My very balloon bellied molly was getting chased by males. Something was coming out of her thingy so I put her in the breeder box to let her deliver. She is having fish heads and yellowish green eggs. She is having some babies that seem to be fine in size and are active but their guts are exposed on their bellies. Should I let the eggs hatch in the breeder and should I save the babies?
I need help ASAP!
- Thread starter foxyfish
- Start date
Sounds like something went wrong with the maturation/birthing of the fry. A molly will not produce eggs, so whatever is coming out either isn't an egg or isn't an egg in the sense that a normal fish egg is a fish egg (if you get my meaning...in other words it isn't something that will hatch).
That's what I thought but someone said it would hatch. Nvm. Here is a pics. I let the babies go in my baby tank and I released the mommy. If I put in stress coat maybe she will hold some in so they develope? Did I make the right decision? Here is a pic of the offspring. You can't see the guts I don't think but oh well. I could see a line of red from underneath and some yellow thing popping out. (stomach? swim bladder?) Do you think they will survive?
Odds are those yellow "eggs" you saw were still born babies with their placenta (probably called something else with fish but I don't know what) still attached to them. Those red/yellow strings you saw hanging from the fry's bellies I would imagine is the umbilical cord and those should fall off soon.
Keep in mind, I am by far no expert on fish and am just learning myself but I have witnessed a black molly give birth and some of the babies did look like they were in an egg. I'm basing the rest of the stuff on basic pregnancies of people and other animals ASSUMING that live baring fish won't be too much different....
Keep in mind, I am by far no expert on fish and am just learning myself but I have witnessed a black molly give birth and some of the babies did look like they were in an egg. I'm basing the rest of the stuff on basic pregnancies of people and other animals ASSUMING that live baring fish won't be too much different....
Stressed mollies (and other livebearers) will often abort a pregnancy. Sometime there is little you ca do to prevent this, but there are a few things that will decrees the likely hood of this happening.
1) Keep a high female to male ratio 3 or more females per male.
2) Give fish lots of hiding spots.
3) Do not let your tank get over crowded.
4) Regularly test water parameters and do regular water changes.
Unfortunately it is very unlikely that any fry will survive, but luckily she will have more. Mollies give birth about once every month, if kept in healthy conditions.
1) Keep a high female to male ratio 3 or more females per male.
2) Give fish lots of hiding spots.
3) Do not let your tank get over crowded.
4) Regularly test water parameters and do regular water changes.
Unfortunately it is very unlikely that any fry will survive, but luckily she will have more. Mollies give birth about once every month, if kept in healthy conditions.
I've seen similar stuff like this with guppies. The question is, if you really want her to mate and give birth again, if most of her fry are deformed and have some extreme defects (ie belly open etc). She might be from a long line of inbreeders and you should consider not breeding her anymore. That's what I did with some of my old guppies.
I have seen that happen before. It is premature birth from stress. Putting her in the trap caused more stress. Sometimes I think the best option is to put the male in the trap. :joke:
Alestro Bakai said:
I would agree with this too. Also if she is a balloon molly you need to keep in mind that balloon mollies have all sorts of physical problems. I have never bred them, but I would not be surprised if they often have problems breeding.
