Is My Molly Pregnant??????

Question
QUESTION: Hello My Molly Is really fat and we just got her from the pet shop 3 days ago and
there is another Molly in the just like it. I don't know if it is a girl or not how do I
tell the differrence and is my molly pregnant and if she is how long will it take
her before she has babies

ANSWER: Hi Lucy,
 She very well may be pregnant.  It is impossible to tell for sure.  As for how long it will take for her to have babies, well, it usually happens within a couple of weeks.

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If I want to keep the babies what shall I do???

ANSWER: Hi Lucy,
  One way is to buy what is known as a fish "breeder trap".  The female goes in the top and when the babies are born they can slip through the cracks on the bottom to safety.  Another possibility is to put lots of fine leaved aquatic plants in the tank, so the kids have some place to hide.

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She has gotten less fat now do you think she has had the babies?

Answer
Hi Lucy,
 It is very possible that she gave birth.  The good news is that she will get pregnant again (mollies can store sperm, so she doesn't even have to mate again).  She can make a number of batches after having mated just once.

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>