Molly Spawning To Pregenancy

[JohnRossDele]

Hi, im a beginner at breeding these molly fish but i used to breed siamese fighting fish (they are way different at breeding) and i see them spawning all the time with the gonopodium and stuff. Ive got a few questions about that:

1) Do they have baies once this happens or do they have several goes at it?

2) would they what happens if there is a pregenant female and the male spawns with her?

3) Can they have babies more than once if there not with the males, ie the females has spawned with the males and i take her away from them can she have babys more than once, on differen broods.

4) Why do my females circle the males as if thewant to spawn but once the male trys to use his gonopodium they swim away
Thanks

 

[LauraFrog]

Female mollies (like other female livebearers) are able to store sperm. The sperm, once inside them, survives for months and they continue to get pregnant on it.

So:
1. The females will already be pregnant. They will drop fry once a month. The males will continue attempting to mate with them, because the more often a particular male mates with a particular female, the greater the percentage of the sperm she is carrying will be his, and the more of her offspring will be his. The fact that she is already pregnant will not deter him in the slightest, because
2. when he mates with a female that is pregnant, the sperm is still stored inside her and may be used for her next pregnancy - it will have no effect on the fry that are already developing.
3. If you separate the sexes when the females are already pregnant, they will continue to produce fry using the sperm they have stored. They will continue to have broods for at least six months, but they may be smaller as time goes on. The time they will keep having broods for may be a lot longer, a year has been reported.
4. The females are just being social or moving around the tank. The males are the ones that pursue the females - the females show interest by staying still. She moves away because she's sick of the male! If he is bothering her non stop (so that everywhere she tries to go, his nose is glued to her backside) it might be a good idea to add more females, as the constant harassment by horny males can stress the females a lot. As a general rule, 2-3 females per every 1 male, or else a single sex tank.

 

[helterskelter]

1) Do they have baies once this happens or do they have several goes at it?

Females are selective and chose the best male to breed with, and they will mate when ever, however the female can sign she's not intrested, this usually involves dropping of the head and shaking her body.
or then chasing the male if he dose not get the message.

2) would they what happens if there is a pregenant female and the male spawns with her?

It's not a problem, like i said the females signs to the males if she's no longer intrested, but it also depends if he will take this in!!!

3) Can they have babies more than once if there not with the males, ie the females has spawned with the males and i take her away from them can she have babys more than once, on differen broods.

Yes females can store sperm for several months with no males!

4) Why do my females circle the males as if thewant to spawn but once the male trys to use his gonopodium they swim away
Thanks

Games
it's body language she's trying to tell him something.

 

[OldMan47]

The time between drops on my big female I have timed at exactly 6 weeks. There is individual variation between fish and temperatures that are higher will shorten the interval a little because of increased metabolic rates. In the case of my female, I moved her to a birthing tank and left her there for 2 successive drops, which is why I know it was 42 days. After the second drop, I returned her to the community tank where the male is. I still have about 40 fry but I no longer see evidence of her drops because she is with angels, platies, gold barbs, the male molly, rainbow cichlids and other predators. I had separated her to find out if she was finally purged of the mixed fry from her breedings with a dalmatian male and am almost certain she is still carrying his sperm. He died 4 months before the first of her saved drops but lots of the fry started out spotted like a dalmatian. After they grew up a bit, the black markings disappeared but I am thinking that means the creamsicle coloring is a top layer over the black spots. Genetically they seem to still have lots of dalmatian in them.

 

[JohnRossDele]

Thanks for the answers, my mind keeps wondering about new questions hope u can answer these!

1) what tempreture is best for breeding these fish

2) can the fry be transported to the main tank 30L in my sig at the age of 3 weeks today Times flown by

3) The tank is a 30L but big in diameter, red regular gravel, heater, big filter, floating plants and a good current cuz of the filter is this good for breeding?

4) is it Ok that i don't use salt in the water i just think it would get out of hand incease i used the wrong amount and maybe kill all the fish than rather keep them in freshwater and clean the tank regularly?

5)why do lyretail femals sometimes look like they have a gonopodium & the males look like the have 3!

please answer these questions like helterskelter cuz there easier to read all the fish in my tank are (buddys)

 

[helterskelter]

1) what tempreture is best for breeding these fish

70-78F the lower the better with mollies resualts in much stronger fry but takes longer gestation period and to grow

2) can the fry be transported to the main tank 30L in my sig at the age of 3 weeks today Times flown by

Yes I move fry around all the time, but it all depends on the other fish if their to small they may be a snack!

3) The tank is a 30L but big in diameter, red regular gravel, heater, big filter, floating plants and a good current cuz of the filter is this good for breeding?

Sounds perfect, but u dont need the current, any amout of filteration is good but not if it's to strong for the fry.

4) is it Ok that i don't use salt in the water i just think it would get out of hand incease i used the wrong amount and maybe kill all the fish than rather keep them in freshwater and clean the tank regularly?

No need for salt if your good at looking after the water quality, these fish like hard water and if they look to be suffering then they need water changes to correct the water as they suffer from ammonia very easily.

5)why do lyretail femals sometimes look like they have a gonopodium & the males look like the have 3!

Not that i have seen. some have elongated anal fins but not pointed

please answer these questions like helterskelter cuz there easier to read all the fish in my tank are (buddys)

It's ok for me as i have the time to sit here and lay it all out but in a hour i will not be as I'll have a drink by then and getting ready to go clubbin