# Question about molly fry and ADF size



## Danja (Jun 8, 2010)

Hello,

I went to feed my fish this morning and there were two tiny balloon molly fry swimming around the tank. I fished them out and put them into a small tank along with a tiny bit of fish flakes and went to class. When I returned this evening, there was another fry swimming around. I've watched my molly for the past hour and she's been pooping a lot but there have been no more births. Is it likely that she is done and the rest of her offspring have been eaten, or is it possible that she will still have more?

Also, I'm concerned about the size of one of my ADFs. The two that I had originally are of pretty normal proportions, but the new pair that I got were mismatched; one was tiny and the other was huge. In the week and a half that I've had them, the tiny one has grown slightly, but the huge one has grown a lot! I've attached a couple pictures of it and I would like to know if it is acceptable to continue having it in its current situation. If not, what should I do about its weight?

Thanks!


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## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

I think she is done now. Yes, molly's will eat their fry sometimes. But she's done giving birth. 

Yes, they are both fine, as long as the belly does not look skinny they are fine. If there belly looks sunken in something is wong. What do you have attached to your tank for them to sit on? I have ACF's and they need something to sit on like that.


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## jclee (Jun 6, 2010)

Keep an eye on the frogs' growth. It is possible that you were sold one African Dwarf Frog (Hymenochirus sp.) and one African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis), which grows considerably bigger. They look very similar when they are young (i.e. the same size).

I'm having a hard time telling from the pics (I really do need new glasses), but are the front feet webbed? If so, they're ADF, and if not, they're ACF.

If they are both ADF, the other normal reason for a slight size difference is that the female of the species generally gets a smidge larger and plumper.

(There could also be parasites/diseases that might cause weight loss, so do keep an eye on the thinner one, to make sure that he looks healthy-but-thin, as opposed to sickly or emaciated.) It's probably just the normal difference in weight by genders, but do keep an eye on it.


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## Danja (Jun 8, 2010)

Jclee, what's the difference between healthy but thin and sickly and emaciated in an ADF? The big one (Bertha) has webbed front feet so I'm fairly sure she is a dwarf. Just a very big, very round dwarf that eats everyone else's food.


Peeps, I got an aquarium platform from PetCo. They have it with their aquarium and reptile supplies. My pleco sleeps on it every night and the frogs use it once in a while too. Even the molly stayed there last night. I have an ornament covering part of it to make a sort of sleeping cave. Here's the product link.


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## jclee (Jun 6, 2010)

I would worry if you start seeing bones on the thinner one. If he's "slim" looking and less round than the female, that's somewhat normal (although he'll probably fatten up with time). If you can see pointy bones jutting out, then you might want to change the feeding regimen, or consider putting him in quarantine.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

They're both definitely ADF but it's possible that the larger one ate the fry so she may just have a lot in her stomach. Or his.


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