Advice on balloon molly!?

Question

Our balloon molly is heavily pregnant and we have put her in a nursing tank away from the other fish.She is vertical in the water sort of balancing on her nose.Is this normal?

Answer 1

Balloon Mollies are mutant fish, they have a distended swim bladder and would not survive in the wild. Your pregnant female has the addition of fry pressing against it.

Truthfully can't say if it's normal or not as I've never bred them, but under the circumstances it's not surprising. Nothing you can do but let nature take it's course.

Answer 2

Are you sure she's pregnant? Sounds more like bloat...she could be dying...

Answer 3

I purchased a group of mollies when I was starting out and one happened to be a balloon mollie who I thought was a bit stumpy, I found out what she was and sadly she also looked like she was pregnant and was vertical it was swim bladder she suffered she could not feed herself. I just did not know what to do with her at the time, I now know more about fish and which ones to avoid there is no cure for swim bladder I am sorry to tell you.I would never purchase any modified fish again.

Answer 4

sorry to say this but your fish probbably has a swimbladder infection or i might be wrong if not treatment is availible from a local pet store.