A blog about boats, fishing, water sports and having fun on the ocean
How do you know if fish are pregnant?
by
As your female fish becomes pregnant, she will grow a bulge at the back of her abdomen. This typically appears over the course of 20-40 days. Does your fish have a red or black spot? Sometimes, when a female fish is pregnant, she will develop a “gravid spot” on the abdomen.
Fish pregnancies usually last between 3 weeks and 10 months. This huge range is due to the differences between various fish species. Aquarium fish like goldfish or guppies are at the lower end of the spectrum.
What to do if a fish is pregnant?
Ideally, pregnant females should be placed on their own in a separate aquarium with lots of feathery plants where they can give birth in a stress-free environment. Then again, once she releases the fry she is returned to the main tank and the fry can be grown on separately.
How do you know when a fish is about to give birth?
The Eyes of the Fry and Signs of Impending Birth
A few days before delivery, she develops a bulge below the gills, her outline becoming fairly square in this region, while the gravid spot has enlarged its area.
How do you know if fish are pregnant? – Related Questions
How do you tell if a fish is carrying eggs?
Do pregnant fish lay on bottom of tank?
One explanation for seeing a female guppy fish hanging out at the bottom of the aquarium is that she’s pregnant and in labor. If you’re keeping both female and male guppies, chances are very high that they’ll reproduce and that the female will give birth to fry.
How long does it take for fish to give birth?
As examples, the female swordtail and guppy will both give birth to anywhere from 20 to 100 live young after a gestation period of four to six weeks, and mollies will produce a brood of 20 to 60 live young after a gestation of six to 10 weeks.
What happens when a fish is giving birth?
Some aquarium fish carry the eggs inside of them. When the eggs are fertilized, they eventually hatch inside the mother, and the babies emerge in a live birth. Other types of fish lay hundreds of eggs in nests within the aquarium, in this case, the males fertilize these eggs, and then they hatch into live fish.
How do you know when a goldfish is about to give birth?
When goldfish are about to lay eggs, they usually start to move more sluggishly. Take note if your goldfish is moving slowly or seems to have trouble getting around. You may also notice your goldfish “nesting,” or spending most of the time hiding near shelters or plants.
She will release one or two young every 10-20 minutes until all of her fry (baby fish) have been born. The entire process usually takes 1-2 hours.
What does it look like when a fish is in labor?
Why is my pregnant Molly shaking?
Shimmying is a symptom rather than a single disease, and an indication that a fish no longer has proper control of its nerves and muscles. It occurs when fish are under severe stress, most often because of environmental problems. The classic scenario is when mollies are kept in soft or acidic water conditions.
How many babies does a Molly have at once?
They can give birth to between 40 and 100 fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry. When a molly female is near her time to give birth, you will need to separate her from the rest of the tank.
Can molly fish give birth without male?
Instead, they give birth to live fish. Male mollies fertilize the eggs when they are in the female’s belly. The female molly can store sperm and continue giving birth without having to mate. Molly fish’s pregnancy cycle lasts between 40 to 60 days.
What does a molly fish look like pregnant?
One of the most obvious signs that your Molly is pregnant is if she is looking a bit more chubby around her abdomen area than usual. You’ll notice rounding when she is close to giving birth. It’s necessary to move the Molly to a separate tank to allow her to give birth in peace and to protect her babies.
Mollies (Poecilia sphenops) are wonderful fish, and come in a huge variety of colors and fin shapes. Hardy and active, if given the right conditions, they’ll live for 3-4 years and produce thousands of babies in their lifetime. And in this guide, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about caring for them.
How many mollies should be kept together?
How many molly fish should I have? As with many livebearers, mollies love to breed, so we recommend getting at least two to three females for every male.
How can you tell if a molly is a male or female?
Males and females can be differentiated by the shape of their anal fin. Males have a anal fin that points backwards. Females’ anal fin looks just like the rest of their other fins. More than one molly can be kept in a tank together, however, they have been known to nip the fins of others in their tank.
Can molly and Guppy cross breed?
Guppies and Mollies can easily create hybrids if they are kept in the right conditions. There are two names for two types of hybrids. A hybrid fry from a male Guppy and a female Molly is called Golly, whereas a fry from a male Molly and a female Guppy is called Muppy.
Can guppies change their gender?
No, guppies cannot change their gender. An easy way to tell male and female guppy live-bearers apart is to look at the anal fins. The males have a gonopodium which looks like a stick where the females have a fanned anal fin.