Mollies

[Fantastic Derek]

Hi

I tried to post this last night so if this is duplicated please accept
my apologies.

I've just recently set up a 20g tank and have begun stocking it in the
last week or so. I bought my second lot of fish at the weekend, four
mollies (2 black and 2 silver lyretail) and the female silver mollie
was pregnant. A couple of days ago I got home and she'd obviously
given birth as she was a lot thinner and I saw a baby at the bottom of
the tank. At first I didn't see any more so I just figured that they'd
all been eaten as would this little fella. Later on though I noticed 6
or 7 more hiding around the bogwood and bottom of my plants. They
seemed highly skilled at avoiding the bigger fish so I got quite
excited. Yesterday however they began to get quite bold, so bold, in
fact that I fear for their little well beings.

I only have the one tank at the moment. Is there anything I can do to
protect them? A temporary container I can put them in?

Thanks

[Len]

Some plants wold help. Something that the babies can hide in that is
difficult for the bigger fishes to get into might help them until they
get too big to be fod for the adults.

Fantastic Derek wrote:
> Hi
>
> I tried to post this last night so if this is duplicated please accept
> my apologies.
>
> I've just recently set up a 20g tank and have begun stocking it in the
> last week or so. I bought my second lot of fish at the weekend, four
> mollies (2 black and 2 silver lyretail) and the female silver mollie
> was pregnant. A couple of days ago I got home and she'd obviously
> given birth as she was a lot thinner and I saw a baby at the bottom of
> the tank. At first I didn't see any more so I just figured that they'd
> all been eaten as would this little fella. Later on though I noticed 6
> or 7 more hiding around the bogwood and bottom of my plants. They
> seemed highly skilled at avoiding the bigger fish so I got quite
> excited. Yesterday however they began to get quite bold, so bold, in
> fact that I fear for their little well beings.
>
> I only have the one tank at the moment. Is there anything I can do to
> protect them? A temporary container I can put them in?
>
> Thanks

[Elaine T]

Fantastic Derek wrote:
> Hi
>
> I tried to post this last night so if this is duplicated please accept
> my apologies.
>
> I've just recently set up a 20g tank and have begun stocking it in the
> last week or so. I bought my second lot of fish at the weekend, four
> mollies (2 black and 2 silver lyretail) and the female silver mollie
> was pregnant. A couple of days ago I got home and she'd obviously
> given birth as she was a lot thinner and I saw a baby at the bottom of
> the tank. At first I didn't see any more so I just figured that they'd
> all been eaten as would this little fella. Later on though I noticed 6
> or 7 more hiding around the bogwood and bottom of my plants. They
> seemed highly skilled at avoiding the bigger fish so I got quite
> excited. Yesterday however they began to get quite bold, so bold, in
> fact that I fear for their little well beings.
>
> I only have the one tank at the moment. Is there anything I can do to
> protect them? A temporary container I can put them in?
>
> Thanks

Sure. Use a breeding net or breeding trap. They range in price and
quality from an inexpensive fine net on a plastic frame to an
airpump-driven clear plastic breeder that continually pulls fresh water
through to wash away uneaten food and debris. Catching the babies to
put in the trap can be quite a challenge, though. You'll find out just
how fast and resourceful young livebearers are. ;-)

In the trap, they can't forage among the plants for algae and food, so
be sure and offer small, frequent feedings to get them to grow well. I
feed baby guppies 6-8 times a day for the first two weeks and 4 times a
day after that.

--
Elaine T __
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