Molly bullying/fighting

[ocminpin]

My Dalmatian Molly Cruella is being the dominant one to her other tank mates, Female Creamsicle Molly Suki and Female Silver Molly Charger. There is also a male Platy Meringue, but she ignores him.. he just swims along behind watching the fuss. She and Suki were wrestling going in tight circles till Suki swam away with Cruella chasing her... she chases Charger too, but not as severely. I thought her dominance, and previous mild chasing behavior was due to my male Dalmatian Molly being removed from the tank (the previous dominant one) so she thought she'd take over the tank in his absence. I also thought it had to do with her being heavily pregnant and just being a moody mama... she dropped fry last night.... so that doesn't seem to be the case right now.. She's just being quite a stinker... anyone know what's going on? They're in my 29 gallon ... seems that Suki is dominant with both the Silver Molly and the Platy, until Cruella comes chasing after her... is it just a dominance dance trying to get the pecking order established? They've been together for a month and in the 29 gallon for the last two weeks.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

i always find that once a dominant and aggressive figure is removed, the next in line steps up and can be worst.
my CBZ male kept everything in line, then did the female CBZ after him, then my auratus after her. it was a night mare cycle but u just have to put in a bossy but not nipping leader, which can be hard to find but is out there!

did this male ever nip or attack them? x

 

[ocminpin]

i always find that once a dominant and aggressive figure is removed, the next in line steps up and can be worst.
my CBZ male kept everything in line, then did the female CBZ after him, then my auratus after her. it was a night mare cycle but u just have to put in a bossy but not nipping leader, which can be hard to find but is out there!

did this male ever nip or attack them? x

He is in QT still for that nasty Camallanus worm outbreak I've talked complained throughly about in here..
He switched up breeding with his favorite females 90% of the time... and I say he was dominant because he would chase others away who came near his woman fish.. haha... and then come back to her again. He'd switch it up and ultimately chase everyone at some point.. there were times he was calmer, but it was rare. Once he was removed the females seemed to relax a lot and swim normally.... usually following each other around... at one point last month I had separated him for part of the day to give the girls a break and when i put him back Him and dominant Cruella here had a fighting match... swimming in tight circles, tumbling, and finally after he wouldnt stop trying to mate with her she gave him a few HUGE swishing slaps with her tail back and forth.. (like you see in those whale shows/movies!) and he calmed down.... for about 15 mins and the tank was back to "normal". After that she allowed him to mate with her, as well as the others... was fascinating to watch.. hadn't ever seen anything like it before.
The 4 of them had a feeding frenze yesterday afternoon when I missed Cruella's birthing... i was able to save ONE... they could be still excited over that? I have NO clue... I'm trying to use dog psychology on these fish hoping to make some sort of sense of it all! HMMM... she is a Dalamtian Molly...

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

haha i so get it now!!! nice pun.
i dont think they will, if it isnt right in front of them (food, other fish, threats) they dont care!!
and that must have been quite cool, iv never watched an actual arguement start to finish lol
chances are they are sorting out a new heirarchy and all want the action (except the platy). any improvement or is it worse? x

 

[ocminpin]

haha i so get it now!!! nice pun.
i dont think they will, if it isnt right in front of them (food, other fish, threats) they dont care!!
and that must have been quite cool, iv never watched an actual arguement start to finish lol
chances are they are sorting out a new heirarchy and all want the action (except the platy). any improvement or is it worse? x

Good morning
Well Creamsicle is being very bossy to the Silver (who is about to burst).... Silver's doing her laboring paces now, vent opened... it looks like I could pop her shes so boxy. Miss Cruella tho is a little better... I think Suki's getting frustrated and is taking it out on Silver..
I'm watching the tank like a hawk... wanting to save these babies...

 

[ocminpin]

Oh yea, and the platy.. Well, he's just a little dopy... he just follows everyone around... always last in line .. sometimes appears to get lost looking OUTSIDE of the tank and then turns around and rushes back to the others... : ) It's quite amusing. I love him tho.... He's got such striking markings on his tail... the black "twin bars"..he brings just vibrant color to the tank.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

if u want to save the babies... why not take out the mum into a breeder net or wherever the babies are going??? lol x
and platies are well cute

 

[ocminpin]

if u want to save the babies... why not take out the mum into a breeder net or wherever the babies are going??? lol x
and platies are well cute

I put her in the 10 gallon for most of the day yesterday and she was QUITE unhappy about it... swam around crazily the entire time... nothing happening.. so i put her back last night.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

fair enough! x
and what do u mean morning its nearly 6pm here! haha

good luck... updates asap! x

 

[ocminpin]

fair enough! x
and what do u mean morning its nearly 6pm here! haha

good luck... updates asap! x

LOL It's 11am here

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

sooo how far is she off birthing? x

 

[ocminpin]

sooo how far is she off birthing? x

She appears to enjoy making me wait...

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

update?? x

 

[ocminpin]

update?? x

NOTHING YET!! She's HUGE and as squared as can be!! Grr Grr Grr Grr..

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

haha! its funy what they do.
my guppy is fully squared off (has been for 3 days!!) and i though she was popping a week ago but aborted. had 2 fry (that died) and stopped. she then decides during my pwc (her breeder net is in the oscar tank) to jump out and face a near death experience with a mouth that could swallow her whole. greeeaaaaaat lol!
is the dalmation dude the father? x

 

[ocminpin]

haha! its funy what they do.
my guppy is fully squared off (has been for 3 days!!) and i though she was popping a week ago but aborted. had 2 fry (that died) and stopped. she then decides during my pwc (her breeder net is in the oscar tank) to jump out and face a near death experience with a mouth that could swallow her whole. greeeaaaaaat lol!
is the dalmation dude the father? x

SHE HAD THEM THIS MORNING!!! I missed the birth but noticed within a couple hours and was able to save 15! They are very strong swimmers... Lean ones with skinny tails.. some iridescent, white, black, orange...
I'm guessing the skinny ones are going to be lyretail? Just sooo happy.. missed birth completely last month and babies were gone. What a happy morning!
I got her last month.. already pregnant.. missed those babies.. and this batch is the 2nd round. Cesar (Dalmatian Male) COULD be the father, or it could be stored sperm, OR both... Don't know, but they're CUTE! Cutest yet!... and such multicolors... amazing

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

my guppy had 45 this morning... god she was squared ages!
aww the colours sound so sweet! the skinnies may be lyretail, it will be very fascinating piiiiiiics....... x

 

[ocminpin]

my guppy had 45 this morning... god she was squared ages!
aww the colours sound so sweet! the skinnies may be lyretail, it will be very fascinating piiiiiiics....... x

I'm sooo loving the newborns.. The week old babies taught these new ones how to eat (aka... when the hatch opens, swim to top... that stuff is FOOD).. and these babies were eating on the first day cause they were shown what to do.
I'm thinking the skinny ones are Lyretails also..HOWEVER, I looked in the bigger fry tank last night and a few of the Creamsicles have a lyre top fin and a wavy tail.... has taken 5-6 wks for that to show.. so HMM.... guess every fish is different!

P.S. Congrats on your babies! where do you have them?

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

lol! how are the older babies dealing witht he younger ones? x
i love mixes as u never know what they are gonna be like!

i have mine in a breeder net, so i can pic or choose who stays or is feeder. but i wont tell mum, i want all 20 of the older batch to keep and i may get another tank hehe! three have great colour already at a month old.

im so glad for you! babies are a thrill and i 4got how small they are when they are born! i remember the only molly i raised, took aaaages to grow. lyre tails are the best of all mollies imo, but i love the calypsos too! x

 

[ocminpin]

lol! how are the older babies dealing witht he younger ones? x
i love mixes as u never know what they are gonna be like!

i have mine in a breeder net, so i can pic or choose who stays or is feeder. but i wont tell mum, i want all 20 of the older batch to keep and i may get another tank hehe! three have great colour already at a month old.

im so glad for you! babies are a thrill and i 4got how small they are when they are born! i remember the only molly i raised, took aaaages to grow. lyre tails are the best of all mollies imo, but i love the calypsos too! x

My Silver Lyretail, Charger.... the one who just had these babies the other day.... is my favorite.. she's a gorgeous pure white with that whispy tail.. LOVE it!
Wellllll...... as for the older babies with the younger ones.. I now have two fry tanks. I have the 20g long with 5, 6, & 7 wk old fry in it and then the 10g with Charger's babies that are 2 days, Cruella's ONE baby that is 5 days (rest were eaten, stillborn or eggs), and Suki's 1 wk old babies... 27 total..... I believe everyone's still alive. The 10 g tank is now reserved for newborns... when i put a few newborns in the 20g... the 7 wk olds (who were 6 wks at the time) snatched them up and could be seen swimming, carrying them in their mouths. HORRIFIC! So i discovered newborns ahve been safe with babies up to 3-4 wks old. WHooops!! So sad for those few that were mauled.