Pregnant Molly problems! urgent!

[Sav038]

Hey everyone, new here and new fishkeeper.

I have my first pregnant molly now, Joyce, the gold dust.

I isolated her in a 5 gallon today because she looks close to birth, within a week i'm guessing.

She's been in the 5 gallon all day today and doing pretty well besides being a bit frantic. I just noticed that she is frantically swimming around the tank, and has very labored breathing. In other words, breathing very heavy!!

She is normally in the big tank with 3 other mollies, but I isolated her because she looks close to birth.

This is my first time breeding any fish!

Someone, I need advice. I don't want her to abort the babies, but if I put her back in the big tank and she gives birth the fry will all get eaten!!

I also isolated her because my 1 male refused to leave her alone-

gonna do a small water change. maybe 30%

 

[SaraB]

How big is the big tank? Is your 5g cycled? If you have lots of hiding spots like plants or decorations you can leave her in the big tank and some of the fry will survive. If you leave her in the small tank she will probably eat most of the babies too.

 

[Sav038]

Yes, the 5g is cycled; filtered and heated. As for the big tank, it's around a 10-15 gallon, I'm unsure. I usually say it is 13g.

In the big tank I have 3 other mollies and 2 black kuhli loaches, so I don't think any fry would survive in here and I need them to survive.

I have arrangements with my LFS to do an exchange of fry for store credit, and I need this batch of babies.

After she gives birth, I will be putting her back in the big tank and leaving the babies in the 5g as a 'nursery' tank.

 

[SaraB]

Mollies are sensitive to water parameters. She is probably stressed from being moved out of the "big" tank. She may not give birth if she doesn't like the 5g tank.
Mollies need a tank of at least 30g, especially if you want to breed. Your would have better luck breeding guppies or endlers in that sized (10-15g) tank.

 

[yaya16]

Hi

As posted here I would say she is stressed from the move. Why not use a spawning chamber and keep her in the same tank? If not possible I would do a 50% water change using the water from the original aquarium but the female will most likely eat the fry unless they have good hiding places especially if she is stressed. There are a lot of ways to improvise some form of container that will allow the fry to escape the female like using a plastic container with a cutoff bottom replaced by a net, some form of floating basket, container with holes on the bottom etc.. use what you have around the house and have this float in the 5g tank so the fry escape the female.

Hope this helps