What does a gravid spot look like on a Molly?
You’ll notice a dark triangular spot appear near a pregnant female’s anal vent called the gravid spot. A pregnant molly will also take a rounder, more full-bodied shape, and the stomach will especially grow bigger and seem stretched out.
Do balloon mollies have a gravid spot?
With a balloon molly it’s almost impossible to tell because of the unusual body shape. However, the molly appears to be in good health and mature, thus she is almost certainly pregnant. Female live bearing fish stay gravid with developing fry and will drop them once every 28 days or so.
Is my balloon Molly fat or pregnant?
Your Molly is not pregnant. The shape makes it look pregnant, but this is the reason why it is called a “Balloon Molly”. Very easy to make the mistake that it is pregnant.
How do you know when mollies are going to give birth?
The Eyes of the Fry and Signs of Impending Birth To accommodate the developing eggs, the mother’s body expands, becoming deeper and broader. A few days before delivery, she develops a bulge below the gills, her outline becoming fairly square in this region, while the gravid spot has enlarged its area.
How many days does a molly fish stay pregnant?
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.
Why is my Molly laying on the bottom of the tank?
When the swim bladder malfunctions, the fish has trouble maintaining his level in the water and can sink to the bottom of the tank or be stuck near the top. The abnormal ballast can cause the fish to turn sidewise and swim on his side, or even roll entirely upside down.
How many baby fish can a Molly have?
Gestation and Birth They can give birth to between 40 and 100 fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry. When a molly female is near her time to give birth, you will need to separate her from the rest of the tank.
Do mollies eat their babies?
In a breeding net, the fry are exposed to the same water conditions the rest of the tank is experiencing. Cannibalism is normal with mollies and other livebearers like guppies and platys. As fecund as they are, you don’t really need to worry about saving every last one.
How long do Mollies stay pregnant?
Mollies 50-70 days.
Why does my molly fish have a big belly?
Dropsy refers to a condition in which fish often have hugely swollen bellies, and the continuing use of the term probably has to do with how it so accurately depicts the visual symptom: the belly drops down. Sometimes the condition is also known as bloat.
Why are my molly fish chasing each other?
The reasons why Molly fish will chase each other and seem aggressive has to do mostly with mating rituals that involve attention-seeking behavior. This is when a male molly chases a female molly or aggressively fights off the other male mollies in the tank.
How do I know if my molly fish is dying?
Your fish will not be acting like they normally do. They may seem distressed, have no appetite, hide, have nicked fins or sores. If your fish is near the surface gasping for breath, this means it’s probably not getting enough oxygen. This can happen due to poor water circulation, gill damage, or toxins in the water.