Female Molly Gone Missing?

[gmac]

Can anyone tell me what Mollies do during spawning? We seem to have lost our female black molly, there is a big male black molly and a female balloon molly in the tank on the molly side of things and we have lost her for a day now. She was out for feeding yesterday morning and she hasn't appeared during feeding in the afternoon or this morning?

We checked behind everything and she is not there. However she might be in the small tunnel which I created with two stones at the rear, or inside the very DARK DARK section of my Arizona Rock structure, but we can't move it to check. Do they usually hide like this if they are about to have babies?

Failing that our dog has eaten the fish when it's jumped from the tank, but I wouldn't expect that from his molly and we never leave it open unattented for long, so we're really confused!

Anyone any ideas? Thanks.

 

[BrianNY]

Ahhh, the mysteries of the disappearing fish! I'm sure it happens to everyone. I once had a 6 inch oscar vanish from my tank. I was shocked to find only the head in the dogs pen the same day . I'm still wondering about that.

Check your filter intake gmac.

 

[gmac]

6" Oscar eaten! 8O The filter intake is not the kind that would let a fish get sucked in or stuck to, they swim along right beside it many times and the molly is far too big for that to even be considered so I'm still at a loss - thanks anyway Brian. Any info on their breeding habits anyone?

 

[gmac]

WE FOUND HER! She has appeared at the top of the tank from somewhere, BUT she is covered in white spot when she was one of the ones who never really had any!

I asked at my LFS on Saturday what they had to help and the really informative guy there says Protozin I think it was that we bought, they use it on their tanks, and it's a 4 day treatment which clears it up brilliantly.

We have been adding daily amount for last 3 days. She looks tired and worn out basically... is this alright as this could be the treatment speeding the process up, I also raised temp a couple of degrees a few days ago. As I understand, the spots will fall off and become free floating parasites to infect new hosts... if the case should I continue treatment daily until then when the treatment can kill them or just end it after today's dose?

I don't want anymore fish to die! 8O

 

[FawnN]

Mollies are livebearers, which means they give birth to live fry. They do have a tendancy to hide when they are getting ready to give birth.

BTW, glad you found her.

 

[Mofo2713]

I would raise your temp. gradually to 80-82 (1 degree every 12 hours) and add aquarium salt as it suggests as a remedy on the box. This is the only treatment I have ever used and it worked perfect.