The gestation period of a molly fish is around 60 days. Female mollies can store sperm for months and may fertilize eggs as often as every 30 days, even when no male is present in the tank. Mollies may release 10 to 60 live fish at a time.
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How do I know when my molly will give birth?
There are some signs to look for that indicate that a molly fish is about to give birth. Her belly will grow and begin to square off, her gravid spot will turn opaque, she will eat less, and she will hide away in dark corners more.
Do molly fish have live babies?
Mollies do not lay eggs like other fish breeds. Instead, they give birth to live fish. Male mollies fertilize the eggs when they are in the female’s belly. The female molly can store sperm and continue giving birth without having to mate.
What do I do if my molly fish has babies? – Related Questions
How long is a molly in labor?
But how long does that take? After an average of 30 to 40-day pregnancy, it will take a molly approximately a day to give birth to her fry. Many mollies can actually store sperms for months at a time, fertilizing their eggs themselves every 30 days. They can birth anywhere between 20 and 100 fry at a time.
How fast do molly fry grow?
It will take around one to two months for your fry to grow large enough to be introduced into your standard aquarium. The fry should be larger than the mouths of an adult molly fish.
Do mollies lay eggs or give live birth?
Mollies belong to a class of fish called livebearers. They don’t lay eggs; their young come out swimming. And they are prolific breeders as well. Molly babies get no protection from their parents.
Are mollies live breeders?
Molly fish are easy to breed in captivity and are a good choice for people who are new to breeding fish. Mollies are livebearers, meaning that the females retain their eggs in their bodies before giving birth to live babies.
What does a molly fish look like pregnant?
Physical Signs
A healthy pregnant female will have smooth scales, as opposed to the typical “pinecone” appearance of dropsy. For lighter-colored mollies, look for black spots on her abdomen near the anal vent. This is the “gravid spot,” which indicates pregnancy.
How do molly fish have babies?
Mollies are livebearer fish which means they do not lay eggs but rather gestate their young and give birth to them live. You will not need to do much to get mollies to breed as long as you have males and females in the same tank.
You can put the fry in the tank for about 2 weeks. This is when molly fries are large enough to not be mistaken for food anymore. They can then be released in the main tank, or you can put them into their own, separated tank.
Can mollies change gender?
Mollies are not able to change gender. The gender of these fish is determined by their genetics so it is impossible for them to change sex. Your mollies might appear female at the beginning but they will get a male outward appearance as they mature.
How long do molly fish live for?
The short answer is that mollies live for about 5 years. However, there are many factors that determine their lifespan such as diet, tank conditions, genetics, and so much more. These will be discussed in this article. Let’s find out more about the beautiful Molly fish!
Do mollies clean the tank?
Indeed, Mollies can help you keep your aquarium free of algae and relatively clean. They do so by picking and eating the algae that naturally grow on the rocks and plants of your aquarium.
What are baby mollies called?
What would you call a baby molly fish? A baby molly is known as fry. The fry needs to be protected from adult fish because adult fish tend to jump to feed on them as soon as born.
Do mollies need a light?
Mollies do not require light directly. For a fish-only aquarium featuring mollies, 1 watt of lighting power per gallon of aquarium volume is usually plenty to see your fish. For tanks larger than 50 gallons, you should probably up this to 2 watts per gallon to accommodated the greater depth.
Yes, most of the time, mollies do give birth at night. This is to give the fries the best possible change in survival. However, there are some cases where mollies did give birth during the day. This is why it is recommended to have a separate tank for pregnant mollies that are ready to give birth.
How often do you change molly water?
You should do a 25% water change every two to four weeks. There is no reason to remove the fish during the water change. Make sure you stir the gravel or use a gravel cleaner during the water change.
Can molly live without air pump?
Molly fish can’t survive without oxygen and anytime the oxygen levels in the tank drop, your fish are exposed to illnesses and diseases.
Why is my molly making bubbles?
Bad News Bubbles for Mollies
Uneaten food and the excessive excrement resulting from overfeeding causes an unsanitary detritus buildup that makes tank water unhealthy. Such an abundance of sediment also increases the water’s surface tension, creating a bubbly and foamy ceiling.
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