Random Skinnyness
- Thread starter GooGirl
- Start date
, aww, I want to make up a joke about her 'scales' and weight, but I can't think of one!
I don't know what you call a "tank clean" but it seems to me any rooting around you do will just stress things out more and if you do have any fry hiding in the substrate or where ever it will just stir them up. Did you have a plan for where you were going to put the fry? It looks like both your tanks are full already.
Yes, I have another small tank to put them until I sell them.
I hate it when people say 'just leave them in the tank, they'll survive'. Not true. I've heard many people say they followed this advice and soon had no babies left, so please don't say that, anybody.
I carefully searched the entire tank, but I didn't find any signs of babies. What happened? There were tons of hiding places, but not one fry!
A 'tank clean' is the water change and vacuum gravel.
I hate it when people say 'just leave them in the tank, they'll survive'. Not true. I've heard many people say they followed this advice and soon had no babies left, so please don't say that, anybody.
I carefully searched the entire tank, but I didn't find any signs of babies. What happened? There were tons of hiding places, but not one fry!
A 'tank clean' is the water change and vacuum gravel.
I have Mollies in my SW tanks for the purpose of fry food for my tank. Even with all the other SW fish in the tank there always seems to be a couple that make it out of most fry births, not all but many. Its likely they got eaten, just the other day one of mine had about a dozen and the next day I thought they where all gone but a week later I seen one in the live rock. You may or may not have any left but, if she is not fat anymore she did have fry.
One thing to consider - which tank was the pg molly in? If it was the 5.5 one that has two mollies in it already they probably didn't have a chance. In fact, you don't say how many mollies or other fish are in the 10 g tank, but both tanks are way too small for even two mollies so I can see where the fry would be a problem.
I understand what you're saying, but there were lots of hiding places, and not one survived! I don't understand! They are in the 5.5g, and there are 3 males in the 10g. All the mollies are an average of 1.5 inches long, not 3 or 4 like some people think.
I was thinking: is there some sort of disease or ailment that would make the stomach slowly inflate over time, then suddenly go skinny? She didn't act like dropsy or anything, but I'm having a hard time understanding that EVERY ONE of the babies is gone!
I was thinking: is there some sort of disease or ailment that would make the stomach slowly inflate over time, then suddenly go skinny? She didn't act like dropsy or anything, but I'm having a hard time understanding that EVERY ONE of the babies is gone!
I do not find it difficult to believe that two female mollies in a 5.5g tank could eat all the fry available. Mollies are very active fish plus they are pretty good scavengers - as you may have noticed they are all over the tank and they do a pretty good job of rooting around the plants, rocks and gravel.
Yes, I think everyone - after all you think you have done a thorough search - do you not believe your mollies couldn't have done at least as good, if not a better search than you did? One of my friends thinks her betta just ate 12 of her shrimp - in a beautiful fully planted tank. If indeed he did that had to be a real search and destroy and one fat betta! Just remember, they have a lot more time than you do and do it silently and stealthy.
3 plants and a pile of rocks in a 5.5 g tank doesn't sound like a lot of places to hide IMO. Java moss or those plastic grass mats you can buy work well. I have seen the fry squirm down into spaces in the gravel if it is the size gravel where there can be gaps big enough. I really doubt that there is any other explanation - especially if your suspected mother is still surviving.
I think you are just avoiding the fact that 5.5g is way too small for two mollies and it is probably the reason they are only 1 1/2 inches - especially if they are more than 6 months old. Although not an expert on disease by any means, I don't know any disease that would cause a fish to get skinny over night (or in 24 hours) and giving birth is not a disease. IMO you do not have a good set up for breeding and raising fish.
These 2 are both only 1 inch, and I know that EVERYONE thinks that my fishkeeping practices are terrible, but I have been watching this female for a while, waiting for her to give birth. The reason I have trouble with this is because her mother gave birth in a 10g after I got her home from the pet store, and there were hardly and hiding places at all, but I still ended up with 8 surviving to adulthood. This tank has more hiding places (yes, I know the tank is smaller), but none survived? Fine, but thanks for crushing my hopes by eating your babies, dumb fish...