Possible pregnant Black Molly

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Adelecassone

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jul 23, 2024
Messages
3
Location
New York
Good evening everyone! So we have a Black Molly who looks like a little blimp. She (I’m assuming) stays in the large green plant that we have for the most part, doesn’t eat much and she just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Can someone please advise if we do have a pregnant fishie or if she is sick? Much appreciated in advance! I’m going to try to attach a picture. Also if she is pregnant, can you possibly tell us how far along she may be?
 

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This is a picture of a male and female Molly. Their sex is best determined by the anal fin ( the single fin behind the anus of the fish. The female is the top pic, the Male the bottom. 1721783025921.png The female's fin is more triangular and the male's fin is a tube called the Gonopodium.
 
Good morning! Well, yes, our Molly has the fin like the top. I posted a picture of her with her big belly. She definitely tries to eat but has a hard time navigating her body to the food. Plus all the other fish get to the food faster than her as she wobbles her way through. I’m thinking she’s definitely pregnant but I’m trying to figure out how far along she may be. I don’t want her to pop before we can separate her or cause her pain by holding onto her fry because she doesn’t want them to be harmed by the other fish. Also, I forgot to mention in my first post that her scales are all stretched out as well.
 
Adelecassone said:
Good morning! Well, yes, our Molly has the fin like the top. I posted a picture of her with her big belly. She definitely tries to eat but has a hard time navigating her body to the food. Plus all the other fish get to the food faster than her as she wobbles her way through. I’m thinking she’s definitely pregnant but I’m trying to figure out how far along she may be. I don’t want her to pop before we can separate her or cause her pain by holding onto her fry because she doesn’t want them to be harmed by the other fish. Also, I forgot to mention in my first post that her scales are all stretched out as well.
Click to expand...
Sadly, that means she has an advanced stage of a condition called Dropsy. This stage is called Pineconeing. There is very little chance of her survival at this stage. Dropsy is caused by an accumulation of fluids in the body caused by organ failure. The best you can do for her is to euthanize her.
Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. :(
 
Andy Sager said:
Sadly, that means she has an advanced stage of a condition called Dropsy. This stage is called Pineconeing. There is very little chance of her survival at this stage. Dropsy is caused by an accumulation of fluids in the body caused by organ failure. The best you can do for her is to euthanize her.
Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. :(
Click to expand...
I agree. The photo looks more like a case of dropsy than pregnancy and the kindest outcome is euthanasia.
 
Awe, really? Poor mama! All this time she’s been looking at me like take me out of my misery please? Poor, poor little fishie. Is this contagious? Can our other mollys get this disease?
Thank you both very greatly for your quick responses.
 
Adelecassone said:
Awe, really? Poor mama! All this time she’s been looking at me like take me out of my misery please? Poor, poor little fishie. Is this contagious? Can our other mollys get this disease?
Thank you both very greatly for your quick responses.
Click to expand...
Dropsy itself is not contagious but the cause of the organ failure may be. Often, organ failure is caused by poor water quality, poor diet or injury. Water quality and diet is controllable by you but sometimes injury is unavoidable. Mollies need a large amount of greenery in their diet. Make sure the diet you feed has some greenery in it daily. Make sure you do weekly water changes so that your nitrate level does not climb to an unsafe level. Be careful as to what other fish you put in the tank with the Mollies to prevent fighting or possible injury. Do your research BEFORE adding any new fish. (y)
 
Dropsy is a symptom rather than a cause. Depending on the actual cause, of which there are many, it may or may not be contagious. Could just be a result of old age, viral infection, stress, anything that compromises the fishes immune system. Generally its safer to remove fish whenever they show signs of dropsy to reduce the risk on contaminating other fish and treating in a hospital tank if thats the plan.

Treating dropsy is difficult because its the cause that needs to be addressed, and by the time dropsy is visually noticable the organ failure and fluid build up is too far gone to treat. Thats not to say it can never be treated though, if you get to it early enough, diagnose the cause, and get an effective treatment.
 
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