JohnB

Hey Everyone.
I currently have a 35 gallon hex community tank with mollies (lyretail and ballons) and platies. My concern is the the male mollies trying to mate with the females. I know the Ballon mollies traits were made by using bent spine mollies and I worry that there is a chance that the fry might have disorted spines.
Has anyone had any ballon mollies mate or did different type mollies only mate with their own types.
Thanks

John B.

Chief_waterchanger

Mollies will mate with each other lyretail or balloon has nothing to do with the mating compatability. If you have balloons and non-balloons together you will more than likely get some balloon fry in the mix. Sadly that is, as you said, a fish bred to be disfigured/distorted/deformed.. (pick whichever word you like best).

JohnB

well one of the female ballon mollies must have be pregnant at the store when I picked them up. I woke up to about 7 fry hiding on the bottom. all dont show signs of bad spines. Look very much like gold dust mollies with a dark pattern similar to dalmation mollies.

Eagles Fan

It has been said that balloon mollies are difficult to breed because of their size. Mine are just like that.

zoraida4370

Not sure about tetra and platy sexing, but there is a link on this website to some photos of a male molly and a female molly. My balloon molly apparently had babies. Not sure how many but two survived. She and her mate - a dalamtion molly, have sex like every 5 minutes. So, it isn't hard to tell which one is which. "Spots" is the male and he is very proud to show off his manhood. Not sure if "Spots" is the daddy because when I purchased them, the LFS said "Pudgy" looked pregnant. If she has more babies, which I am sure she will seeing as how many times a day they mate, "Spots" will be the daddy of this group. Will be harder to sex your tetras since they lay eggs, you'd have to catch a female laying eggs. I have read the female has a larger belly. I would go look on the tetra specific forum. You might consider some more tetras, they like a larger group to hang out with.