silver molly fish

Question
how do i know when the femal is pregnate? and do the babys need an oxgen tank when they are born or can i put them in a tanks with out one till the get bigger just leave the top off?

Answer
Hi Michelle;

A female molly is pretty much always pregnant. Even if a male is is not with her, she can still have babies from him for up to a year because her body will "store up" his sperm for use later. She will have babies about every 4 to 6 weeks. Her belly will get very large and she will get a dark area in her flanks (on the sides of the belly above the anal fins) called a "gravid spot". The dark area is dark from the babies' eyes and when they are fully devloped you may be able to see them curled up in there inside their eggs. You will know it's almost time to have babies when her belly becomes "boxy", sort of flattish on the bottom and sides. She will also hide more a few days before delivery. The fry are usually dropped right before dawn one morning before the sun rises. There can be just a few or as many as a hundred. It depends on the maturity of the female. Younger fish have fewer, older larger fish have more.

Baby mollies need the same tank conditions and care as their parents. A heater, filter (gently flowing such as a foam filter) and food crumbled up very tiny into a powder. Make plenty of water changes so they grow fast and keep the bottom of the tank vacuumed. Once they are about three times their birth size they can be put into the adult tank as long as there are no fish with mouths large enough to eat them.

Have fun!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins