My male molly constantly has his snout under my female's rear end 
... is this normal???? Is he trying to mate or trying to eat fry as they are born? 
... is this normal???? Is he trying to mate or trying to eat fry as they are born? Molly mating behavior or eating fry???
- Thread starter wildthinglmd
- Start date
The males actually assist in the birthing of the fry (mollys are livebearers) and the male helps pull the fry out when they are being born.
They also get mouthfuls of poo occasionally for their trouble. I am glad I'm not a molly...
:dive2:
They also get mouthfuls of poo occasionally for their trouble. I am glad I'm not a molly...
:dive2:
They also get mouthfuls of poo occasionally for their trouble. I am glad I'm not a molly...
:shark:
I'm glad you aren't one either... thanks!
:shark:
I'm glad you aren't one either... thanks!
that does'nt sound right. everything I've read about livebearers says that the only assisting the males do with delivering the young is helping her eat them???
Hmm, I've seen a male molly pull fry out of a female molly and watch them swim away. Also in the same tank I've even seen the male defending territory around the plants where the fry hide from a red tailed shark easily three times his size.
My reply was not based on research but personal experience, my friend's mollies bred and there were a whole bunch of fry. Maybe the male ate his fill when I wasn't watching but I doubt it. He never removed or took any special care for the fry and out of the whole brood 6 survived and are still in his 55 gallon.
These were the only two mollies in that tank, a black female molly and a marbled male. Maybe they eat the fry if they are not well fed or will eat fry of another mated pair but not their own? I would tend to overfeed slightly when fry are present/birthing so the fish aren't hungry.
My reply was not based on research but personal experience, my friend's mollies bred and there were a whole bunch of fry. Maybe the male ate his fill when I wasn't watching but I doubt it. He never removed or took any special care for the fry and out of the whole brood 6 survived and are still in his 55 gallon.
These were the only two mollies in that tank, a black female molly and a marbled male. Maybe they eat the fry if they are not well fed or will eat fry of another mated pair but not their own? I would tend to overfeed slightly when fry are present/birthing so the fish aren't hungry.
I'd be surprised if the male helped with the female dropping fry, except to eat them. If anything, the male would probably be attracted to the hormones from the female during birth, and would be trying to mate (they try to do that all the time anyway!) However, the female will likely not let the male anywhere near her during that time.
I'll tell my buddy Rob his molly is a one of a kind midwife marbled molly. Maybe it can join the circus. Or the nursery staff at the fish hospital.
In any case, by all means you should go with the majority consensus and separate the mollies to avoid the male eating any fry.
:dive:
In any case, by all means you should go with the majority consensus and separate the mollies to avoid the male eating any fry.
:dive: