What is breeding age of mollies and swordtails?
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Hi and welcome to the forum 
Mollies sold at pet shops generally consist of 2 species, the common molly Poecilia sphenops and the sailfin molly Poecilia velifera. The sailfin molly grows quite a bit bigger than the normal molly and has a much bigger dorsal (top) fin. The 2 species should be kept separately.
There is also a balloon molly, which is a P. sphenops that has been squished up and deformed and these fish should not be kept because they have more health issues due to having a shorter squashed up body.
Both species of molly come in a wide range of colours and the different colour forms will all breed with each other.
If you have female mollies from a pet shop, they will already be pregnant. Female livebearers (mollies, swordtails, guppies & platies) carry up to 6 sperm packets in their bodies from previous matings with males. They use 1 sperm packet to fertilise each batch of eggs and the eggs hatch inside the female. The baby fish also live inside the female for a few weeks before she gives birth to fry that can swim around as soon as they are born. The normal gestation period for livebearers is about 4 weeks from the time the eggs are fertilised, until the fry are released into the water.
The colour of the babies will be a mixture of the parents. If you have a gold male and black female, some young will be gold and some will be black. Some young might also be different colours because they are showing some of their ancestors colours.
Under good conditions female livebearers can breed when 3 months old. however, it is best to allow the females to reach full size before breeding, then they have fewer issues giving birth.
Livebearers should be kept in single sex tanks (males only or females only) and this reduces the stress the males put on the females with their constant harassment. When you want to breed them you add a male and female to a tank and leave them together for a few days, then separate them again.
Mollies sold at pet shops generally consist of 2 species, the common molly Poecilia sphenops and the sailfin molly Poecilia velifera. The sailfin molly grows quite a bit bigger than the normal molly and has a much bigger dorsal (top) fin. The 2 species should be kept separately.
There is also a balloon molly, which is a P. sphenops that has been squished up and deformed and these fish should not be kept because they have more health issues due to having a shorter squashed up body.
Both species of molly come in a wide range of colours and the different colour forms will all breed with each other.
If you have female mollies from a pet shop, they will already be pregnant. Female livebearers (mollies, swordtails, guppies & platies) carry up to 6 sperm packets in their bodies from previous matings with males. They use 1 sperm packet to fertilise each batch of eggs and the eggs hatch inside the female. The baby fish also live inside the female for a few weeks before she gives birth to fry that can swim around as soon as they are born. The normal gestation period for livebearers is about 4 weeks from the time the eggs are fertilised, until the fry are released into the water.
The colour of the babies will be a mixture of the parents. If you have a gold male and black female, some young will be gold and some will be black. Some young might also be different colours because they are showing some of their ancestors colours.
Under good conditions female livebearers can breed when 3 months old. however, it is best to allow the females to reach full size before breeding, then they have fewer issues giving birth.
Livebearers should be kept in single sex tanks (males only or females only) and this reduces the stress the males put on the females with their constant harassment. When you want to breed them you add a male and female to a tank and leave them together for a few days, then separate them again.
Than you colin very much. Such adeep informationHi and welcome to the forum
Mollies sold at pet shops generally consist of 2 species, the common molly Poecilia sphenops and the sailfin molly Poecilia velifera. The sailfin molly grows quite a bit bigger than the normal molly and has a much bigger dorsal (top) fin. The 2 species should be kept separately.
There is also a balloon molly, which is a P. sphenops that has been squished up and deformed and these fish should not be kept because they have more health issues due to having a shorter squashed up body.
Both species of molly come in a wide range of colours and the different colour forms will all breed with each other.
If you have female mollies from a pet shop, they will already be pregnant. Female livebearers (mollies, swordtails, guppies & platies) carry up to 6 sperm packets in their bodies from previous matings with males. They use 1 sperm packet to fertilise each batch of eggs and the eggs hatch inside the female. The baby fish also live inside the female for a few weeks before she gives birth to fry that can swim around as soon as they are born. The normal gestation period for livebearers is about 4 weeks from the time the eggs are fertilised, until the fry are released into the water.
The colour of the babies will be a mixture of the parents. If you have a gold male and black female, some young will be gold and some will be black. Some young might also be different colours because they are showing some of their ancestors colours.
Under good conditions female livebearers can breed when 3 months old. however, it is best to allow the females to reach full size before breeding, then they have fewer issues giving birth.
Livebearers should be kept in single sex tanks (males only or females only) and this reduces the stress the males put on the females with their constant harassment. When you want to breed them you add a male and female to a tank and leave them together for a few days, then separate them again.
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