Dalmation molly breeding?

[matthew_raw]

I have 13 dalmation mollies that are still young i dont know exactly how old they are but how old do they have to be before they can start to breed and am i best to use a breeding box or a seperate smaller tank?

 

[wildroseofky]

They start to breed at around 3 months old. If you want to save the fry, then use a breeder net or a separate tank. Put the female in the breeding net when she gets really square looking. After she gives birth you need to take her out or she will eat the new fry. Or let her give birth in the tank and catch the fry as they appear and put them in the breeder net. You will have a ton of fry with that many mollies. I would suggest leaving them in the main tank. Some will get eaten but if you have enough hiding places some will survive.

 

[Tikimonqee]

Yes as wildroseofky stated I would do the same,,, let the strong survive.. Just outta curiosity How many of those molly's are females?

 

[BBradbury]

Your Mollies

I have 13 dalmation mollies that are still young i dont know exactly how old they are but how old do they have to be before they can start to breed and am i best to use a breeding box or a seperate smaller tank?

Hello matt...

I keep "Livebearers" and never move my females from the main tank. It's too stressful for me and I'm afraid I'll do harm to my female by chasing her around the tank with a net, in an attempt to move her. I keep an eye on the female and do large, regular water changes with water that's a bit warmer than the rest of that in the tank. I also start feeding all the fish a little bit more and a little more often.

It's been my experience, at least with "Livebearers", that well fed adults show little interest in the fry.

One other thing. If you're not adding a teaspoon of standard aquarium salt to every 5 gallons of the new water you put into the tank, you might consider it. Mollies are very particular about water conditions and a bit of salt will strenthen their immune system and gill function.

B

 

[matthew_raw]

What salt can i use and i have cherry barbs, a pleco, golden gourami, angle fish, rosie tetras all in the same tank will they be okay in the salty conditions?

 

[BBradbury]

Using Salt

What salt can i use and i have cherry barbs, a pleco, golden gourami, angle fish, rosie tetras all in the same tank will they be okay in the salty conditions?

Hello again matt...

I've kept several kinds of aquarium fish and had some shrimp at one time and have heavily planted tanks. A teaspoon of standard aquarium salt, Kosher salt or canning salt for every 5 gallons of new water is very minimal and won't harm salt sensitive fish or plants.

Mollies prefer brackish water, which is just tank water with a trace of salt as opposed to fresh water.

If adding salt is a major concern for you, then don't use it. Fish and plants have been adapting to different water chemistries just about forever.

B

 

[matthew_raw]

Thanks for the advice i will try and pick some up soon, ill buy it from the aquarium to be on the safe side

 

[BKshish]

If you have decent light, then put some floating stem plants (moneywort or anacharis can be gotten cheaply) on the surface that can act as a safe haven for the fry. I don't "breed" per se, but I sometimes have Platy/ Molly fry that hide in the plants I have floating on tip of my community tank. I capture them from the surface with a small bowl and put them in a 15 gal I have in my kitchen that's only for fry.
I'll admit this way is dangerous for the fry at first, but if they make it to the top of the water then I can save them. I may not know how many babies were born, but I usually grab 15-20 fry every 6 weeks it seems. This way I don't have to stress the mother out too much (I should mention that my Molly females are significantly larger than the makes so when they are bothered they keep the males in check). Also its cheaper than having a separate tank for breeding, so i let nature take it's course. Here are some pictures of the floating monetary I have and my fry tank!

 

[matthew_raw]

Nice tank and thanks for the advice im going to get a breeding box and i have a seperate 100 liter tank for fry, i think thats around 35-40 gallons? Im going to do either a bare bottom or sand as the substrate and plenty of hiding places with salty water as reccomended, any ideas for the filter becuase i standered internal would be too powerfull for new born fry i think.

 

[BKshish]

I use this Whisper 2-10i when they are young, and keep the water line right underneath the pour ledge to minimalize the water flow speed.



Once the fry are just over 1 month old, I replace it with a standard filter, and I turn on the bubble curtain you see with a air pump rated for 5 gal tanks (this way not to strong of a current is created, but aeration is sufficient)
The fry in my picture are dalmatian mommies that are 6 weeks old and they handle the water flow from the filter exceptionally well.
Side note* If I get a new batch of fry while these guys are developing, I'll put them in breeder nets in this tank on the opposite side of the filter to reduce flow speed. Once the fry I have are big enough to move out, I'll place the younger fry in the tank.

 

[BKshish]

I forgot to address the size of your separate tank. You could run a standard filter if you put a tank diver between the breeder nets and the filter spout. Thus will allow adequate water flow, all while reducing speed if get a quality divider. I don't have that kind of setup, but it makes sense to me