# Pregnant Molly Fish???



## Kasablanca

I have had 2 silver mollies and 1 black molly for about 3 months now and I kept noticing that my 2 silver mollies looked slightly bigger and then back to normal. I think my two silver ones are females after doing research and I am thinking they were pregnant. Now one of them is bigger than the other and I want to save the babies if she is pregnant. Can you tell me if she is pregnant? 

First picture: Here are all 3 mollies.
Second Picture: Prego? Molly
Third Picture: Prego? Molly and the 'father'


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## ZackyBear

She certainly looks prego to me  You can even turn out the light and use a flashlight on her to see if there is any eggs/movement inside of her


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## Kasablanca

ZackyBear said:


> She certainly looks prego to me  You can even turn out the light and use a flashlight on her to see if there is any eggs/movement inside of her


I will try that tonight, thanks!


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## MollyJean

Yep, 2 females and the black one's a male. I'm like.. 90% sure she's pregnant. You want to set up a separate 5-10 gallon tank for her and the babies. Make sure the filter (if you use one)is very low flow or well baffled/covered. If you're not, you need to be ready to do some very careful water changes twice a week in a 5 gallon. Give them lots of things to hide in and under, live plants work great, but whatever you have handy. It needs to be heated, as well. 78-80 degrees. They eat the same food as the adults, just crushed up. You can give them brine shrimp, too. They're pretty easy to take care of, really. Once they're born (mollies have babies, not eggs) you can put the mother back in the main tank.


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## Kasablanca

MollyJean said:


> Yep, 2 females and the black one's a male. I'm like.. 90% sure she's pregnant. You want to set up a separate 5-10 gallon tank for her and the babies. Make sure the filter (if you use one)is very low flow or well baffled/covered. If you're not, you need to be ready to do some very careful water changes twice a week in a 5 gallon. Give them lots of things to hide in and under, live plants work great, but whatever you have handy. It needs to be heated, as well. 78-80 degrees. They eat the same food as the adults, just crushed up. You can give them brine shrimp, too. They're pretty easy to take care of, really. Once they're born (mollies have babies, not eggs) you can put the mother back in the main tank.



Thank you so much! I'm going out tomorrow after work to get all of this. I read online that they get a dark spot before they have the babies, not sure if this is true but either way she hasn't shown it yet so I should be safe for another 12 hours. 
I will keep everyone updated on whats going on  My friend already is requesting a baby when he/she is old enough to live in a community tank.


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## Kasablanca

Well I went this morning on my break to get a breeding box so if she had the babies while I was at work they would be safe. Now that I am home she seems skinnier and there is no babies in there. I checked in the tank too but the box is built so that the babies will stay in there. Its the standard 2 in 1 breeder/fry keeper box. 
I'm hoping she is okay. I'll post pics later tonight as I am going to the LPS to help my friend pick up a tank and supplies.


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## MollyJean

She's fine. They swell up a lot early on, then slim down. You'll see the black spot in the back when she's almost ready to pop. It'll look like a tadpole in her belly, just a bunch of black inside her (makes it easier to see because she's white)

I'll give you a picture of Steel, my daughter's white girl, who is about 4-5 days away from giving birth. Just have to go take one


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## Kasablanca

OKay that makes me feel better, I was so worried tonight. She did look not as slim as earlier once she was back with her tank mates.


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## MollyJean

Alright, just took this, been dealing with other fish.

This is Steel. I expect babies before next weekend. See the black spot near the back of her body? That's what you're looking for, it'll start out about half that size when you're able to see it at first, then double, and triple, then she has the babies. Of course it's harder to see on some fish, and if the mother and father are both white, you'll see it but not til it's larger then this one.


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## Kasablanca

Okay I looked this morning and she has a small spot. How long do you think it will be till she has the babies? I dont want to leave her in the breeding box all the time just in case she gets stressed out.


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## Kasablanca

Here is a picture of her this morning with the spot. It was hard getting a picture because my male kept on swimming around her lol


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## Kasablanca

She is now in a separate tank as last night my male and other female kept on chasing her and she didnt get a break to relax. She is doing much better this morning. She seems a little quite and the gravid spot has gotten bigger. I made the new tank so that the babies had many places to hide in case I'm not there for the birth. I also put the moss ball from the molly tank into there. I'm hoping thats going to help the water and the babies when they come so they have some sort of food if this happens in the night or while I'm not at home.


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