mollie fry

[Hanna87]

About a week ago I purchased 8 assorted mollies and 2 hi-fined sword tails. They've all been very happy in my 36 gal. tank. But yesterday afternoon I noticed I was missing one. I found my orange and black marble mollie dead in our alligator skull. In the process of getting him out and moving the skull a tiny black mollie fry swam out. Through out the day I eventually caught 10 fry and put them in the nursery tank that floats on top of the water. Is there a chance that the one mollie that died got attacked by the mother trying to protect the babies? I know he ate that morning and he acted normal.
Also iv seen other threads where the mother has died 3 to 4 days after giving birth. Is that the case for every mother mollie? And how big do the fry need to get before I can put them in with the others? Is there anything else I need to do?

 

[LuciFishies]

There sometimes is a small chance the fish will die after giving birth, if not strong enough or too young or the like. Mollies don't generaly try to protect their fry. Actually, they'd most likely eat them.
My guess is that the molly you found dead was the mother. You called it a he, but it could've been a she. If not, then, I'm not sure what happened.
You may have heard before that fry have to be bigger than their tankmate's mouths to go into the tank with them. I generally put my fry in the grown-up's tank when they're about 3/4 of an inch. Try standing 2 yards away from the tank, or so, and look at the fry in the nursery tank. If you can see them swimming around and make out their general shapes, you can out them in. (Doesn't always work for pale or white fry...)

Everything else is just a waiting game. You wait for the molly to give birth, you wait for the fry to grow up, and then you wait for those fry to have fry. It's like the Circle Of Life.
Feeding the fry finely powdered flake food or frozen baby brine shrimp is good for the first two weeks. Then I'd switch to crushed flake food (not powdered), and slowly introduce the adult's menu in small tidbits. That's all. Breeding and raising mollies is pretty simple and fun.

 

[Hanna87]

Thank you! I'm sure though that the one I found dead was a male, but u guess I could be wrong. I'm surprised to have fry already. I haven't even had the fish a week yet. I knew my larger black mollie was pregnant but I thought I had time yet. I never actually saw her give birth so I don't know for sure it was her.

 

[Hanna87]

Well the mama just died But fry are doing well it seems.

 

[webgeek]

about 50% of the mother mollies die after delivery. I guess they get too hungry and feel the emptiness in the stomach. I lost the most in an earlier case but the in the latest case, i ensure the mother is fed well and often so that it wont die. Lucky mom survived.

 

[webgeek]

I haven't even had the fish a week yet.

It is pretty common that female mollies are pregnant at various stages for most of their lifetime. The mother might have mated with its partner in the earlier tank at the store.