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Expert: Ron Coleman - 10/31/2009


Question
Hi Ron, about two weeks ago my one of my female mollies had a baby. The wierd thing was though she only had one. The baby is growing fast and was born with no yolk or deformities. I dont know why she only had one though and am wondering when one of the females will have the rest. Both females are getting quite large, here is the water chemistry, Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Hardness (GH) 25/soft, Chlorine 0, Alkalinity (KH) 180, Ph 7. Water temperature is around 78 degrees, have live plants in the aquarium as well.

Answer
Hi Matt,
 It is possible that she had more and ate the rest.  It is also possible that she only had one this time, but will likely have more in the future. Once mollies are mature they can have babies every few weeks.  

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

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Ron Coleman

Expertise

I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish). Please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. I keep fishes both as a scientist and as a hobbyist and I currently maintain about 140 aquariums.

Experience

I am an Associate Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I was editor of Cichlid News magazine for several years. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.

Publications
Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes

Education/Credentials
PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)

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