Calling all fish owners!

Our tropical acquarium has got a new and exciting addition - a newborn baby Molly!

This is a very unexpected surprise. We've got two black Mollies, which we knew were livebearers, but which we thought were both males. One of them was obviously female though, because we have just come back from a weekend away and there is a new, tiny little version of them swimming around inthe tank!

Anyway, are we supposed to do anything special? Are we supposed to separate the baby from the rest of the fish, because its parents don't seem to bother with it? Can we clean the tank? It really needs a clean right now, but if I change the water, is it going to be too stressful for the little babby? And finally, is it usual that a Black Molly would give birth to only 1 baby- because we have only seen 1? And if not, what has happend to the others?

Help! I have no idea what to do with newborn fishies! :ohmy:

Might need to protect it in a nursery basket. YUM YUM other fishies may think. Phone fishy shop on Moday and get advice. But if still swimming then probably OK....deserted at birth poor fishy. I keep same water I jug it out into two large stainless steel pans that have been well rinsed with fishies. Then do the job from hell and put it all back with a top up and some anti stress goo and aloe type goo and a few drops of something else, underfeed, over filter and leave em alone!

I know for a fact karen, that if you do not remove that baby fish it will be eaten very soon. I think also they eat regular food. Our platys which are similar to Mollys, had babies and they were eaten. :sad: Apart from that I do not have any other advice to give.

Arrrgh - gosh! How do I segregate the baby? I haven't got a nursery basket, and at this time on a Sunday night, there is nowhere I can get one.

If I put it in a jug that is filled with the water from the tank, will that be okay? I mean, will it be okay without the oxygen from the filter?

Ummm - probably not.....

Oooh - I don't want the little thing to be eaten. :sad:

Right - I've just had nother good look at the baby and I've got some more thoughts.

the baby is about 1cm in length, which is just under a 3rd of the size of its parent. About the same size as a small neon Tetra. So, I'm thinking that this baby may not be a complete newborn. Basically, althought it's tiny compared to the other fish in the tank, it seem a bit large for the Molly to have given birth to today or yesterday.

Also, its not hiding. Its swimming around quite freely and the other fish don't seem too interested in it.

Oh - I don't know what to do. I'm guessing that fish don't just give birth to 1 baby, so by that reckoning I'd guess that the baby had brothers/sisters that have been eaten? But, I also think that this hardy little baby is not a complete newborn and has now reached the size where it can swim competently with the other fish in the tank?

Am I grasping at straws or does this sound right?

If not, I have no idea how to segregate the baby in the tank without a nursery basket (which I can't get tonight). The more I think about it, the more I think that segregating it outside the tank is a bad idea. It would have no filter, and no heater and would probably freeze to death.

Oh - what a dilemma! This is my first baby fish. Its so cute and I want to keep it. :sad:

Just leave it then Karen. If it doesn't look like a newborn then don't worry too much. If the other fish are not diving for it, it's probably too big. Keep the others well fed and they might not want it. :) Also if it was a brand new baby it would stay in the plants and near the top of the tank.

Just leave it then Karen. If it doesn't look like a newborn then don't worry too much. If the other fish are not diving for it, it's probably too big. Keep the others well fed and they might not want it. :) Also if it was a brand new baby it would stay in the plants and near the top of the tank.

Thanks Tigger and Sheoque for the answers. This is a new experience for me!

Yeah - I think I'll leave it be for now. Well, I've actually got no choice but to do that, because I have no way of segregating the baby fromthe rest of the fish, but at least my mind is a bit more at rest now.

I've given the rest of the fish double helpings of dinner to keep their mind off the new baby -just in case they start thinking of him as a snack! :laugh:

Cheers guys. :)

You are right karen this is the survivor unless Mollys just have one little Milly at a time, and icm is the size of a community tetra that will survive, so enjoy and be proud.

You are right karen this is the survivor unless Mollys just have one little Milly at a time, and icm is the size of a community tetra that will survive, so enjoy and be proud.

Do you know what Sheoque? In an absurd way I am proud! :laugh:

Me and Mr H have been inspecting the tank every half hour -partly because we need to see that the babby is still there, but also because we are completed fascinated by the new addition.

I think I'm gonna call him.....Goliath!

Awwww, Karen congratulations on your new addition! How sweet!! You never know, it maybe the shape of things to come in your household! :wink2:

Sorry, I can't give you any advice on the baby fish itself but it seems that Tiggs & Sheoque have helped you out!

Awwww, Karen congratulations on your new addition! How sweet!! You never know, it maybe the shape of things to come in your household! :wink2:

Sorry, I can't give you any advice on the baby fish itself but it seems that Tiggs & Sheoque have helped you out!

Thanks Bella. The litte tyke is still there, swimming about bold as brass! :laugh:

Looks like he is here to stay :)



Congratulations on your new addition Karen :)

Karen, this happened in my sister's aquarium. We arrived back from T in the Park last summer and there was a wee baby fish swimming about that looked just like a miature version of it's mum. I don't think she did anything special - just left it and it continued to grow and grow :)
Both baby and mother both perished in a horrible accident last month though :sad:

Karen, this happened in my sister's aquarium. We arrived back from T in the Park last summer and there was a wee baby fish swimming about that looked just like a miature version of it's mum. I don't think she did anything special - just left it and it continued to grow and grow :)
Both baby and mother both perished in a horrible accident last month though :sad:

Aww - sorry to hear about the casualites Peej. :sad:

I feel like our little newcomer is gonna be fine. In fact, I think we may have some further additions on the way! We've got a couple of Orange and Black fish (I think they might be another sort of Molly) and one of them loks very bloated at the moment. I'm wondering if it might be a pregnant female.

If it is, I'm gonna have words with the acquatic centre! We've always asked for same sex fish, and whilst I can overlook 1 error with the black mollies, if they've done it twice with a different set of fish that'd just be careless!

Our tank isn't big enough to support too many extra fish.