Assorted Molly XL
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Breeding
The sexing of mollies are fairly easy as it is with most live bearers. Internal fertilization is possible by the gonopodium on the males. The gonopodium is a modified anal fin that is used to inseminate females in the mating process. The mating ritual takes place as the male displays his fins to impress the female. The females of this species are able to become pregnant again and again after just mating once. She has the ability to store sperm in her body so that she can become pregnant in a matter of weeks after giving birth. Mollies can give birth to as many 60 babies every 2.5 months.
Once a female is pregnant it is important to separate her from the male. The reason for this is he will want to keep mating with her even in her fragile state and she does not need the added stress. The gestation period of a molly is about 4 weeks, the key is to not move her too quickly after getting pregnant or she will abort the pregnancy due to too much stress. Do not wait too long before removing her to a well-planted birthing tank because she may miscarry if she is too far in her pregnancy and the stress levels reach too high for her to handle.
Once the babies are born they will seek refuge in the plants. Mollies are not very good parents and will see their babies as food once they are born. Remove the mother and look after the fry separately. They will need a well rounded diet in order to develop properly. A diet of crushed flake food can is an okay diet but feeding the fry newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms will greatly promote better development. Feed them as often as 3-4 times a day for the first few weeks to ensure they get enough to eat. Perform partial water changes every other day to keep the water from clouding due to the more frequent feedings