Signs of a White Pregnant Molly Fish

Mollies are beautiful tropical fish that come in a variety of colors, including white, orange and green. Some popular varieties of mollies are the sailfin, balloon or a "Dalmatian" type. Mollies are an easy fish to breed, and under the right aquarium conditions can produce up to 36 "fry," or babies, at one time. Since they breed so easily, it is important to recognize when they are pregnant. You'll need to separate the molly and her fry to prevent the young from being eaten by the rest of the fish tank population.

  1. The Essential Molly Fish

    • Molly fish are colorful, economical tropical fish that originate from the southern part of the United States and Mexico. They like a slightly salty aquarium environment, about 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water, and a water temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Mollies are eager feeders and enjoy feeding on live vegetation along with flake-type fish food. They also use aquarium plants to hide among, especially when giving birth. Mollies are friendly fish that seem to do well with many other breeds of fish except goldfish. It seems that the mollies like to feed off the body slime of the goldfish. Mollies grow to a length of 2 to 4 inches and can live two to three years.

    Signs of a Pregnant Molly Fish

    • Mollies are live-bearing fish, which means that they do not lay eggs but deliver live fry. The gestation period is about eight weeks. Although the molly is a hardy little fish, she is susceptible to premature labor, especially if she is moved. If you intend to keep the fry alive, you will need to be able to tell when your molly is pregnant.

      Physical signs include a growing abdomen and the presence of a dark triangular mark, the gravid spot, near the anal vent. This will be especially visible on a white molly. As the white molly's abdomen extends and stretches, you will be able to see the eyes of the developing fry within the abdomen. There are also behavioral changes associated with pregnancy, which include moving slower, eating more than usual and staying apart from other fish.

    Signs of an Impending Delivery of Fry

    • It is important to be aware of your molly's condition. You'll need to move a pregnant molly early in the pregnancy, to avoid premature birth and to prevent her from becoming stressed by the other fish in the tank. Also, this is the one sure way to prevent the fry from being eaten by the other fish in the aquarium.

      Move your molly to a separate tank, with live vegetation and similar water and temperature conditions. You'll notice that the gravid spot at the anal vent will darken with the length of the pregnancy. As time passes, the molly will become more secretive, preferring to remain secluded in the vegetation. You will begin to see live fry as the delivery commences.

    Care of the New Fry

    • A molly can deliver a batch of 12 to 36 fry each time. Like any babies, the fry need good-quality food. The best choice is powdered fish food. This can be easily made by placing a tablespoon or two of high-quality fish flakes into a resealable plastic bag and gently crushing the flakes with a spoon into a fine powder.

      To feed the fry, dip a toothpick into the water, then dry it off, but leave the toothpick damp. Dip it into the powdered fish flakes, and then dip it into the aquarium near the fry. They will need to be fed several times a day until they have doubled their length. They should not be placed in an aquarium with other adult fish until they are at least this size.