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New Unexpected Baby Fish

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  • 26-12-2011 7:27pm
    #1
    Al Capwned
    Registered Users Posts: 5,721 ✭✭✭


    Hi Lads,

    First of all apologies if this is in the wrong place....

    I have a tropical tank at home and i've just noticed about 10 baby fish that were NOT there this morning - I had the following in (I've only just re-established the tank)
    2x Neon Tetra
    2x Sucking Loach
    4x Molly

    Offspring are about 6/8mm long and i think they are molly's....

    Question is; Should I be doing anything differently than I'm doing already to look after these little fellas??

    Thanks.
    Al.


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    #2
    fred funk }{
    Registered Users Posts: 6,827 ✭✭✭fred funk }{


    The chances are they'll be eaten unless you can catch them and put them in a breeding floating tank. Molly's are very prolific too so even if this batch is eaten, the next batch won't be too far behind.

    The floating tanks sit into your existing tank and float at the top and all pet shops sell them.


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    #3
    Al Capwned
    Registered Users Posts: 5,721 ✭✭✭Al Capwned


    Yeah, i've seen these breeder nets, but have no way of getting one until wednesday at the earliest....

    Been studying them fairly closely since just before my first post (about three hours) and none of the others in the tank seem to bothered about them - they're (mostly) all gathered around one area near the centre of the tank(lower half) in and around a plant, the tetras are away in a corner on their own, the other molly's are all favouring mostly near the surface of the water, and the loaches are scuttling around the edges and base.

    Methinks Wednesday may be too late for these little guys???


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    #4
    littlebug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    When I bought my mollies the fish shop guy told me that if don't use a breeding tank I could expect maybe 2-3 of each batch to survive. He also told me that with 2 females I could expect a new batch once a month... so you'll no doubt have more babies soon. That said... I'm still waiting and no sign of any yet.. unless they've been born and gone in the night before I've seen them.


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    #5
    Al Capwned
    Registered Users Posts: 5,721 ✭✭✭Al Capwned


    Your fish shop guy was obviously a lot more knowledgeable than the goon I got. She didn't know the fish was pregnant, and told my daughter that it was a 'balloon belly' - daughter just told me this this evening!!!!!!
    Never again.


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    #6
    littlebug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    alproctor wrote: »
    Your fish shop guy was obviously a lot more knowledgeable than the goon I got. She didn't know the fish was pregnant, and told my daughter that it was a 'balloon belly' - daughter just told me this this evening!!!!!!
    Never again.

    Yes, I now on purpose will only go to the fish shop on sundays as that's the only time the guy who knows what he's talking about is there :) he even told me how to tell the males from females. Apparently the female mollies are always pregnant... even if you've no males in your own tank the females will still have babies for 6 months if they've been in a tank with males at all. .
    Did she even tell you they were livebearers? if not, that's pretty slack... as it's obviously important if you're going to have lots of extra fish in a small tank! Doesn't surprise me though...:(


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