How to keep Mollies from overpopulating your tank

[Haiven]

I've solved the problem of prolific molly and/or platy breeding, and I think it would work equally well for guppies. It is fairly cheap, and works well! Are you ready??

YoYo loaches! Those little omnivores keep pesky snails from overrunning the tank and they do the same for fry. Not only do they have healthy appetites, but they are stealthy hunters.

When I was consolidating my tanks from 14 to 7, I ended up putting yoyos in my livebearer tanks. Suddenly, no fry, no overpopulation.

The good news is that when I want more fry, all I have to do is move the loaches!

[tsunderl]

I just plucked about 90 molly babies in the last 24 hours, all from the same momma!!! http://www.pushupstairs.com/images/emoticon/extra3/ma.gif It's a love/hate thing... Kinda hate to see more, but I can't just leave the little guys to fend for themselves. I even got a bigger baby tank to house them all! Yeah, I'm a sucker. I know... http://www.pushupstairs.com/images/emoticon/extra3/shake.gif

[Misty]

Intersting observation, lol. Do the loaches swim all levels of the tank? My Molly fry and the guppies for that matter, all stay at the top.

Where were you back when I had 4 gazillion babies and they kept coming?;)

[jaglover]

Angelfish will also do a number on livebearer fry. I had a single baby angel who devoured 3 batches of guppy fry before I finally moved him. He's now eating month-old mollies. <sigh>

[bra8ndy8]

hummmm I didn't know angels ate babies.....that could be why I have never seen babies in my tank!! ill take all ur babies!! I have a 100 community tank that needs some fishies!

[biggin]

Looking to feed you angels?

hummmm I didn't know angels ate babies.....that could be why I have never seen babies in my tank!! ill take all ur babies!! I have a 100 community tank that needs some fishies!

[Haiven]

Misty, while the loaches stay primarily on the bottom, they go EVERYWHERE with exuberance! They often come to the top and compete when I'm feeding.

If they notice fry on the top, well as I said, they're stealthy hunters!

[Haiven]

90 babies!!!! That must be one BIG molly momma! What kind is she?

[Misty]

So then is that what my Zebra Loach is doing when he's zig-zagging up and down the front of the tank, hunting? He stays at the bottom to skim over, under and around everything, I just thought when he was zig-zagging that he was a "special needs" fish because he'll do it all day long if I stay away from the tank, lol.

I've only had clown loaches before but they went everywhere with a buddy so I just thought they were trying to lose each other when they did that, lol.

[tsunderl]

90 babies!!!! That must be one BIG molly momma! What kind is she?

She is a big gal and her babies were good sized too! She is a black molly. She got so big that her belly was streaked with white and she had problems swimming and didn't like being in the iso tank, so I let her do what she knew was best for her without stressing her out. I think she's had the most at one time of any of my fishies and I'm sure she's relieved!!!

[Haiven]

Wow, a fish with stretch marks! Let me know if rubbing cocoa butter on them makes them fade.

[Haiven]

Hey Brandy how are the livebearers that I gave you doing?

[bra8ndy8]

they are great!!! So cute...added great color to my tank....and the girls love them!! THANKS HUN!!

[tsunderl]

Wow, a fish with stretch marks! Let me know if rubbing cocoa butter on them makes them fade.

Actually, her having all those babies out of her made them go away. Wish it were that easy for us!

I didn't get one of her babies out and I noticed that some of the older juvies are kinda watching over him. They surround him and steer him away from going out too far. It's really interesting to watch how they are taking care of the newbie, so I'm going to leave him in the big tank to see what happens. I'll feel really bad if he suddenly disappears. :(