Can Guppies Breed with Mollies?

April 5, 2020April 9, 2020 Charlotte2105

You’ve heard how guppies and mollies are closely related, and you wonder if the similarity can enable guppies to breed with mollies. So, I did some research to find out if guppies can breed with mollies.

So, can guppies breed with mollies? Technically, guppies can breed with mollies to produce a new variety of species. The young of this breed appears to have divers and beautiful color combinations.

Despite the close relation between guppies and mollies, you need to follow several measures to ensure that the young fish grows to adulthood.

Table of Contents

Mollies

Mollies are peaceful species that you can easily keep in an aquarium. However, mollies require a temperature somewhat warm than what most fish needs.

A temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit is the most suitable water condition for mollies. Because, when you keep mollies under this temperature rate, they tend to spawn regularly. However, if you are keeping a sailfin molly, I will recommend a larger tank of about 20 gallons.

Also, mollies can store up sperms in their body for up to a year, after mating with a male once. So, during this time they can get pregnant if they choose to. As mollies tend to be sexually mature early, there is a probability that your molly fish gets pregnant at an early age.

However, mollies lack parental care, and they are widely known for feeding on their fry after they give birth to them. More reason why breeding guppies with mollies might be a bit difficult, as the young fish often die before they reach adulthood. However, there are safety measures that can prevent this harm.

Guppies

Guppies are very useful in forming new varieties of species. As they are beautiful fish with variant color combinations. Not only are guppies useful in producing varieties, but they can also help limit harmful organisms for humans.

This is often seen in wild guppies, who feed on mosquito larvae. Thus, they help reduce the population of mosquitoes, which makes them a good predator of disease transmittable mosquito. Thus, they help reduce the population of mosquitoes within a space.

In-home aquariums, guppies usually swim freely in a tank. So, they need ample swimming space, as they are active, and like to jump around their environment.

Also, their tank size should be at least 10-gallon size. Moreover, the appropriate temperature for keeping guppies should be between 73-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, they need somewhat hardy water, and a PH within 6.8 – 7.8 range.

Moreover, you shouldn’t feed your guppies more than what they can eat at a time. However, if left to them, they are voracious eaters, as they tend to eat almost anything that you offer them. But be careful not to overfeed them. You can serve them a little amount at intervals.

Moreover, they can eat almost any type of fish, but you should ensure to include varieties in their diet.

Mollies Versus Guppies

Mollies and guppies are both livebearers, and they require similar tank treatment and care. However, guppies have some hardier special requirements, when you compare them with mollies.

Moreover, mollies are happier in salty water, as they breed better in salty water. Moreover, if you are breeding guppies and mollies together, make sure both types are compatible with each other. However, you can determine this by checking if they relate well or they often fight each other.

Moreover, guppies and mollies are both livebearers, and they tend to breed frequently and the population may get out of control. So it is best to limit the number of male species as much as possible.

Can Mollies and Guppies Mate?

Yes, research has shown that mollies and guppies can mate. As they are both peaceful creatures with similar nature. However, the bad side of this is, the young fish don’t usually grow as they should, because some die early.

Also, the product of mollies and guppies mating usually result in imbalanced fry. Whereby, the fry is often sterile.

How to Breed Guppies and Mollies?

After all that is being said about the bad parental care of mollies, there are ways to care and protect them from harm. However, to successfully breed guppies and mollies, there are several steps you need to follow;

Selecting the Right Fish

Selecting the right fish is the first step you need to take before breeding guppies and mollies. However, your choice is dependent on the result you want to achieve from breeding these two fish.

Moreover, you may need the help of a breeder, if you have a specific strain or type, or color. Actually, in this case, ordering the fish combination may be best if you get it from a breeder, then a pet store.

Although you have to be involved in making certain decisions yourself, as, you should watch out, and ensure you are getting a large and active fish.

Moreover, you should feed them well, in preparation for spawning condition. Some foods you can feed them include, bloodworm, fruit flies, and shrimp.

Spawning

Spawning is a reproduction process that results in the production of babies in large numbers. If you desire to spawn these two species, then be ready to protect the fry from their parents.

Moreover, you can protect the babies by providing a lot of hiding places for them. Such as, live aquarium plants. Also, you can separate the mother or babies, and place them in another tank.

Although, you need to make sure the other tank has the same aquarium condition as their former homes. Because, moving the mothers or babies stresses them out, which may threaten the life of both. Especially the young babies.

Also, you should provide a sponge filter in the tank which contains the babies. This will prevent them from sucking into the intake.

Breeding

You need to engage in selective breeding if you want to produce new varieties and types of mollies and guppies.

However, you can carry this out by being deliberate, and carefully looking out for desired traits in the parents. Although, this may require more tanks and time.

Conclusion

Molly fish and guppies are a great combination to breed together. Also, they are great at producing a large variety of young fish. If you follow all the measures above, you shouldn’t have trouble breeding these two together.

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