How Long Does A Molly Fish Stay Pregnant in the USA
Gestation and Birth Female mollies will gestate their young for about 60 days. 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.
How do you know when your molly fish is about 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.
Do mollies eat their babies?
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 do you tell if a Molly is a boy or girl?
Fin Shape. Most adult male mollies have longer and more elaborate tails, pectoral fins and dorsal fins than females do. However, the most accurate way to distinguish male mollies from female mollies is to examine the anal fin, located on the underside of the body, between the pectoral fins and the tail.
How can you tell if a Molly is male or female?
Males and females can be differentiated by the shape of their anal fin. Males have a anal fin that points backwards. Females’ anal fin looks just like the rest of their other fins. More than one molly can be kept in a tank together, however, they have been known to nip the fins of others in their tank.
How many babies do mollies have at once?
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.
How fast do baby fish grow?
How Long Does It Take a Fish to Grow to Full Size? The length of time it takes a fish to reach its full size depends on many different variables, but usually, in about 1-2 year, your fish should be the adult size.
Will baby fish survive in my tank?
Not necessarily. Many fish breed very easily and produce great numbers of offspring, simply because very few will survive to adulthood. The more fish in your tank, the more you will need to feed them, the more feces they will produce and the harder your filtration system will have to work.
How fast do Molly babies grow?
It will take around one to two months for your fry to grow large enough to be introduced into your standard aquarium. The fry should be larger than the mouths of an adult molly fish. Do not move the molly fry until you are sure they are ready to handle your larger tank.
Do pregnant mollies hide?
A gravid molly will have a change in behavior, usually becoming slower, and tend to hide more than is normal only coming out to feed. Your fish might also become more aggressive to tank mates, particularly those that venture into her hiding spot.
What is the lifespan of molly fish?
The molly fish lifespan is two to five years. This freshwater fish is not known to live a long life. Their lifespan actually depends on the environment you provide when keeping them as a pet. The water conditions impact the lifespan of mollies as they are prone to diseases if the water conditions are poor.
How often do mollies have babies?
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.
How many mollies should be kept together?
Keeping Molly Fish Together You should keep them in groups of at least four or more, they naturally stick together. The group should be made of mostly females since males are known to harass them.
Can Molly change gender?
Mollies are not able to change gender. The gender of these fish is determined by their genetics so it is impossible for them to change sex.
What is the lifespan of a balloon Molly?
The balloon molly fish has a life expectancy similar to those of other types of mollies kept in captivity: three to five years. This life span is based on ideal conditions, such as brackish water or saltwater rather than freshwater, which can make a balloon molly fish susceptible to disease and illness.
How do mollies mate?
The Basic Mating Behavior of Black Mollies When black mollies mate, the male will transfer milt, the fluid that contains his sperm, into the female’s body using is gonopodium. The gonopodium is a special anal fin that is shaped like a rod rather than a normal fin.
How big do molly fish grow?
A full-grown molly fish will usually be around 3 inches or 7 cm long, the males, whereas the females are a bit larger and can grow to around 4 inches or 10 cm long. The molly fish will take around 3 to 4 months to grow to their full size, and in part, this will depend on their water conditions, diet, and more.
Do fish have babies all at once?
It can often be difficult to identify when a fish is pregnant, and depending on her breed your fish can give birth to anywhere from a dozen to a couple hundred fray at once. When the eggs are fertilized, they eventually hatch inside the mother, and the babies emerge in a live birth.