# Are my fish pregnant???????



## mandi85710 (Feb 19, 2012)

*I was just wondering if anyone could tell me if my fish are pregnant and if so about how long they have to go? I have a new 20 gallon tank cycling to move my mollies into but I just can't tell if my dalmation molly is pregnant for sure or not. Also I have 2 mickey mouse platies that keep getting bigger it seems but I am not sure if they are pregnant. Sorry I know it's a dumb question but I really want to keep the fry this time which is why I just got 2 more tanks. One has a lot of plants for the fry once born and my 20 gallon has a fare amount of plants and ornaments for them to hide but I really am trying to find out so I can be on the watch for when they are born to be able to keep them from becoming food. Any help would be appreciated and I a adding pics. Thanks again in advance!!!  *


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## mandi85710 (Feb 19, 2012)

*omgosh*

OK so my molly just started having her babies!!!!! Is it normal for there to be little yellow things coming out as well. So far there have only been 2 live babies and then the yellow things that look like eggs???? IDK what to do I am new to this and I want to keep the babies that is the point of me buying 2 more tanks...AHHH...lol...:shock:


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## Termato (Feb 21, 2012)

mandi85710 said:


> Is it normal for there to be little yellow things coming out as well. So far there have only been 2 live babies and then the yellow things that look like eggs???? :


It's definitely not eggs because Platys are live bearers. 

As long as they have a nice little place to hide and they don't end up in the filter your little babies should be happy!

I have no idea what the little yellow thing is....maybe just the holding sac to give birth?


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## SeaHorse (Dec 27, 2010)

I have a Calico Molly who has given birth... and will again in about 35 days by the way. Even without a male she can hold sperm for several months. Not sure about the sacs... but don't be surprised if the first birth doesn't go so well. Sometimes they eat them, sometimes they just don't make it. But just keep trying, make sure there are LOTS of hiding spaces and pick up some Baby Fish food if you can. They love it and will grow fast. Get some floating plants or lay some plastic plants at the surface, they often hide up there too. Good luck.


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## mandi85710 (Feb 19, 2012)

*Thank you!!!*

Well she is done giving birth I think. I has been a while and I haven't seen anymore arrivals. I have about 6 I think that are still alive that I have been able to count. I moved the ones I could catch into another tank. I have lots of plants and also floating ones in there for them b/c that tank is specifically for my fry until they are old enough to give to friends and also to move a few to my larger tank when they are not able to be eaten. I still can't tell if my play's are pregnant though. At least my molly starting to have her babies right after I posted this answered my question for her...lol. But the mickey mouse ones I just don't know. They look huge more than the pictures can show b/c they are camera shy so I guess I will just have to keep an eye out on them as well to see when or if they start to have them anytime soon.


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## SeaHorse (Dec 27, 2010)

The Platy's will probably start to look square at the bottom front too just like the Molly did. Often babies are born in the early hours of morning so check each morning for sure. If you do water changes and you think they are close to dropping, do a water change dropping the temperature by 1-2 degrees. in the wild they often spawn after a cooling rain. 
Another sign to watch for is a gravid spot. It is a dark circlular shadow that shows up between the anal fin and the tail and is said to be the babies eyes showing thru her skin as she swells. 
Also... even tho she only had maybe 6 this drop....my Swordtail had 2, then 9, then omg I think last weeks was 60 without a word of a lie. Molly fry are rather big compared to Swordtails... not sure about Platy fry. 
Enjoy.


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## Termato (Feb 21, 2012)

You might want to check the ammonia levels to be safe because live bearers will release ammonia while giving birth.

I just saw 5 little babies floating around in my tank and my ammonia is spiked (my tank is cycling).


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## mandi85710 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well I have a total of 5 babies now. My mickey mouse platy had babies day before yesterday and my dalmation molly had them right after posting. I am now waiting to see if the other mickey mouse platy has any. Weird thing is it has been 2 days and the platy that had her babies (3 lived one I saw get eaten and not sure how many other she had) but she still looks pregnant and I can still see little eyes in her belly. Before I couldn't that is why I wasn't sure if she was pregnant or not but now she looks pregnant and I can see a bunch of eyes. I know I am not imagining them and she was not like that before. Is it possible that she still has some in there that were fertilized at a different time? IDK sounds like a dumb question but my other fish will not leave her alone they are literally up her butt since last night. They were also doing that to my other platy so I think she may have had them and none of them survived. The way the others were following her as soon as one would pop out they would eat it which is what happened to the platy who gave birth day before yesterday. I ended up scooping her into a big net breeder thing b/c the one molly was also attacking her and not fin nipping she was actually getting her on her side. So I put it in the tank and she swam into it and then I stuck it to the side of the tank so she couldn't get out. Then she had the 3 that are alive. She wasn't stressed in there either she actually seemed relieved that they couldn't get to her and she could give birth in peace. After 4 hours in there of no more babies I let her out so she could swim around and she was fine. My one molly was no longer picking on her and she was swimming around like nothing happened. Now I see all these eyes and am really confused. Oh also Termato I checked the levels before I started typing this and they are all fine. Next time one gives birth I will check them right away. I didn't even think about that being an issue. So thanks for that tip. ") Also sorry I hadn't gotten back to you all quicker but my computer took a crap and is in the shop so I am borrowing my dads laptop and I could not for the life of me remember all of my user names and passwords and websites on top of that to get back here. I was just sitting here looking at my 2 dalmation molly and 3 mickey mouse platy babies and watching them swim. I cannot believe the difference in size in them. The platies are still so tiiny and they are only two days younger that the mollys. Anyway my point is the site name popped into my head...lol. Sorry I talk way to much. Well type. But I have 5 babies and keeping an eye on the other mickey to see if she gets a gravid spot. Oh thats another thing. The platy that had the babies still has the gravid spot also. I am super confused!!! LOL


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