Are my Mollies playing or bullying?

[BriggsLeRoux]

Hi Everyone! Im new to the community and looking forward to bombarding you all with lots of questions over the next few days - ha ha!

We have just recently introduced one new Balloon Molly into a tank with 2 Sailfin Mollies and a Platy, but they keep chasing him around the tank... At first I thought they were just playing, but after 2 days, my new Molly has permanently hidden inside one of our rock displays (its hollow inside) and will not come out at all...We tried to lift the fake rock but he tries to stay inside... Is he being bullied? (P.s I actually have no idea what sex they are... So he could be a she?)

 

[BalloonBellies]

Hi Everyone! Im new to the community and looking forward to bombarding you all with lots of questions over the next few days - ha ha!

We have just recently introduced one new Balloon Molly into a tank with 2 Sailfin Mollies and a Platy, but they keep chasing him around the tank... At first I thought they were just playing, but after 2 days, my new Molly has permanently hidden inside one of our rock displays (its hollow inside) and will not come out at all...We tried to lift the fake rock but he tries to stay inside... Is he being bullied? (P.s I actually have no idea what sex they are... So he could be a she?)

I think its bullying, mollies seem to establish a pecking order. I have 2 female balloon mollies and the larger one will dart at the smaller one when theyre eating an algae wafer. Sometimes if the non dominant one gets in her way shell peck it or dart\chase it away. Usually it only happens during feeding time. They use to pick on each other when flakes were dropped in, now its just the algae wafer when aggression occurs. They're the same sex to its defiantly not a mating thing.
To tell if its a boy or a girl just google "how to tell what gender a molly is" or "sexing mollies" go on google images too, so you can see pictures. Its really easy Especially on balloon bellies
Actually the molly in my profile pic is a female if that helps lol

 

[Wiggles24]

It could also very well be that it's a female and the other two are males. I had the exact same thing happen I bought 3 mollies all at once and pretty soon two of them were harassing the third so bad I had to move it to s different tank cuz all it was doing is hiding in the corner. Turns out number 3 was a girl. Lol if that is the case you probably want to get some more females or get rid of one or the other. Mollies are quite relentless when they chase females so even one of each isn't really feasible.

 

[Anthym]

We need to know the sex of them first but as BalloonBellies touched on they do establish a bit of a pecking order. Mine do the same but I don't worry about it now. Ideal ratio for Mollies btw is 3 females to 1 male.

If they're all the same sex try re-arranging your tank to try and get everyone back on the same footing and take it from there.

 

[BriggsLeRoux]

Thanks everyone! Will look into it xx