The molly fish is a favorite species among new aquarists. These aquatic creatures are hardy and appealing.
Most importantly, they can get on well with many tank mates as they are not aggressive.
This species is easy to breed. These creatures spawn considerably quicker, resulting in a mass of spawns each time.
If you want them to have a successful breeding season, it’s best to learn about Molly’s fish eggs in the tank through this post.
Contents
What Do Molly Fish Eggs Look Like?
Molly eggs are little yellow balls that resemble egg yolks but are much smaller.
The fertilized egg most likely becomes terminated or aborted if you discover a molly-producing egg.
However, you should be aware that this species is a livebearer, which means they give birth, not lay spawns.
As a result, their fry can freely swim after being released.
These creatures are generated, fertilized, and born within the female body, although they are derived from eggs.
Mollies, in theory, get pregnant with deposit spawns and produce offspring to free-swimming children.
Furthermore, these creatures only lay eggs under highly unusual conditions.
While that’s not always the case, female Molly can deposit spawns without previously being bred.
Molly eggs
Why Is My Molly Laying Eggs?
As shared earlier, Mollies are livebearers who give birth to live babies.
Female fish keep their offspring in their bodies until their babies hatch, usually around the period the females deposit.
If your Molly females lay eggs, their spawns have most likely been miscarried or aborted.
Molly krill produce spawns for various reasons, including hunger and anxiety, but it may sometimes be due to dirty water.
If you won’t give Molly females enough nutritious food or keep them in an unhealthy environment. the eggs will not hatch.
Causes Of Molly’s Underdeveloped Eggs
If molly females are under stress when they release their eggs, their spawns will be underdeveloped.
Besides, there are various reasons why your fish deposit underdeveloped eggs.
Mollies are more likely to miscarry when stressed by unfavorable water conditions, danger, or poor health.
In addition, they will get terminated if the spawns don’t get fertilized in the first place due to insufficient calcium levels.
Try to imitate the best possible setting for them to keep your molly fry from being agitated.
Their plant-filled aquarium should be well-oxygenated, warm, and dark.
There’s no need to look after these eggs because they won’t develop and hatch.
How Often Do Mollies Give Birth?
Mollies can reproduce more often than sometimes, every 30 – 45 days.
Even when there is no male fish in the aquarium, females may keep sperm in their bodies for several days to fertilize their spawns once a month.
Some connoisseurs claim that the mollies have gotten pregnant with the sperm kept even six months ago. It’s common in this species.
Molly females can produce around 40 to 100 fry during a single mating season.
The number of the young also varies depending on several factors like the Mollies’ health, age, experiences, and size.
Young, immature mollies produce fewer fry than older, more experienced creatures. How do you know if the females are pregnant?
Here are some signs to check:
- Their stomachs have become flatter. That’s because their stomach gets square and thicker.
- Black lines appear on their belly. They’re expecting if they have black spots at the abdominal hole.
- They eat a lot more than they usually do. Thus, it’s better to observe the amount of food in their daily diet.
How to tell if your Mollies will give birth? Here are a few behavioral clues that female mollies’ pregnancy is coming to an end:
- They start strolling in the tank water less and less. They will remain immobile for a long time.
- They start hiding behind the plants and decorations in the aquarium.
- They may even seek refuge close to the aquarium heater to stay warm.
- They eat more when pregnant but lose their appetite after giving birth. They may also become aggressive toward other species.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take A Molly Fish To Get Pregnant?
Female Mollies are pregnant with the offspring for about 60 days. They may produce from 40 to 100 fries for every batch of eggs.
Can You Breed Mollies?
The answer is yes! Mollies may breed almost anywhere and in any situation. It’s better to put them in a comfortable situation.
You can increase the water temperature to 78℉ by a few degrees, feed more food, and provide more hiding spaces in a well-oxygenated tank.
Removing the pregnant Molly from the rest of the aquarium is preferable, and using a mating container.
Also, you need to separate the fry immediately from the mom and other adults to avoid the situation where they eat the young.
To keep the fry from getting sucked in, ensure the aquarium includes a sponge filter.
Furthermore, it’s a good idea to keep the bottom of the container plain so the fry can readily reach the food. If you want to know more, you can watch this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKd-livGtvU
Why Do Some Mollies Die Suddenly?
These creatures may die of various causes in tanks, but poor water quality is the most influential one.
If the oxygen content in your tank becomes too low and the water temperature is too high for this species, you can have trouble.
You utilize untreated water before introducing these fish to your tank, which might be a contributing factor.
Can Mollies Eat Their Eggs?
The short answer is yes! They can eat their spawns due to their instinct.
They do this to get rid of the weak ones and save nourishment and food for the healthier ones.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, the Molly species is the livebearer, so they don’t typically lay spawns. Instead, this fish releases 40 to 100 young fish each time they give birth.
They will occasionally deposit infertile eggs or young fry that have been miscarried. The hue of these spawns is transparent yellow.
However, these eggs will not hatch, so you don’t need to care for them.
If you have any further questions about Molly fish eggs in tanks, leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!
Alex is a pet freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. He attended Colorado State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, which was where he first got some experience in animal nutrition. After graduating from University, Alex began sharing his knowledge as a freelance writer specializing in pets.
