How Easily Do Mollies Breed?

[Imcanadieneh]

I already have 1 male and 1 female gold dust mollie. I have them with 3 otos, 1 female platy, 1 glass fish, and 1 african dwarf frog. I want to take the glass fish and the sunburst platy back to the store and trade them for 2 black mollies, and maybe a female mollie that isnt yellow of black. What do you think? Will they breed a lot? If so I would like to get some and try breeding for once.

 

[Platygirl11]

Stop me if I'm wrong, but don't mollies need some salt in their water to be healthy? Would that work with your African dwarf frog?
Mollies breed readily when in the right conditions, and sometimes have around 30 fry. So make sure you have room, because mollies don't eat their young, like platies do.

 

[kizno1]

aslong as you have a male and femmale they will breed
and you need 2/3 females to every male

Stop me if I'm wrong, but don't mollies need some salt in their water to be healthy?

some are brackish but most are freshwater breed now and are fine in freshwater

 

[Platygirl11]

See the pinned topic here:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=137887

 

[Imcanadieneh]

I don't add any salt, I've read a lot about it and some say its better with some and others say its not. o I guess its a matter of opinion so I chose not to.

 

[kizno1]

i think they can live in either and ive had mine for a year breeding happly in freshwater

 

[OldMan47]

Mine are happy as a lark and just keep breeding with no salt at all in the tank. I completely disagree with that stickied thread but I am not a big time author of fish articles so the stickies will stay as they are. Many, but obviously not all, fish that are called mollies will die if put into a brackish situation. Some of the ones that tolerate salt quite well are the most commonly seen ones in the fish trade. Because the fish need a high pH and high mineral content, the ones that can tolerate salt will do better in a sea salt solution than they will in a soft water tank. It has led many to believe that they require brackish water. Nothing could be further from the truth and nothing will convince those who believe they need salt. I gave up on trying to convince them long ago. I just go on breeding nice fish in very fresh water.

 

[Platygirl11]

Really? Wow. That was the only reason I decided not to keep mollies. I have a 38 gal now, so I would have room....
Hmmmm.....

 

[OldMan47]

The real problem that you will have is getting hard enough water unless you get lucky and have water like I get from my tap. It measures a TDS of 325 ppm an has a pH of 7.8.

 

[Imcanadieneh]

Thank you very much for you info. I really like my mollies and I think I want to get more. I think I'm going to take my glas fish and platy back to the store tomorrow and get 3 more mollies.

 

[OldMan47]

You do need the right water Canadien. How hard is your water eh?

 

[Gunngee]

Stop me if I'm wrong, but don't mollies need some salt in their water to be healthy? Would that work with your African dwarf frog?
Mollies breed readily when in the right conditions, and sometimes have around 30 fry. So make sure you have room, because mollies don't eat their young, like platies do.

That's not entirely true about mollies not eating their young. Mine was gobbling up the young as fast as they were comming out.

 

[OldMan47]

This girl was left to her own devices in a 10 gallon for a month with her fry and I never noticed any fry missing. Mollies are not perfect parents but they are quite gentle with their fry compared to most livebearers.

Mom and fry the day she dropped

Mom and the same fry 4 days before her next drop

 

[Lorraine1983]

Mine are happy as a lark and just keep breeding with no salt at all in the tank. I completely disagree with that stickied thread but I am not a big time author of fish articles so the stickies will stay as they are. Many, but obviously not all, fish that are called mollies will die if put into a brackish situation. Some of the ones that tolerate salt quite well are the most commonly seen ones in the fish trade. Because the fish need a high pH and high mineral content, the ones that can tolerate salt will do better in a sea salt solution than they will in a soft water tank. It has led many to believe that they require brackish water. Nothing could be further from the truth and nothing will convince those who believe they need salt. I gave up on trying to convince them long ago. I just go on breeding nice fish in very fresh water.

Well said

 

[Imcanadieneh]

I'm not quit sure how hard my water is with them in the tank. The only reason I don't want to add any salt to make it harder is because I have an african dwarf frog and 3 otos with them an I know its not good for the frog but I'm not sure bout the otos