VISITOR'S QUESTIONS
22... Pregnant Dalmatian Molly
It is difficult to say why your molly seems to be sluggish
and isn't eating very much, if she is eating, albeit small amounts,
this is not a bad sign. I've jotted down a few pointers below, which
may be helpful.
The Dalmatian Molly is a livebearer that requires a
spawning box in a 22 Gal (100 litre) e.g. 42 x 12 x 12in (107 x 30 x
30cm) or larger breeding tank. The aquarium should be planted as densely
as possible, as well as having a group of floating plants in the corner
of the aquarium if you wish to promote rearing.
It's best not to move the female before delivery, this
could be stressful for her, which in turn may harm her or the fry. Mollies
are gentle fish that are not prone to eating their own fry, so there
is little reason to remove gravid female to another tank, this can be
stressful to her. If you wish to separate the fry from the mother after
they are born, try to have another tank set up ahead of time in which
to put the fry as you find them.
Pregnant molly females grow quite round and are easily
noticed. If you have a variety of molly that is light in color, you
can see the "gravid spot", a dark spot that appears directly under and
behind the female's belly, a few days before she is going to drop the
fry. The gestation period of mollies is about 28 days and the females
have the ability to store sperm so that they can produce several broods
of young from one mating.
The Dalmatian Molly is a hybrid color variation of
Poecilia latipinna, the Sailfin Molly, which has a black and white body,
and is sometimes referred to as the Marbled Molly or Marbled Sailfin
Molly. The pointed anal fin and much larger dorsal fin on the male,
and the rounded anal fin and pregnancy spot on the female differentiate
the two.
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