sexing molly fry...when?

[shuhu]

Hi

I have 5-week-old Lyretail Molly Fry and I was wondering... when is the right time to separate males from females to avoid breeding???

I've already read the pinned "Livebearers, FAQ Topics and Guides" but it is a bit confusing to know when they are talking about guppies or mollies when saying that you can tell if they are male/female at 5 months of age.

 

[paige]

i think its 5 months - 6 months, i'm not 100% sure because i'm thinking that its 6 months when there fully grown, but i think its around about that age anyway.

 

[Annastasia]

Mollies take a year to mature, but they can actually start breeding very early. So, the minute you can sex them...seperate them. And frequently check the female tank, because some males are late developing, and will look like females right up until the very end. Sneaky little guys, aren't they?!

 

[paulthegreat]

The sex of a livebearer is usually determined at the point when they are about 70-80% mature. It can happen that a female will turn male at a later stage but if it has taken too long then it will be a mule. That is to say a sterile male. I have observed in my Swordies it takes 5-6 months before they start to turn male and it can take 4-6 weeks for the transformation to be complete. I understand that Swordies take longer then the other common livebearers due to their larger size and longer life span.

 

[shuhu]

Then I guess I won't have to do that myself the LFS that will buy the fry told me that they will accept them until they reach 1" and they are still like 0.5"

They will probably get that big in less than 2 months (I'm only guessing here) so, they still won't be able to differenciate in 3 months... I hope you guys are right

 

[Jephex]

how do you sex them, something with the fins i think where it comes together, explain this to me please

 

[Annastasia]

The anal fin, which is the fin underneath their stomach. The female's will be fanned, and the male's will be pointed.

I can look for pics if you want me to, but I think if you go to the FAQ section - Livebearers - Breeding and Rearing Guide there will be a picture. It's of Platies, but it is the same for any common Livebearer.

Edit: I just realized...I can just give you the link.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=13664

 

[paige]

hi shuhu
just wonderd,
how much are you LFS buying the mollies for? (of you)

 

[shuhu]

hi shuhu
just wonderd,
how much are you LFS buying the mollies for? (of you)

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$3 pesos for each fry (around $0.3 USD), not much but is the best I could find so far... now multiply that by 42 fry, I gave away the other 10 to friends/family btw

 

[paige]

how much is that in english money? surley its not 3p

 

[shuhu]

you mean Pounds, right?

According to this website:
3.00 MXN (Mexico Pesos) = 0.161690 GBP (United Kingdom Pounds)
not sure how accurate the website is though

not much, but for me it's enough to pay for food and stuff like that or even save up for more equipment

 

[paige]

i dont think that website is very accurate, well if it is that would mean like 2p each, and that doesnt sound wright to me

 

[shuhu]

i dont think that website is very accurate, well if it is that would mean like 2p each, and that doesnt sound wright to me

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what do you mean with "2p" ??? UK pounds??

 

[guppys]

2p in english money is 0.2% of 1 UK pound, i think thats what they mean

 

[shuhu]

2p in english money is 0.2% of 1 UK pound, i think thats what they mean

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but what does the "p" represents, pennies maybe??