Hi
Ive had my tank set up for almost a year and after a few loses I found that Mollys are doing the best, we have black, white and dalmation. As you probably know these are live bearers and we've had lots of babys but they only seam to grow to 1/2 inch then dissapear, assumed dead and eaten... Is there anything I can do to help my lil fry?

As soon as the mum molly gives birth you should try to catch all the young in a hand held small net and place them into a breeding net (like the picture attached) This net attches to the side of your tank and saves the fry fro,m getting eaten.

It is, unfortunately normal for live babies or eggs to be eaten. In the wild fry would be able to swim away, but in a tank they are obviously restricted. And therefore food for other fish. Even mum. Yes even mum will eat her own young.

I had guppy babies, and once mum had passed a few she would turn around and try to eat them. This is not malicious on mums part, it is nature of the fish.

You can also get a birthing tank like the second picture attached, this is a floating birthing tank that sits in your own big tank. You put mum to be in and when she gives birth the babies can escape her by going through the slits and into a sub part of the floating tub.

But be prepared to lose babies either way you choose. But you will save so so many more by seperating them form the bigger fish.

Also make sure you are well aware of a pregnant molly....so you place her in the birthing tank well in time, if you use one of these.

Good luck
xx

P.S If you ever have egg laying fish you wish to breed then you will need to keep these alone in a seperate tank to reproduce, lay eggs, and raise young safely and healthy.
xx

Attached Images

	fish net.jpg (9.8 KB, 4 views)
	breed trap.jpg (56.6 KB, 7 views)

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Good advice

I take it you have nothing else in your tank?

I have Platies and found a few babies in my tank when cleaning it one day!

The thing with babies you need to be careful as if someone in the tank has a mouth bigger than they are- they will get eaten- parents or not!
Also the filter in your tank might be too powerful for them and they can get stuck to it or sucked into it and die.

When I can see that one of my platy is really fat- they look almost box shaped before birth- I move her into a plastic breeding trap in my fry tank. The problem with leaving them in the net is they will still get eatin if you aren't quick enough.
I was lucky enough to see my female give birth and discoveered that the fry don't move when born, they just sink to the bottom. So if they had been in a net, when the mum turned round, she could eat them! With the plastic trap they fall through the slits to safety.

x

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