New Problem

SlateSpider

SlateSpider

Large Fish
#1
Dec 5, 2011
268
0
0
Walla Walla, Washington
#1
I know my fish have been having alot of problems lately, but this one is serious.

One of my baby fish has been picking on the black mollies. Yes, a 1/2 inch long, 3 week old baby has been picking on an adult fish that is 2 inches long! The baby started out just picking at the fishes, um, butthole.

The baby has gone from picking to trying to tear at it's fins, and picking at it's scales. I put the baby in the breeder net for a time out :p, but what should I do about this?

Oh, and both black mollies look pregnant, but I can't be sure...
 

jamiejay09

jamiejay09

Large Fish
#3
Dec 14, 2009
421
0
0
England
#3
Depending on whether the fry is a male black molly, it is likely to be picking/nipping at that certain area of your females as they are close to giving birth, therefore waiting to eat! This is common to see amongst livebearers, assuming that is what the fry is. Mollys are rather curiuos fish and also notoriously frisky, so males will usually follow the females around.
-Jamie
 

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SlateSpider

SlateSpider

Large Fish
#4
Dec 5, 2011
268
0
0
Walla Walla, Washington
#4
I'm guessing that that baby will be a male when it grows up, but all of the babies look like females. Do they only look like females until they mature? Yes, they are mollies, and most look like they are turning black. However, I was cleaning the tank this morning, and I took out the filter cartridge to see if it needed replaced. One of the babies somehow got through the grate at the bottom and got stuck in the filter and died :(

I took him out of the breeder net to see if he would leave them alone, but as soon as I took him out, he started picking at the mollies. I'm not sure, but he might have even tore a bit of fin off of one of the mollies' tails. He is the only one who has been picking on them. The other ones have been leaving the adults alone! I wonder if this is a temporary thing...
 

jamiejay09

jamiejay09

Large Fish
#5
Dec 14, 2009
421
0
0
England
#5
Its a very common behavior to see, and the odd tearing of a fin isnt much to worry about, as it definately sounds like a male chasing after a pregnant female. As long as there are no obvious wounds, missing scales and so on.. I wouldnt worry too much about the baby in the filter, he could have died and then got sucked into the filter intake, you just dont know, but as you probably know its unlikely that all of the offspring survive the first few weeks of life. Just keep a close eye on the 'nippy fish' and keep us informed. Goodluck with the rest of the fry.
-Jamie
 

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