Tips On Hybridizing Mollies And Guppies?

[Kellene]

I have a 45 gallon tank, and I was thinking about trying to cross mollies and guppies. I have heard it is possible, and I would  like to try it myself. Does anyone have any advice on, like, how to encourage them to spawn? Anything related would help. Thanks!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I haven't had any experience with it but I think what some people do if they just want to have Hybrid's is get like say maybe all male guppies and all female mollies or the other way round.
Hopefully some experienced people will be able to advise.

 

[attibones]

Well, it's fairly simple. As these are extraordinarily easy fish to breed, you just put some female mollies and male guppies in the tank. If you do this, then, theoretically (having never done this myself), you should have larger fish with guppy coloration. If I were you, I'd have at least two separate tanks available, one for all males, one for all females (otherwise the same species will breed with each other while they breed with the different species, making it difficult to separate the fry), then place the chosen females and half that number of males so as to not stress the females too much, and let them have at it. They will need a pH around 7.5. Keep the water warm and pristine and feed the fish a varied diet. You should see results. After breeding, put the males and females back into their tanks, raise the fry in a different tank, and send a new batch of males and females into the breeding tank.

You're going to need a lot of tanks.

Or you could just keep, I dunno, five of each in the main tank. They'll quickly populate it for you. My female molly just dropped forty fry in one go, so it's entirely plausible that only one or two spawns should fill your tank.

 

[Kellene]

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it!

 

[the_lock_man]

The problem is that very very very few people will want the fry, certainly no LFS will take them from you, because the fry tend to be unhealthy.
 
Lots of fry, and nowhere to put them. Bad idea, in my book.

 

[Kellene]

Oh, I don't plan on giving them away. I have an extra tank in case things get out of hand

 

[fish48]

if you have males and females of both species in same tank The chances are very slim for them to cross,
the only way to be 100% sure that they have crossed is to use virgin stock ,

 

[attibones]

You do realize that if all fry from each batch survive that you're looking at thirty from a single spawn? Then an additional thirty per female? Say you have four females, all of them get pregnant and have fry. If only half of each batch survive you are still looking at sixty additional fish. You're going to need a massive tank.

 

[Ny82]

This has been a controversial subject in the past. A few of the older, more experienced members of the forum said it's very rare for it to happen and that the fry are sterile. 

 

[fish48]

yes it is very rare for it to happen that's why you need to breed with virgin stock,
 
it is the only way to be sure if it as happened

 

[Paradise3]

I tried it myself and regret it. I wouldn't advise it. You'd need virgin female mollies and very good males and even then there's not guarantee it would happen. I don't know what to believe. All I know is that I tried it, it never worked. Virgin female mollies, best breeding male guppies I had and I didn't get anything from them. My guess is it won't work. No matter what you try.

 

[fish48]

I tried it with a  wild type female molly it never worked for me

 

[Ny82]

This is why theres a lot of debate. The older members who used to be on this forum gave us a link to a scientific experiment which concluded that although they are the same genus (poecilia) it failed. Guppies and mollies despite being the same genus aren't closely related, their genetic make up is different. Unlike guppies and endlers who are a lot closely related hence why they readily and easily reproduce with healthy, fertile fry. 
There has been no dna proof of this cross. People seem to forget that mollies too can store sperm for upto 6 months, keep them a female with a male guppy and she has fry but they suddenly think they have discovered a new species lol. 

 

[Kellene]

Thanks for your input, guys

I'm beginning to have second thoughts about the whole Guppy x Molly thing... perhaps a nice community tank would be better XD