New baby molly questions

[katielm]

Hello all! My female molly, that I've had for about 2.5-3 months finally had her first fry. We've got about 20 live babies, and two that were stillborn. They're safely protected in a netbreeder!! I read up on care for them online and went and got some baby brine shrimp to feed them. I also read that frequent water changes are good, is this true?

Also, I'm unfortunatly moving a week from Friday. Any sugestions on moving the babies with out causing too much stress?

I also read that the babies can be released from the netbreeder when they've about doubled in size? Is this correct? How long does this usally take? And any tips on making a happy realease, such as moving plants to reduce territory conflicts?

Last question I swear! (I'm new at this obviously!) I only have a 10 gallon tank and I already have 5 fish and a mini-frog so I don't have room for many more fish (what is the limit on a 10 gallon tank anyway?). My mom and two of my cousin's have tanks with some room to spare, so they are going to take some of the babies. When can we successfully move the babies to their new home?

Thanks in advance!!
Katie

[leafgirl115]

Congrats on the fry!

You can also feed the fry crushed up flake food Do your water changes at least 1 every week as fry are sensitive. Your fry should be released when 2 things are achived: 1, The fry can no longer get sucked up in the filter and 2, the fry are to big to get eaten by the other fish.

Can you tell me every thing that you have in the tank?

[arcenciel]

A good rule is 1" of fish per 1g.

[Puffer Pita]

Well no, that's not really a good rule. That rule takes very little into account, such as activity, habit, actual size (a 2" molly isn't the same size as a 2" dwarf gourami for instance), etc. There are too many variables.

For a 10g tank, I wouldn't keep more than 5 mollies and 1 frog.

[katielm]

I currently have 3 mollies, a guppy, an alege eater, and a dwarf frog. I really want to upgrade to a 20 gallon tank, but I don't know if that will happen any time soon.

[corykid225]

The "1 inch per fish is equal to the gallons rule is not at all a good rule at all because you would not keep a 12 inch oscar in a 12 gallon tank would you? he could barely fit! Congrats on the fry! There is no beteer way for your fish to tell you they are happy and healthy than for them to be breeding!

[darkfalz]

My highest stock is 5 platys in a 6.5 gallon, don't think that's doable when they are full grown (only about 1.5 inches right now). But I got a new job so I can afford a new tank for them in a few months, I'm thinking about 30-40 gallons with a stand. Which will be just platys and maybe a catfish, although the platys do a darn good job of eating what algae there is, so I might add a single "centrepiece" fish like a yellow cichilid or something instead.

As for your question, you can siphon fry out with the water change, just do it gently. I moved recently however my fry were already 2 months old and just small fish really, I moved them in large buckets of their original water which was put back into their tanks.

[doggydad38]

1" per gallon is just a suggestion. I raise Fancy Guppies and routinely have 20-30 fish per 10 gallon tank. I am also able to raise them to full body size by 3 to 4 months of age.
Tony