How to take care of baby molly fish? (2024)

How to take care of baby molly fish?

Molly fry can be extremely delicate due to poor water conditions. Change the water regularly to keep your fry healthy. Do not raise your fry in a tank without a heater and thermometer. It is important to keep the water at a consistent, warm temperature in order to keep your fish happy and healthy.

What do baby mollies eat?

Baby mollies can eat your regular fish flakes, crushed finely. Live baby brine shrimp are also a popular baby food. Do not overfeed them. In about eight weeks your baby mollies should be large enough to go into the tank with the other fish.

What do you feed baby molly fry?

Typically, you should feed your molly fry (baby molly fish) various foods throughout its development, like infusoria, baby brine shrimp, high-quality crushed flakes, freeze-dried foods, worms, and pellets. Some of the foods must be fed before others, depending on your molly fry's age.

Are mollies easy to keep alive?

Mollies are a popular beginner fish, and for good reason — they're hardy, peaceful, and easy to care for. If you provide them with the right food, warm water, and hiding places, they will live happily in your tank for several years.

How long do baby mollies grow?

Baby mollies are tiny, but they grow quickly. They're considered adults when they are around four months old, but they can keep growing after this point. Adult molly fish size might reach three to five inches long.

How do you keep fish fry alive?

The key factors to keeping the fry alive and healthy are keeping the water and environment clean, protecting the fry from adult fish, and providing proper nutrition. Most fish owners already know how to take care of the first two, but feeding fry is often the stumbling block that new breeders run into.

Will baby fish survive in my tank?

It is possible to raise baby fish in your main tank, but generally, few will survive this. Larger fish will see them as tasty snacks and even vegetarian fish may be tempted. They can also suffer injuries from being chased and bullied.

Do mollies give birth to live fry?

Some of the most popular tropical fish like guppies, platies, mollies and swordtails all give birth to live young, and the difficulty is often not getting them to breed, but getting them to stop! Female livebearing fish get swollen bellies when pregnant, and when their bellies get really big that's an indication that ...

How do you raise a molly fish?

Depending on the type of molly fish, we recommend getting an aquarium that holds at least 20 gallons of water, but a 29- to 55-gallon tank is more suitable for larger species. For most homes, they require an aquarium heater to raise the temperature to 75-80°F (24-27°C).

How long can molly fry live without food?

Mollies can survive without food in an aquarium for three to seven days. This period without food is often referred to as fasting and it helps the fish's digestive system. However, it is not recommended to allow them to go without food for extended periods of time.

How long should baby fish be separated?

In about 4 to 6 weeks, the babies should be large enough to release into the main aquarium. But be sure the babies have grown larger than the mouths of adult fish. If it's not possible to set up a separate aquarium, drop-in breeders are a great alternative.

How long can baby fish go without food?

In general, most fish can go three days to two weeks without food, but you shouldn't assume that your fish can go that long without having a caretaker there while you're away. Luckily, fish are fairly easy to care for, so whether you're away for a long weekend or a month, there are ways to ensure they're fed enough.

Can mollies live without salt?

It's their tolerance of salt that led to the myth they require salt to be healthy. That is not true, they don't. That said, they do seem to prefer hard, alkaline water. Your use of cichlid salts to increase the hardness and pH is appropriate.

Can molly fish live in tap water?

Mollies thrive in a slightly alkaline environment, so as long as the tap water is properly treated and balanced, they can live without issue.

Do mollies need plants?

Because of the natural diet, these fish have to receive the nutrients needed through plants and algae when in nature. So, if your aquarium lacks algae, you will need to complete your Mollie's nutrition with substitutes such as: Spirulina flakes. Boiled vegetables (e.i.: spinach) cooked and chopped.

How many mollies should be kept together?

A 20-gallon tank can accommodate 3-4 black mollies. For a single male black molly fish, you need to keep 3 female black mollies only to reduce the aggression. If you want to keep more than one male black molly, you should also increase the number of female mollies. The ideal ratio of males to females is 1:3.

Do mollies give birth all at once?

After an average of 30 to 40-day pregnancy, it will take a molly approximately a day to give birth to her fry. Many mollies can actually store sperms for months at a time, fertilizing their eggs themselves every 30 days. They can birth anywhere between 20 and 100 fry at a time.

How big will mollies get?

Size: 6 to 15 cm (3½ to 6 inches). Preferred Water Chemistry: Hard, basic fresh water to brackish or marine. Mollies are euryhaline, meaning they do well in fresh, brackish, or marine systems, but they do not thrive in soft water.

Why are my fish fry dying?

There are many reasons why fish in your tank keep dying. A few reasons include stress, incorrect tank setup, overfeeding, diseases, and much more. To a beginner, it could look like your fish died for no reason whatsoever.

Can I keep baby fish in a bowl?

While it is possible for a fish to survive in a bowl of water, consideration should be given to the quality of that fish's life. Educate yourself first before any purchase to make sure you understand your responsibilities as a pet parent.

What should I do if my fish have babies?

After Your Fish Gives Birth

For many species, it's important to keep fertilized eggs and newly hatched fish, or fry, separate from the adults. Some fish eat their own young while others eat the young of other species. Keeping the fish eggs and fry separate from the adult fish may give them a better chance of survival.

What percentage of baby fish survive?

Zoology researchers Roi Holzman and Victor China at Tel Aviv University weren't the first to notice that more than 90 percent of fish larvae die in the wild, and that more than 99 percent of fish won't live to reach maturity.

Why is my molly shaking?

It occurs when fish are under severe stress, most often because of environmental problems. The classic scenario is when mollies are kept in soft or acidic water conditions. Though tolerant fish in many ways, they do not do well in soft or acidic water, and it is very common to see mollies kept that way start to shimmy.

How long do mollies live?

Adult mollies are around six to eight months of age and will have developed their colors and patterns. They can live for the next several years with a lifespan of three to five years. At around three to four years of age, many mollies are nearing the end of their lifespan.

Can mollies reproduce without males?

How can they do without males? They can't entirely. Amazon mollies reproduce through a process called sperm- dependent parthenogenesis (gynogenesis). They produce diploid eggs without meiosis and these eggs are pseudo-fertilized by the sperm of males of different, related species.

Do you need to separate baby mollies?

Separate The Fry

It is recommended to separate the fry from the adult fish as soon as they are born. It will help to ensure that they have enough space to grow and thrive and make them feel safe as they are not at risk of being eaten by adult fish. You can use a breeding box and isolate the mother in a separate tank.

Should I separate baby fish?

After Your Fish Gives Birth

For many species, it's important to keep fertilized eggs and newly hatched fish, or fry, separate from the adults. Some fish eat their own young while others eat the young of other species. Keeping the fish eggs and fry separate from the adult fish may give them a better chance of survival.

How many molly fry will survive?

Though the more plants in the tank, the higher the survival rate is going to be. If you play your cards right and get a breeding box or net then your survival rate could easily be upwards of 50% as opposed to having the entire spawn decimated by the adults in the tank.

How do you keep molly fish alive?

Depending on the type of molly fish, we recommend getting an aquarium that holds at least 20 gallons of water, but a 29- to 55-gallon tank is more suitable for larger species. For most homes, they require an aquarium heater to raise the temperature to 75-80°F (24-27°C).

Can baby fish survive in a bowl?

While it is possible for a fish to survive in a bowl of water, consideration should be given to the quality of that fish's life. Educate yourself first before any purchase to make sure you understand your responsibilities as a pet parent.

How do you keep fry alive?

The key factors to keeping the fry alive and healthy are keeping the water and environment clean, protecting the fry from adult fish, and providing proper nutrition. Most fish owners already know how to take care of the first two, but feeding fry is often the stumbling block that new breeders run into.

How long do mollies usually live?

Adult mollies are around six to eight months of age and will have developed their colors and patterns. They can live for the next several years with a lifespan of three to five years. At around three to four years of age, many mollies are nearing the end of their lifespan.

How many mollies can you keep?

You can keep 5 to 6 molly fish in a 20-gallon tank. These friendly fish reach a maximum size of around 3 inches, so they're not the biggest fish in the world. However, they are very active swimmers and need plenty of room to move around.

Do mollies need a heater?

Yes, they do. Mollies don't need a heater if the temperature is favorable, and that's why they can thrive in the tropics- provided temperatures don't fall below 68-70 °F. Even if you don't live in the tropics but have a well-heated home, you'll still need a heater for your molly fish tank.

Why are my baby mollies dying?

Poor water conditions is the leading cause of fish deaths in the aquarium. Whether it's the accumulation of too many toxins or changes in water parameters, bad water quality is correlated with diseases and death among molly fish.