Question
molly
Hi, i recently got some fish from my brother, and three of them are black mollies. two are huge(3 in) and one is smaller(abt 2 in), and i think the bigger ones are females, and might be pregnant? I'm attaching pics (sorry they're blurry, my daughter stuck stickers on the plexiglass). You can see a floating breeder in the background, we have a guppy about to drop. We are also about to move 200 miles in a week and a half, whats the best way to transfer the fish? thank you so much.
Kim
AnswerHi Kim,
Congratulations, you're about to be a fishy grandmother. She indeed looks preggo to me.
If you don't mind, rather than just sending you a short note about her being pregnant, I'd like to include a bit of advice about molly proper care?
I have had fish over 35 years. Mollies are one of THE most misunderstood fishes there are. Petstores sell them as freshwater fishes, and people keep them as freshwater fishes, but the fact is, they are brackish water fishes. Especially black mollies, such as yours, who are found in pure saltwater and brackish, in florida along the mangrove trees, swimming and frollicking. They can also be found in coral reefs in low tide, and I use them to help cycle my new reef tanks, in pure saltwater.
They are sometimes found in freshwater ponds as well. The thing is, they don't live there year-round. Just during the times the ponds are sealed (summer or low tide) from oncoming in-wash from the ocean or tributaries.
The issues that arise by not adding salt to their water are that they can't fight bacteria that normal fishes can, because they are not up to par, healthwise, and their immunity is a little lower without salt to process. This makes their lifespans much shorter than they should be, so I always recommend doing one of the two following:
1. If your mollies are not in a tank with other brackish fishes, or if they are in a community tank of any kind, just add 1 teaspoon of marine salt to the tank per gallon. This will not only fend off parasites and fungus and bacteria, but it is also beneficial to your tank fishes of other species. It will not harm them, but it will tremendously boost the lifespan of your Mollies.
2. If your mollies are in a molly-only tank (meaning there are no other kinds of fish, just mollies), then add 2 teaspoons of Marine Salt per gallon. This will, again, really enhance their health and happiness, and general well-being.
Be sure to feed them lots of leafy greens, especially algae sheets. They truly love them. In the wild, they are algae eaters, expressly.
Be sure to always dissolve salt in water, first, before pouring it into the tank.
Well, Kim, I really hope this has been helpful. Your molly is beautiful and I am so happy for you with your new litter on the way. There is a chance she's just fat...keep that in mind, but my first impression is that indeed, you are going to be a grandmother.
Happy fish-keeping!
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