How Long Does It Take To Breed Molly Fish in the USA
The gestation period of a molly fish is around 60 days. Female mollies can store sperm for months and may fertilize eggs as often as every 30 days, even when no male is present in the tank. Mollies may release 10 to 60 live fish at a time.
How hard is it to breed mollies?
Mollies are livebearers, which means their eggs develop inside their body so that live fry can be released. They are one of the easiest fish groups to breed in captivity and will mate regularly. Conditions in a breeding tank need to be perfect, the water (and tank in general) should be clean.
How can you tell if a Molly is pregnant?
View your molly fish throughout the pregnancy. You will be able to detect the eyes of the fry in the molly fish’s belly as it stretches, and the spot near the anal vent will get larger and darker.
Can you cross breed mollies?
Albeit there being several varieties of molly fish, they all can be mated because regardless of the color or fin configuration, they are the same species, and any male will readily fertilize with all females. So, put simply, different colors and shapes of mollies are still the same fish and will readily breed.
Do mollies eat their babies?
Cannibalism is normal with mollies and other livebearers like guppies and platys. As fecund as they are, you don’t really need to worry about saving every last one.
How do mollies mate?
The Basic Mating Behavior of Black Mollies When black mollies mate, the male will transfer milt, the fluid that contains his sperm, into the female’s body using is gonopodium. The gonopodium is a special anal fin that is shaped like a rod rather than a normal fin.
How long does it take for a fish to give birth?
As examples, the female swordtail and guppy will both give birth to anywhere from 20 to 100 live young after a gestation period of four to six weeks, and mollies will produce a brood of 20 to 60 live young after a gestation of six to 10 weeks.
How long is a mollies pregnant?
Mollies 50-70 days.
Can mollies change gender?
Mollies are not able to change gender. The gender of these fish is determined by their genetics so it is impossible for them to change sex.
Can guppies and mollies breed?
Potential cross breeding between guppies and mollies These adult fish are not fertile and will not reproduce. Sadly, most babies from the guppies and mollies will die before, during or shortly after they are born. Both guppies and mollies can carry sperm for a long time after reproducing.
Can 2 mollies live together?
But with that being said mollies are generally seen to be extremely peaceful fish. Especially in circumstances when one male molly is being kept with two female mollies. However, if you house all male mollies then as previously mentioned you may notice aggression amongst them.
How many babies do mollies have?
Gestation and Birth Female mollies will gestate their young for about 60 days. They can give birth to between 40 and 100 fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry.
How do you raise Molly Fry?
Raising Fry The fry should be fed a quality food, such as baby brine shrimp, baby fish food, or quality flake food ground into a fine powder. Feed the fry small amounts several times a day. Maintain good water quality by performing regular water changes.
How fast do Molly babies grow?
It will take around one to two months for your fry to grow large enough to be introduced into your standard aquarium. The fry should be larger than the mouths of an adult molly fish. Do not move the molly fry until you are sure they are ready to handle your larger tank.
How many times molly fish give birth?
Once the female is impregnated, she can give birth to as many as five or more broods of young at intervals of four to six weeks. The number of each brood may vary from 12 to 15 babies from a young Mollie to as many as 150 young from a large swordtail.
How often do mollies have babies?
With every pregnancy cycle, a healthy molly female will birth anywhere from twenty (20) to 100 babies, and can continue breeding for between 2 (two) and 2.5 years; their average lifespan is 3 years. So, how do you know if your molly fish is pregnant (gravid) you ask?.
How will I know if my fish is pregnant?
As your female fish becomes pregnant, she will grow a bulge at the back of her abdomen. This typically appears over the course of 20-40 days. Does your fish have a red or black spot? Sometimes, when a female fish is pregnant, she will develop a “gravid spot” on the abdomen.
Can my fish get pregnant?
This is especially true if you only add male fish to your tank. Female fish, however, could be pregnant when they are purchased, and depending on the species, may produce fry for several weeks or months after their last contact with a male. To be on the safe side, only opt for male fish in your tank.
Why does my fish look pregnant?
Dropsy refers to a condition in which fish often have hugely swollen bellies, and the continuing use of the term probably has to do with how it so accurately depicts the visual symptom: the belly drops down. Sometimes the condition is also known as bloat.
Can I keep two male mollies together?
Mollies tend to stick together most of the time, which is why you should keep them in groups of 4 or more. If you are planning to keep more than 4 mollies, make sure you get a 20-gallon tank at least. Since male mollies are aggressive breeders, adding more females should divert the males’ attention between them.