lisanaomi Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 i have a molly who is very pregnant. i think she was prgenant when i got her about a month ago. i got a two way breeder so some of the fry could hopefully live. is there a way that i can tell when she is going to have the babies? help..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 She will be very fat and you can often see black dots through her belly when she is about to drop (it is the fry's eyes you can see). Her anal vent will be enlarged. They will drop fry every 4 - 6 weeks depending on temperature so she must be pretty close to delivery. Females will often get distressed in a breeding trap. They may also abort. Much better for them to be free in a larger heavily planted tank with lots of fine leaved plants for the fry to hide in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisanaomi Posted November 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 My tank is 20 gallon and I have, a guppy, 5 danios, a white cloud, pleco, catfish, gold tetra, 2 glass fish and three blue tetras. Will they eat the frys once they are born. I looked at her belly and don't see any black dots. She's a silver molly and is really big and she sits a lot in either the rocks or a cave that I have in the tank. I had a male one, but he died the other day, and he was small and had less fins than she does, that's why I think she's pregnant. I only have about 4 plants in there so based on what you said maybe I should get some more plants, but I really would like the frys to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 All the fish will try and eat the fry - including mum :roll: If you have a true plec in that sized tank you had best find a new home for it. They need a much larger tank as they grow 2ft or so. Keeping them in smaller tanks stunts their growth (but not enough to stop them getting too big). If the plec is actually a bristlenose of the Ancistrus sp then that is OK. Get more plants, especially fine bushy ones like Java moss, cabomba, ambulia or water sprite. Livebearers can store sperm for several months and continue to produce fry for some time after no contact with a male. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisanaomi Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 well Caryl, the molly is in the process of taking her last breathes.....when i got up this morning she was sideways by the filter, i tried to net her and she moved but is having a hard time swimming and staying belly down.....i think she was about to have the frys because of how her belly looks, really dark, and she had kind of opened up, so maybe she was having hard time having them..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 That is possible if one of the fry got stuck (no obstetricians for molly breech births). Sorry to hear she is about to go. It is possible she may survive though not likely. Have you thought of gently stroking down her belly in an attempt to release any of the fry? Hold her in the palm of a wet hand and gently press with a finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 You could use a piece of airline and put it over her vent and gently suck, doing what would be a breech birth of a baby that is prolly "U" shaped in her opening. Or if she hasn't had babies for a long time, she could have a calcified obstruction, the airline could clear this too. It's worth the risk if she isn't already dead. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisanaomi Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 thanks for your help guys. i did try and press on her belly and her delivery area just opened up more. she looks like she is so uncomfortable and is going through a painful death. i came back home and found her stuck at the filter and the other molly and my guppy were trying to play with her but she wasn't responding.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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