# Live bearer fry question!



## jeromeetabuzo (Nov 1, 2012)

ok guys i setup a breeding net on a 5 gallon tank with one borneo sucker down there , so yea the mollies and mosquito fish gave birth there were many , the mosquito fish no problem with the fry , but the balloon mollies , three frys were dead when i checked the tank , is this normal to have deaths when newly born?? i also setup a airstone. or did the mollies attack them?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Balloon mollies are deformed. Someone took a common defect that responsible breeders avoided and deliberated bred for it and marketed it because it looked cool.

It is unfortunately normal for them to die at birth and for mothers to die in "frybirth", though survival rates are going up with continued breeding of survivors. IMO they should never be bred or sold as they will never be as healthy and have as high a quality of life as their non-deformed cousins. 

Next time you shop for livebearers look for a wild-type with a species name and you will never have these issues.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i totally concur...


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