# breeding mollies



## neeraj (Jun 13, 2011)

i was thinking about breeding mollies and o want to do it right the first time itself so i have a few basic questions
how many males and females should i get??
how big should the tank be???
if more then 2 how will i come to know which 2 have paired off???
what to feed they fry??
how occasionally do they breed???
i've read already no breeders box n all
how long before the fry reaches adulthood


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## PhsychoFish (Apr 10, 2011)

i would assume for mollies that you'd need about 2 or 3 females for every 1 male.
tank size depends on how many fish your getting
you won't know maybe until babies are born; or you watched them mate... or you selectively put a male and female in a separate tank
fry usually will eat the leftover food from adults
being livebearers they probably breed like, well, livebearers, which is quite often 
i'm not sue how long until they are adults


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

I am assuming you know how to sex them.
Males will constantly harras the females to mate so if there is more than one male you wont know whom the father is. Females can hold sperm for up to 6 months so the father of the first couple of batches may not even be in your tank. If you want to slectively breed get a few females then don't add the chosen male for months to ensure he is the father. Fry will eat any food you crush small enought to fit in their mouths. A female will be stressed in a breeder box, but I find them invaluable to isolate fry (not the mother just the fry,) untill they are big enought not to be eaten by parents. Ph should be at 7.5-8.5 and water quiet hard, this is why people sugesset adding salt, they live in fresh water in the wild though, but have a high salt tolerance, keep the water warm at 70°F - 82°F (21°C - 28°C). A tall aquarium is preferable and 20gal minummim.
Good luck


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