boxes. I’m going to end up getting another tank, probably a 10 for now, I don’t usually worry about separating them from the other fish or anything, but this go around I wanna see if I can spare a few, just for the fun of raising them lol. I’ve done it with cichlids and tetras, but Not mollies.

 

[Autumnsky]

Yes, good idea then. It is a fun thing to do, raise them up!