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About Lauren
Expertise
I can answer all questions on breeding and caring for fry from any type of fish, water quality, testing and altering the pH value, toxins, foods and feeding advice, live, frozen, kitchen and other foods that are suitable for your aquarium fish, causes of diseases and how to cure them, where to place aquariums, setting up aquariums, aquatic plants, general information, fish anatomy, calculations and imperial to metric conversions. I can also tell you the origins, compatibility with other fish, adult size's, ease of keeping out of 10, diet requirements, pH range and temperature ranges on all fish. I can't answer any questions about salt water aquariums. Any questions I struggle with I will be willing to give an educated answer from research.

Experience
Breeding of Betta's, Guppies, Mollies, Platy's and Goldfish. Wwork experience at local pet stores.

Education/Credentials
Working at out local pet shop.

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Pet Fish > Fish > Molly fry/pregnant

Fish - Molly fry/pregnant

Expert: Lauren - 11/6/2009

Question
Hi Lauren, about three weeks ago during morning feeding one of my female mollies had a baby. She only had one though which I know they usualy give birth to more. When I got home from work that evening she was still large and full of babies possibly. Well since then both my females are pregnant (black mollies) and they keep getting bigger and bigger every day. I was wondering when they might have their babies. Also i know that mollies like peas but i dont know how to prepare them, any ideas?

Answer
i feed my peas raw..but i think you can cook them, the important thing is you take their shells off cos fish dont/cant eat them as if they try to they usually get stuck in their mouths...if you feed them raw make sure they are tinned pea's as otherwise they will be harder..

anyway..if one has started giving birth then she has either had them all and they have been eaten or has had one and is struggling?

the usual signs are not eating and hiding away..although mine stop eating they never hide..some of them get over active a bit before birth as well so its hard to tell...but you will see that she kinda squares off when she is about to give birth..also they prefer to give birth at night so either you will only find a few babies or none die to them getting eaten...or if you use a floating hatchery you will get them all, but be warned floating hatchery's can stress and kill the mother..but generally birth can kill the mother as soooo many babies come out it weakens them and is a shock to her body...also i hope you know that she may give birth to 30 or so but you will end up with between 0 - 12 on average..this is why they haveso many...in the wild between 0-3 will survive..im telling you this as ive had questions from people upset there fry had died and wondering what they did wrong..you havent done anything wrong...its just nature =]

also if you've seperated the fry..dont put him/her back into the main tank until he is as big as the biggest mouth in your tank..otherwise he/shemay become a late night snack =[

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