The most accurate way to describe molly fish eggs in tank would be to say that they are the rabbits of the underwater world. Breeding is easier, and they reproduce at a much faster rate, producing hundreds of fry each time.
I wonder why mollies seem to be such prolific breeders. What happens to the eggs once they are laid? Also, would you mind describing the eggs of mollies at this point?
Molly Fish Eggs: How Do They Look?
It’s small yellow eggs that almost resemble the yolk of an egg, but they are a miniature version of it. There’s a good chance a molly may lay eggs but the underdeveloped eggs have been miscarried or discarded.
Because mollies are incapable of laying eggs, reproductive activity is unlikely. The larvae are born directly from the livebearer to the free-swimming fry.
The underdeveloped egg in the video has a translucent yellow appearance, as can be seen in the video. The probability of an egg not developing further and yielding a healthy fry is 99.9%.
What Is The Status Of The Molly Fish Eggs?
Those eggs which had miscarried or been destroyed most likely won’t make it to the light of day.
It is inevitable that they will develop fungus and rot. Moreover, it is also likely that they will be eaten by their parents.
Molly Is Laying Eggs, But Why?
Mollies are a type of livebearer that gives birth to live young. Mollies retain their eggs inside their body until they hatch, which takes place around the time they were laid. Your molly has likely miscarried or aborted her eggs if she laid any.
Consequently, she will not have produced young fry. Mollies lay ‘eggs’ prematurely most often due to stress.
I was informed recently that it’s pretty common for mollies to lay premature eggs, but I’m not entirely sure why.
It turns out that a large number of people have experienced their moles laying eggs as a result of being online and searching through good old resources.
I have put together a few points for your consideration:
It was the first time that I’ve ever had my black molly do this and she gave birth to three babies as well as laid around 10-15 yellow eggs.
Earlier today, I noticed that my molly was pregnant, so I decided to move her to another tank. Although her eggs appeared fertile after I had relocated her and she had laid them, as shown in the video, right after I had relocated her, I could see that her eggs had been fertile.
Several eggs and fries have birthed off of my molly fish, but she is now at the bottom of the tank. I would appreciate any assistance you could provide.
As I mentioned earlier, my black molly hatched eggs. In spite of the fact that she had 23 eggs, she gave birth to the knowledge of another young fish as well with the eggs.
Is it possible that mollies lay premature eggs due to certain reasons? Let’s take a look at it!
What Causes The Molly To Lay Underdeveloped Eggs?
Mollies are under a lot of stress when they lay their eggs, which results in their eggs being underdeveloped.
When moles are under stress through unfavourable water conditions, poor health conditions, and insecurity, there is a greater chance that mollies will miscarry or abort their eggs.
Furthermore, if low calcium levels result in the egg not being fertilized in the first place, the egg will be aborted.
As much as possible, it is important to mimic the best possible environment for your molly so that she will not be stressed. A plant-filled tank should have an ample amount of oxygen, be heated and have dark surroundings.
You may not have to worry about the eggs hatching as there’s no need to care for them.
Let’s see if we can answer some more frequently asked questions about molly’s eggs since I have already covered pretty much everything you need to know about them!
Eggs Are Produced By Molly Fish?
My answer is “yes”!
Mollies are capable of producing eggs, but they do so through a process inside their bodies.
Eggs are not likely to be observed unless there is some anomaly present, as discussed above.
A female incubates and hatches the eggs, which she then implants into her body, and after that she gives birth to free-swimming fry that are healthy and alive.
What’s fascinating about these eggs is that whether they are protected inside the female’s body or not, it doesn’t mean their mother is living in a state of nutrition.
According to the General Principle of Reproductive Biology, the eggs are generally understood to be essentially independent of the mothers.
It is not believed that the eggs receive blood from the mothers during the process of fertilization.
What Is The Birth Rate Of Mollies?
Molly fish give birth every day between 30 and 45 days, depending on how frequent they reproduce.
Even if there is no male present in the tank, the female can store and use the sperm for fertilizing her eggs every month or so, even if it is not present in the tank.
In an article that was published by a hobbyist, he reported that his mollies used the sperm that they had retained for six months to give birth to babies! The fact of the matter is this is not uncommon behaviour for mollies.
Mollies Give Birth To How Many Fry At A Time?
The number of fries produced by one female Mollie can range from 40 to 100 per mating period.
It is true that that answer is a pretty wide range for an answer, but it changes depending on a variety of factors such as the fish’s age, health, size, and experiences.
Comparatively less fry are born at the time of birth in young, inexperienced mollies.
What Is The Gestation Period Of Molly Fish?
During the period of two months – sixty days – between conception and giving birth, a molly fish is pregnant.
In addition, while she is in labor she can expect the process to be completed between 1 and 24 hours after she gets started.
Molly Fishes During Pregnancy
A pregnant molly fish is likely to exhibit different changes in her behavior during her gestation period.
There are some that will be obvious right away, while others will only come into consciousness during the course of the process. This is the main visible sign of a gravid spot – it takes the shape of a distended, swollen belly.
You can even see that at the end of the pregnancy, the fry’s eyes are actually tiny black dots that you can see.
Below are a few signs that indicate that you might be dealing with a pregnant Molly Fish:
- A bloated and distended belly is a consequence of pregnancy.
- There is a visible dark dark spot on the gravid spot.
- It is not until the fry reaches a later stage that his or her eyes are visible.
- Her outline becomes square and she has a bulge below the gills (shaped in the V shape).
- Black lines will appear on the belly.
- If the female goes from starving herself to voraciously eating, her appetite changes.
- There will be an increase in female reclusiveness and aloofness.
Is It Possible To Breed Mollies?
It does not matter how difficult the situation may be, Mollies will breed readily anywhere and in any circumstance. Of course, the most effective way to encourage them to reproduce is to provide them with a favorable environment.
There are some things you can do to help the insects flourish, such as raising the temperature of the enclosure to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (don’t raise it higher than that), feeding more insects, and providing a lot of hiding, it is also imperative to ensure that the enclosure is well aerated.
I recommend you transfer the expecting molly into a separate tank or use a breeding box if you want to ensure the best results. The thought of giving birth in a communal fish trough would make her very anxious and reluctant.
Moreover, the young ones must be removed from their mother or another adult as soon as possible so that they do not get eaten by the mother!
You should return the female in a breeding tank directly to the main tank after the breeding is completed.
If you want to raise molly fry, but you don’t want to do it in one tank, you’ll need to set one up separately for them. Although there are plenty of hiding places in a community tank, they have a chance given there are a lot of predators around.
As for fry, you must make sure that the tank has a sponge filter, in order to prevent the fry from getting sucked into the water. The bottom of the pot should also be left bare, in order for them to be able to find food easier.
It is much easier to take care of the fry of a livebearer than it is of the ones that hatch from their eyots externally.
Considering that Molly’s fry is larger than those of egg-laying species, it is generally believed that their mortality rate is lower than that of egg-laying species.
It is important to feed the young pulverized food at first because their mouth openings are too small to feed them whole food.
Additionally, you may give them crushed flake food along with daphnia, baby brine shrimp, and egg yolk paste in addition to crushed flake food.
Video About The Molly Fish Eggs In Tank
FAQs
Why did Molly die suddenly?
There are several reasons why fish die in aquariums, one of which is poor water conditions.
You may experience problems in your aquarium if the oxygen level is too low, the temperature is outside the acceptable range for mollies, and you use water that has not been treated for water changes.
Why do mother fish eat their babies?
As a consequence, the parent Guppy conserves their energy by weeding out offspring that will take a long time to reach maturity so that they can nurture subsequent, faster-growing young.
Alternatively, it is possible that female guppies eat their own children in order to replenish their fat reserves by doing so.
How do you know if fish eggs are fertilized?
A few days after the plants have been fertilized, you will most likely notice the difference in color between fertilized and unfertilized plants.
There will be only two eyes on the fertilized egg once they have merged, and the two eyes will be light brown, almost tea-coloured. Unfertilized ovaries would appear white.
Annette M. Chaney is an experienced marine biologist with over 20 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium at a young age, filling it with frogs and goldfish obtained from the ten-cent pet store.
Annette grew up caring for and breeding African Cichlids, which led to a hobby in high school that doubled as a profitable means. Attending Reed College gave her time to solidify herself as an accomplished aquarium caretaker with an eye for sales. After that, from 2009 – 2013, she studied at Roger Williams University – one of the most prestigious universities for Aquaculture and Aquarium in USA. She is the founder of AquariumCircle since 2010.