HOW TO BREED SILVER MOLLIES?

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V

Vibhor

Feeder Fish
Feb 4, 2011
1
0
0
New Delhi, India
Hi,
I have 15 pairs of silver mollies and a few pairs of black and orange mollies, in an average sized glass aquarium. I wanted to know as to how to breed them, so that theire number increases/multiplies. I am not interested in selling them off, and just want to keep them all as pets.
Being a Piscean I've been keeping fishes since, I don't know, when i was around 5 or 6, but never have any type of fish reproduced.
It could also be due to the fact that earlier i used to keep em in a glass bowl or any other container with not all the proper equipments. But now that I have 2 aquariums in my house with all the desired equipments, I'd really like to breed them.

So, can anyone help? :)
 
thats a piece of curry from where you are, you are in the tropics, here in my place we make dugout ponds, youl triple their numbers in no time.

gudluck
 
In my experience with mollies the bigger they are the more likey they are to reproduce. They will interbreed too so don't expect all silvers. I've also had better luck breeking them in brackish water.
 
Clean water

high temp 78-85

Lots of floating plants

Plenty of space.

Super easy to breed, they produce live young which are easier raise.
 
Brackish water is a definite if any are the sailfin variety. For as many as you have, you should have them in a large tank (200 gallon-750L or more). If you just want to breed them, you could use a stock tub or a pond. There should be a 1:5 ratio of males to females to keep the males from harassing the same female (have seen males harass a female to death). So for just the silvers, you would need 5-6 males for 25 females. To sex them, they need to be over 1 inch (2.5 cm). Look at the bottom fins. The first set (caudal fins) on males are long and thin. The next set (anal fins) on males are small. Female caudal and anal fins are the same size and are more rounded. Males also have longer dorsal fins and display them when courting females. At 1inch they may breed but they breed better when over 1.5 inches (3.25 cm). Floating plants in the tank/pond give the fry somewhere to hide from their parents. If any of the females are fat they are most likely pregnant. I have noticed they like to give birth after water changes- have done water changes just to get them to drop the fry (they had all been pregnant for a while and I need more young ones- I use them as feeders). Did multiple changes in one week and one morning day after second water change- tank full of fry. Good luck with breeding.
 
I have a pair of silver mollies, and my female is pregnant yay!:) You just need lots of real plants so they can hide, and don't let any other males get in the way of the female (keep several females to a male). Hope That Helped!
 
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