With the increasing popularity of Molly fish, many people developed a keen interest in breeding them. So, the owners have many questions like “how many fry do Molly fish have?”
Molly Fish can give birth to up to 40-100 babies in one go, but they lay eggs only once every two days. This means that it takes 20 days for them to develop into adults. Many of these fry die due to lack of food and poor aquarium conditions.
In this post, we will discuss how Molly fish reproduce and how many fry they make.
Who Does Molly Fish Reproduce?
Molly fish can reproduce from the age of two years old. They do this by releasing eggs that grow into fry or baby Mollies after fertilization in water. However, it is important to note that they need a partner to reproduce successfully and clean water conditions for the offspring to survive.
Molly fish are both livebearers and egg-layers. The reproduction in both cases is the same.
Live-Bearing Molly Fish
When Molly fish are live-bearing, the fertilization of eggs usually occurs. The female will lay up to 40-100 fry at once and carry between six to twelve pregnancies during their lives. The species of Mollies that are life-bearers are the Sailfin Molly, Lyretail Molly, and the Swordtail.
Live-bearing Molly fish can reproduce from the age of six months old. However, they will usually start breeding after four to six weeks of giving birth. Thus, these fish breed all year round.
Egg Laying Molly Fish
Molly fish that reproduce through egg-laying do so because there is no male available. Molly fish can lay eggs without a male present. But they need males for fertilization. The males are also responsible for protecting and caring for the eggs and fry until they are adults. So the baby fry will die within days of hatching if no one adopts them.
The egg-laying Mollies are the Endlers Livebearer, Peacock or Green Molly, and Albino or White Molly. These species of fish will lay their eggs on plants where the male fertilize the eggs afterward.
Molly’s that reproduce through egg-laying will only breed every couple of months, unlike live-bearing Molly fish whose pregnancies are roughly four weeks long.
How Many Fry Does Molly Fish Have?
The females can produce around 100 fry at a time, but this number varies depending on their size and age. It is common for them to have 40-100 baby fish per birth, with some exceptions that are much larger than others, of course. The eggs are pretty tiny when Mollies lays them first, but within 24 hours, they can develop fully.
Molly Fish Fry Survival Rate
The fry has an extremely high mortality rate because of the lack of protection offered by their parents once born. Many fish eaters like toads, and other animals will try to prey on them. It can lead to a much shorter lifespan than if they are alone. Many fish will even try to prey on the parents who give birth, leading them to hide their offspring as quickly as possible after they are born.
The fry of Molly’s doesn’t become sexually active until around two years old. Mollies leave them vulnerable during their first year of life because she can’t protect all 100 at once. As a result, the early years of Molly’s life are the most difficult because they have to fend for themselves and fight against other animals to survive.
How To Increase The Number Of Fry Of Molly Fish?
Many people ask what a Molly Fish fry is and how I increase the number of fries. Some tips to increase the number of fry and their survival rate are:
Increase The Protein Intake During Pregnancy
Protein helps in the proper development of Molly fish fry and also increases their number of fries. Many people give their Molly fish beef and chicken meat, but it is not a good idea because of the high-fat content in these meats, which causes many health issues to your Molly fish fry.
Give Your Molly Fish A Balanced Diet
Molly fish need both plant and animal proteins for proper development during pregnancy. Many mollies are omnivores, and they eat crustaceans, worms, etc. However, many people use bloodworms as their primary source of protein which is not suitable for the molly fish fry because it can cause many health issues.
Maintain A Healthy Water Quality
Your Molly fish tank should have pristine water without any ammonia or nitrites so that your Molly fish fry can survive. Unfortunately, many people face many issues when the nitrites and ammonia level in their tank goes up, which causes the death of molly fish fry.
Increase The Number Of Mates
Many experts suggest that you should increase the number of mates for your Molly Fish if you want to have more fries with them because they release sperm and eggs simultaneously for reproduction. Many Molly fish breeders have tried this method, and they successfully increased the number of fries their molly fish had.
Breed Bigger Mollies
Many Molly fish breeders recommend that you increase the size of your Molly before breeding them to produce more eggs and sperm, which results in an increased production of fry. Many people have tried this method with their mollies, but I would suggest breeding smaller-sized Mollies first because it is much easier for beginners.
Provide Enough Space For Molly Fish
Many Molly Fish breeders have suggested that you should provide your molly fish with a larger tank so that they can reproduce and increase the number of fries. Unfortunately, many people keep their Mollies in small tanks, which have limited space to move around. It results in the death of many fry because there is not enough oxygen present for them.
Do All Molly Fish Produce Same Number Of Fry?
No. Many Molly Fish produce more than one fry at a time, but others do not even have any.
It is difficult to say if all Molly fish will always produce the same number of fry because there are exceptions that can occur; however, they usually give birth to several babies during their lifespan.
Which Species Of Molly Produce Highest Number Of Fry?
Many people wonder about the species of Molly fish that produce the highest fry and any specific scientific answer to this question. Many experts say that:
- Sailfin Mollies generally have 20 – 60 babies per litter, with 40 being average. However, many Sailfin Mollies breeders have reported having as many as 100 fry in one litter.
- Tiger or Lace-Belly Molly fish generally produce 20 – 60 babies per breeding.
- Endler’s livebearers typically give birth to 20 – 60 babies per litter. However, many people have reported up to 100 babies per litter.
- Hybrids can have anywhere from 20 – 80 fry per litter, with 50 being the average.
So it would seem that Sailfin Mollies produce most fry, but Hybrids are not far behind!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Feed Molly Fish To Increase The Production Of Fry?
Molly fish need to eat high protein food like brine shrimp, bloodworms, or daphnia. It would be best if you fed them twice a day for maximum production of fry.
Is It Possible To Breed Mollies With Other Tropical Fish?
Yes, you can breed molly fish with guppies. They are compatible inbreeding and can produce offspring named “Molly Guppy.”
Which Species Of Molly produce The Lowest Number Of Fry?
Mollies that produce the least amount of fry are Short-fin Molly and Lyretail molly.
Does The Environment Influence The Fry Production?
Yes, it does. A good environment will result in more fry production because the fish are happier and healthier.
What Is The Ideal Age And Temperature To Breed Mollies?
Molly fish typically breed at the age of four to five months old. At this time, they are mature enough for breeding and can produce more offspring than adult Molly. Many fry producers suggest that water temperature should be around 24 degrees Celsius or 75 degrees Fahrenheit when breeding mollies.
Conclusion
Summing up, Molly fish can have as many fries as you want. There is no limit to how much they eat, so keep feeding them your fries and watch the fry count go up.
Moreover, caring for fry is also an easy task, so don’t worry too much about taking care of them. Hopefully, this blog post was a perfect guide to assist you in fish keeping.
Thank you for reading!
