What Should I Feed My Balloon Molly?
- Boiled vegetables like cucumber, carrots, peas, cauliflower, and zucchini.
- Live brine shrimps, daphnia, and mosquito
- Dried & Frezed brine shrimps, tubifex worms, and blood worms.
- Blanched leaves. Especially sources of fresh lettuce and spinach.
- Meaty foods like boiled chicken breasts
- Veggies & pallets
- Spirulina tablets
- Commercial flakes
How to take care of baby Mollies?
If you want baby mollies to survive, you’ll need to care for them yourself by separating them from adult fish and feeding them foods suitable for small fry. In this guide, I will teach you how to care for baby mollies including how to save them from adult fish, how to feed them and how to maintain a molly fry tank.
What can I Feed my Molly Fry?
There are flakes like First Bites designed for feeding small fry, so you can opt for those instead, especially that they’re rich in protein to sustain rapid growth. Live foods are another excellent food choice for small molly fry, and you can opt for baby brine shrimp, vinegar eels, daphnia, micro worms.
What do Mollies eat in a fish tank?
Add plenty of plants to your fish tank as mollies feed on algae scrapings from the tank plants. Mollies spend most of their time in the middle and upper layers of the water. You should also provide the fish tank with ample lighting, stones, and snags, etc.
Are balloon Mollies good for beginners?
If yes, then keeping balloon molly fish in your aquarium can be a perfect choice for you. Mollies are one of the best freshwater fishes for beginners that are cool and unique. These cute little creatures are just like a beautiful embellishment for your aquarium.
How do you take care of newborn Mollies?
To take care of molly fry, buy a tank between 5 and 20 gallons, and set up a foam or mesh covered filter to keep your fry safe. Additionally, add broad-leafed plants to your tank, heat it to 72 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and hang a breeding trap along the side of the aquarium.
What do you do with Molly fish babies?
0:232:36Pregnant Molly Fish? Babies? What to Do - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can try to raise the babies yourself and what you want to do is watch for them when they lay theMoreYou can try to raise the babies yourself and what you want to do is watch for them when they lay the fry they're going to come out alive.
How do you save baby mollies?
2:595:08How to save Molly fish babies fries without removing the female or ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUnder the filter. And they will high time time come out as a serum coming to the females coming toMoreUnder the filter. And they will high time time come out as a serum coming to the females coming to eat them or grab. Them to attack them they will hide again.
What should I feed Molly fry?
Live food is also a great food choice for small fries. You can go for baby brine shrimp, vinegar eels, daphnia, or micro worms. These foods can be frozen or free-dried as well if you can find live ones.
What do I feed newborn fish?
2:205:44How to Feed and Care for Baby Fish in an Aquarium - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo common foods that are fed to buy your fish is obviously live baby brine shrimp you can get thatMoreSo common foods that are fed to buy your fish is obviously live baby brine shrimp you can get that frozen as well vinegar worms and crush flakes and things like that.
What is the best food for balloon Molly?
Beyond algae, these fish enjoy blanched vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and zucchini. The occasional high-protein snack is appreciated, too. Mollies will accept live or frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp.
How many babies do balloon mollies have?
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 long are balloon mollies pregnant for?
A Balloon Molly takes at least 60 days to complete her gestation period and finally give birth to live fries.
Do baby mollies need air pump?
Forever Blowing Bubbles Naturally occurring bubbles from filtration are not enough, so an air pump or air stone is necessary. Pump-generated bubbles aerate your aquarium, providing your mollies with breathable oxygen.
How do you feed egg yolk to molly fry?
0:162:17Egg Yolk as Fry Food? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJust rub the egg yolk in the net and a very fine cloud of particles will come out of it and thoseMoreJust rub the egg yolk in the net and a very fine cloud of particles will come out of it and those particles will begin to sink down to the bottom and the fry will eat some of those and.
How can I make my molly fry grow faster?
1:203:30Molly Fry Growth | First 30 Days (Timelapse & Tips) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFood. Source it is recommended to have a temperature between 78 and 80 degrees fahrenheit for mollyMoreFood. Source it is recommended to have a temperature between 78 and 80 degrees fahrenheit for molly breeding i've been successful keeping my tanks right at 78.
Can baby fish survive without a filter?
I've seen many peoples fry w/o a filter, and they do a lot of water changes and they are just fine. ThaNKs. They do live, yes.
How do you protect a newborn fish in an aquarium?
Don't use a net to transfer the baby fish, instead, scoop them up with a cup. This will prevent them from being harmed by the mesh of the net. Some adult fish are caretakers. If you noticed a fish guarding its nest against other fish, you might be able to keep the parents in the same tank as the fry.
Can you feed egg yolk to fish?
Egg yolk per se is highly nutritious - perhaps more so than egg white. However, as a diet for very young fish its high energy-protein ratio could result in inadequate intake of protein necessary for maximum growth.
Is cucumber good for molly fish?
To prepare veggies for your molly, try peeling a cucumber and cutting it up into thin slices for your molly fish.
Are balloon mollies easy to breed?
For the most part, mollies are very easy to breed. A single female can produce over one hundred baby mollies, also called fry, in one live birth. They also come in a variety of colors, and work well with a wide community of other fish. Prepare your tank and yourself beforehand, and breeding mollies should be a breeze.
Can balloon mollies breed with guppies?
Potential cross breeding between guppies and mollies Mollies and guppies are both livebearers, and because they are so similar it might happen that they crossbreed. While most baby fish do not make it to adulthood, it does happen sometimes. These adult fish are not fertile and will not reproduce.
Do mother molly fish eat their babies?
Molly babies get no protection from their parents. The tiny fish are just as likely to be eaten by their own mother as they are by other fish in the aquarium, so to survive they're going to need a little help. Gather the babies.
How do I know when my molly is done giving birth?
As the molly fish is pregnant, the spot becomes darker and darker. As it becomes darker, the gravid spot also becomes opaque, and when the molly fish is close to giving birth, the spot will be completely opaque.
What does it look like when a molly gives birth?
Physical signs to know if she is pregnant Normal mollies have round bellies. But if she is pregnant, her belly will start to become more square and thicker. 2 – Black lines on her belly will be visible. This is a great sign if you have mollies that are light in color.
Types of Balloon Molly
Mollies are beautiful starters that you will love to keep in your aquarium. Even for beginners, they wouldn’t stress you out. As fish-keeping will be your favorite hobby. However, balloon mollies are also referred to as, “potbelly molly”. They got this name because of their round belly. Also, they belong to the hybrid of sailfin mollies.
Balloon Molly Colors
Balloon molly exists in beautiful varieties of color combinations. Moreover, they are usually eye-catching. More so, if you want to add some sparkling to your tank, balloon molly is the right choice for you. Also, they exist majorly as white, black and yellow color combinations.
Balloon Molly Shape and Size
Balloon mollies have distinct body shape (rounded belly), which is quite different from other types of mollies. As said earlier, they derived their name from the “obese belly”. Also, their back is arched, with a rounded and large belly. Besides, what makes their shape more unique is the lyre-shaped caudal fin they possess.
Balloon Mollies Lifespan
The question as regards how long your balloon molly will live for might have pondered your mind. Although all types of mollies have a different lifespan, but the lifespan of balloon molly may be quite long if you care for them properly. Generally, balloon mollies have a shorter lifespan, when you compare them with other mollies specie.
What Should I Feed My Balloon Molly?
As much as feeding balloon mollies is an easy job, it is good for you to also know what they eat, and how often to feed them. Often, balloon mollies love to eat plants and meats. This is because they are omnivorous fish. Also, they like eating algae. So, ensure you place enough plants in their aquarium tank.
How Often Should I Feed My Balloon Mollies?
Mollies are very active fish. You need to feed them up to 2 times a day. However, you should be careful not to overfeed them. Because, if you permit them, they can eat in 5 minutes’ intervals. However, adult mollies can still survive with one serving daily. As they mostly feed on algae, and debris (decayed plants).
Breeding Balloon Mollies
Balloon mollies are livebearers that give birth a lot of babies at once. Sometimes, they release up to one hundred fry from their body. However, to get your female molly to start producing babies, separate the female and male, and place them in another tank. Ensure you place them in at least 30-gallon size.
What to feed molly fry?
There are flakes like First Bites designed for feeding small fry, so you can opt for those instead, especially that they’re rich in protein to sustain rapid growth. Live foods are another excellent food choice for small molly fry, and you can opt for baby brine shrimp, vinegar eels, daphnia, micro worms.
How to keep molly babies clean?
1. Tank Size & Filtration. Depending on the number of molly babies, set up a tank between 10 and 20 gallons. Add a fry-safe filter system to keep the water clean in addition to performing regular water changes. Add some plants to the tank too such as java ferns and grasses. 2.
How many fry can a molly release?
Larger mollies can release as many as a hundred fry at once, therefore, it’s easy to understand how so many fry can quickly outgrow their breeding box. At about 2 weeks, molly juveniles are large enough to not be mistaken for food anymore and you can release them into the main tank or you can set up their own aquarium.
How long do mollies carry eggs?
Female mollies carry the eggs for about 30-45 days. There aren’t any special requirements for breeding, it’s enough to simply keep male and female mollies in the same aquarium and breeding will occur without any further intervention. The female molly will have an enlarged abdomen and will start looking for shelter in a darker corner ...
How to save molly fry?
Now, even if you don’t have a separate breeding tank, there are ways to save at least some molly fry: Use a large plastic container or glass jar to extract the female as she’s about the give birth and keep her separated from the other adult fish in your tank.
Do you have to separate breeding tank for molly fish?
Ideally, you should have a separate breeding tank for the female molly fish and the breeding tank should match the parameters of the origin tank. After the female molly fish has dropped the fry, you should remove her, so you can continue caring for the fry yourself and prevent the female molly from eating the fry.
Can mollies eat their fry?
In fact, adult mollies most often end up abandoning or even eating their fry. If you want baby mollies to survive, you’ll need to care for them yourself by separating them from adult fish and feeding them foods suitable ...
Live foods
It is the best option to meet all the protein requirements of mollies. Live foods include a wide range of animals, insects, and larvae; it consists of all kinds of shrimps, eels, and worms.
Frozen foods
When the live food is not available, you can use different frozen foods to serve them. These frozen foods are functional in cans with preservatives.
Daphnia
It is small crustaceans in dried and freezes form. It is a delicious treat for them as it is free from any bacteria and parasites. The manufacturers use UV rays to treat raw fleas.
Fish flakes
There is two famous frozen fish flakes food available for them. One is tropical flakes, and the other is omega one freshwater flakes.
Blood worms
These are also dried freeze in the same manner. They are also full of protein nutrients and minerals.
Homemade food
When you want to feed homemade treats, there are many things and combinations to serve them. These are very easy, and you will love to make these for your little pet.
Meat paste
Use the meat of any animal for this purpose. The beef meat is excellent for this. Just take a few chunks of beef heart and remove all the fat from it.
What to do if a molly baby doesn't survive?
If any of the fry did not survive, then make use of a net to remove it from the fish tank. If the mother Molly and the molly babies are in the same tank, then observe the mother and see whether she is showcasing any aggressive behavior towards the fry. If the mother seems tense, just move her into a separate tank.
How to keep molly in a nursery?
If you want to keep the mother molly with its fry, then opt for a larger tank. If you want to keep the fry separate from the mother, then about a 10-gallon tank is sufficient.
How to keep molly fish from adults?
One of the many options for keeping the fry safe from adults is to keep a breeding box in your fish tank. This will isolate the mother fish from her fry and keep her within the box. Another thing you can do is to just keep a close eye on the pregnant molly and move her into a separate tank as soon as it gives birth.
How often do mollies fertilize?
Another tricky aspect of the molly pregnancy is that the female mollies have the ability to store sperm for months and they can fertilize their eggs as often as 30 days. So even if your fish tank has no males, the female molly might end up pregnant. Mollies mostly release approximately 10 to 60 live fish at once.
What pH should a molly fish tank be?
The pH of the tank should be around 7 to 8 pH, while the hardness should be kept between 20 to 30 dGH. The molly fish cannot live in brackish water, so it is best to put some salt into the water of your fish tank. Water changes are also an important part of keeping healthy mollies.
How long does it take for a molly fish to get pregnant?
Keep a close eye on them and mark your calendar when you see signs on pregnancy. The gestational period for this kind of fish is around 60 days; these would roll by very quickly. So being on top of their schedule is important.
What is the most common type of molly?
Types of mollies. There are many different varieties of mollies and the most common type of molly species held in aquariums is known as the short-finned molly. You can easily categorize mollies into two separate groups. The majority of the mollies kept in aquariums are short finned as they are easier to care for.
Do Balloon Mollies Eat Their Babies?
Balloon mollies, also known as livebearing fish (those that give birth to their young rather than laying eggs), are typically very protective parents. In fact, they’re often more concerned with the well-being of her fry than she is for herself!
How to Care for Freshwater Baby Molly Fish
How can you separate the babies from their mothers? You might be wondering about that. The best way to go about this is by getting a breeding box or net, whichever one works better for your situation.
How Long To Keep Mollies in a breeding box
Setting up a breeding box is probably the easiest way to save molly babies from being eaten by adult fish. However, you shouldn’t keep them more than 2 weeks in this space because it will significantly stunt their growth- which can be undesirable for commercial purposes or as a hobby.
Top Tips on How To Care for your Mollies
In order to raise a molly fish, you need to plan for the safety of its babies beforehand. For example, before they are born put live plants in your aquarium so the mother does not feel stressed when she has her babies and separates from them.
How to prevent molly pregnancies?
How to prevent or stop Molly pregnancies: Keep only one gender or separate males from females. Mollies are livebearers, meaning they are non-stop breeders. If kept together, you’ll keep having babies every 30 days with every pairing. If you have 5 females and 2 males in your school, that’s 5 batches of fry every month!
What are some aquarium favorites that behave the same way?
Just say you’re taking care of livebearers and they instantly know their breeding habits. Other species such as Guppies, Swordtails, Endlers, and Platies are some aquarium favorites that behave the same way.
