Pictures: Maybe this will help you all help me?

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

I know that you all gave me good advice about my molly. I don't know if she is pregnant or not, because I dont have a lot of experience with pregnant fish.

What does everybody think from the pics?

She has been real fat for about 7 days but I can't tell about the "gravid spots" because she is black.

also, I know this is a lot to ask but, if anybody can tell me that she is pregnant, when should I move her?

Sorry if these are not the best.

Thanks

 

[Billsgate]

If there are males in with her she is bound to be pregnant. And she looks big, but not about to pop just yet IMO. Hard to tell though....and I don't think you'll easily see gravid spots on black mollies.......considering gravid spots are supposedly black? (I've never seen any on my guppies either, I just know I can see the fry sitting in their belly, can see the eyes when they are really big)

If you want to save all the babies, best thing you can do is set up a small tank for your pregnant livebearers. I did so when I needed some more offspring, just set up a 10 gal and put my pregnant females in there, and once they gave birth I removed them and raised the fry. Thing about the breeder trap is that your female molly will feel very uncomfortable being in there for long periods of time, even short... But I'd say: let nature take it's course for now, pay carefull attention when she gives birth, that way you have a reference for next time and you know when to move her. And maybe you are lucky and see when it happens, and you can catch most of the fry.

 

[Creamhorses]

It's reasonable to expect her to drop her fry in days to a week or more, so you've got ample time to prepare if you want to save her fry. Bill has good advice on an additonal tank for her.

What other fish do you have in the tank? Was that a Tiger Barb in the background on pic#2? Are there more? Easy meals....fry are.

Are your Mollies in brackish or fresh water?

CH

 

[cappieBridget]

to me it looks like her scales are sticking out. I had a platy die from bloat. SHe got real fat like that and her scales started sticking out and then she looked like a pine cone. I don't know if it's the picture or not but it looks like the bottom of her scales are sticking out.

 

[Alshain]

to me it looks like her scales are sticking out. I had a platy die from bloat. SHe got real fat like that and her scales started sticking out and then she looked like a pine cone. I don't know if it's the picture or not but it looks like the bottom of her scales are sticking out.

Thats a disease called Dropsy. I can't tell from these pictures if this is the same case. Can you get a closer picture? She does look pregnant. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between pregnancy and dropsy, but if her scales are sticking out from her body, thats not a good sign.

 

[cappieBridget]

yep, that's what it was! Thanks for correcting me. The heat has officially gotten to me, lol.

 

[Guest]

Pregnant Molly

There are not scales sticking out at all. Maybe that is just the way it looks in the picture. So most of you agree that if it is not dropsy, she is indeed pregnant. I am going to move her to a tank tommorow. Thanks for the advice and more opinions would be great.

The tank has a small amount of salt in it but I have had the molly the longest and she has been fine. She was my first fish when I was cycling and really should not have rushed...go figure? But never the less she was the only one to survive.

And there are 12 Tiger Barbs that do not bother the two mollys at all. In fact I think the bigger Molly shown in the picture holds her ground better than I would have ever expected since I never had mollys.

I will be sure to update you all on whats going on

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Hey Mike, yes she is in the motherly way. with Mollies there's two really easy ways to tell.

#1 In picture 1 look at the anual fin to the bottomof her belly notice how square it looks. That's showing the overie { not sure of the spelling } is being displace for brith.
#2 With mollies the belly are not only gets square shaped. But it will start to show white in that area as well.

Now the more the area I pointed out to you from the anual fin to the bottom of her belly starts looking more and more square. The closer to giving brith she is. It normally takes around 2 to 3 weeks for mollys to drop there fry. Some times a month if it's there frist.

Also dropsey will make the fish look like a pine cone. she dosn't look anything like a cone to me. LOL

 

[cappieBridget]

must be the camera my bad I'm not familiar with Mollys, just platys. COngrats!!!

 

[Guest]

Thanks CappieBridget, but do not give me congrats yet. I will let you know when I have some live fry, then I will let you know so you can give me Congrats. I am nervous about the whole thing. she is my oldest fish and I want to keep the fry. Well see!