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Can Mollies Breed With Guppies to Produce a Hybrid?

Mollies and Guppies are both beautiful fish, and keeping them in the aquarium is bound to attract attention from anyone who sees them. But can you breed a molly-guppy hybrid to create something even more beautiful? As it turns out, you can; here is what I have found out from my research.

Quick Answer

Creating a molly-guppy hybrid is possible since they belong to the same species – Poecilia. However, the two fish will only breed together if there are no other fish of their own type in the tank with them. Also, the hybrid fries are infertile, so you won’t be able to breed them for more hybrids.

If you have ever wondered if mollies can breed with guppies to produce hybrids, then you have come to the right place. In this article, I will answer all your questions and tell you how to create hybrids.

Guppies Can Produce Hybrid Fries With Mollies

A Guppy fish is extraordinarily colorful and is hence desirable for this trait. They are also helpful for the environment since they feed on mosquito larva in the wild. Mollies, on the other hand, are primarily unicolor. But they are highly fertile and can reach sexual maturity quicker than other fish. 

Group of guppy and platy fish eating

Guppies and Mollies can easily create hybrids if they are kept in the right conditions. There are two names for two types of hybrids. A hybrid fry from a male Guppy and a female Molly is called Golly, whereas a fry from a male Molly and a female Guppy is called Muppy. 

Guppies and Mollies are both livebearers, which means that they keep the eggs inside their body and give birth to fries.  An interesting fact about the Molly is that they can store sperm inside their mouth for a year. So, don’t be surprised if your Molly is suddenly pregnant.

You Should Never Create Muppies 

You should always aim for Gollies because they are healthier and do not complicate pregnancy for the female Molly. Mollies are larger and can therefore carry gollies to full term. Female Guppies, on the other hand, are smaller, and thus their pregnancy gets complicated with hybrid fries, especially if they are from a Molly.

Muppies are pretty, and it is easy to get carried away while cross-breeding, which is why you need to be careful and not do anything that goes against the natural order of things.

How To Breed a Male Guppy With a Female Molly

As a breeder, you need to be cautious, especially if you are new to this. Hence, I have listed the steps that you need to follow to create Gollies successfully.

  1. Check the water temperature. The temperature of the water should be between 70 – 76 oF (21 – 24 oC). You can use a thermometer like the FriPuP, available from Amazon.com, which sticks to your aquarium and automatically reports the water temperature.
  2. Check the pH of the water. Both fish thrive in salty environments. So, you should keep the pH of the water between 7.5 – 7.8. The VIVOSUN pH meter from Amazon.com is one of the best in the market. It has a digital read-out and is relatively inexpensive.
  3. Select the right fish. Selecting the correct type of fish will depend on the results you are trying to achieve. You should reach out to a professional breeder for better insights.
  4. Separate the female Mollies. Once the female Mollies get pregnant, keep them in a separate birthing tank. There are two reasons why you should do this. First, they will be in a more secure environment where no harm can come to them. And second, you can track the pregnancy from the initial stages to birth. This article from FluffyPlanet will tell you how you can tell when your Molly is pregnant.  
  5. Remove the Mollies after birth. Once the Mollies have given birth, remove them from the birthing tank. This is because both Mollies and Guppies eat their fries.

Precautions to Take When Raising Gollies

A good thing about mollies and guppies is that they are compatible companions inside the aquarium. They are peaceful, social, and require the same environmental conditions. 

But if you are seriously considering breeding mollies with guppies, then I will suggest you take the necessary precautions given below.

Use a Large Tank

The first precaution you should take is using a large tank for your fish because they need to be relaxed to breed naturally. It is possible that either or both of them can get stressed if they don’t find their partner and hence you should give them enough space to roam around freely.

Here is a list of the best large fish tanks available on Amazon.com:

Aqueon Aquarium Starter Kit

This starter kit by Aqueon Aquarium is perfect for people who want to keep three or four fish. It has dimensions of 24.25 x 12.5 x 19.5 inches (61.59 x 31.75 x 49.53 centimeters) and weighs about 31.8 pounds (14.4 kg). The white LED is vibrant, and a red LED light flashes when it’s time to change the filter.

The kit includes the following items:

  • Glass aquarium
  • Low profile LED hood
  • QuietFlow power filter
  • Filter cartridge
  • Submersible preset heater
  • Premium fish food sample
  • Water conditioner sample
  • Fishnet
  • Thermometer 

Tetra ColorFusion Aquarium

The Tetra ColorFusion Aquarium is a 20 gallon tank and the perfect place for your Mollies and Guppies to relax. The multi-color LED can pause at a single color. The anemones sway with the water current, making them appear life-like. It has dimensions of 24.2 x 12.4 x 16.7 in (61.48 x 31.49 x 42.41 centimeters) and weighs approximately 34.35 pounds (15.58 kg).

The kit includes the following:

  • Glass aquarium
  • Aquarium hood
  • UL heater
  • Tetra Whisper 20 Filter
  • Color Fusion Universal Color Changing LED
  • Wonderland Plant Multipacks
  • Blooming White Anemone

LANDEN Ultra Clear 

With dimensions of 23.62 × 17.72 × 15.75 (60 x 45 x 40 centimeters), the LANDEN Ultra Clear Aquarium is a bit smaller than the other two and also more expensive. However, it is still an excellent option for breeding purposes. 

It has a superior filtration system that accommodates biochemical cotton, activated carbon, or filter cotton. Since the filters are behind the tank, it does not mess with the view or cause any obstruction for the fish.

The kit includes the following:

  • Clear glass aquarium
  • Built-in filters
  • Return tube

Maintain Molly-Guppy Ratio

The ratio of mollies and guppies that you keep is an essential factor when making hybrids. Theoretically, the greater the number of fish, the more hybrid fries produced. But when it comes to cross-breeding, things can be a little different.

For every male Guppy, there should be three to four Mollies. This prevents fights between the Guppies. 

Maintain Ideal Conditions

For successful breeding to occur, you need to maintain the ideal conditions for both Mollies and Guppies.

The aquarium size, water temperature, pH, lighting, etc., need to be perfect. You need to be careful about the environment because you are trying to breed two different types of fish. Even though they belong to the same species, they would still require getting used to the other fish.

However, once they are both relaxed and used to the new environment, they will breed when it is time. 

Give Them a Proper Diet

It goes without saying that giving a proper diet is an essential part of the breeding process. The best diet includes bloodworms, flakes, and flies.

You should check out the following options on Amazon.com.

Tetra Tropical Color Flakes

The Tropical Color Flakes from Tetra can be used for every breed. It’s excellent for Guppies because of the added carotene. It contains fish meal, ground brown rice, and torula dried yeast, among other selected ingredients.

The company boasts that it is the most digestible flake food ever created by them. Since this food is suitable for all life ages, you can also use it for the fries.

API Fish Food Flakes

The fish food flakes by API contain whole menhaden fish meal, whole wheat, and squid meal, among other ingredients, and every breed can eat it. The food has been specially created so as not to make any waste in the aquarium.

Additionally, you have several options when purchasing this food. You can choose from six different pack sizes, and there are even different types of food to best suit various fish, including: 

  • Goldfish
  • Marine fish
  • Tropical fish
  • Tropical greens
  • Tropical minis

Final Takeaway

A Molly-Guppy hybrid is sterile, and you should, therefore, never sell them as purebred. It is unethical, and if people try crossbreeding with another crossbreed, they’ll be sorely disappointed in the lack of results. 

Always breed female Mollies with male Guppies in the ratio of 3:1 for best results and humane reasons, even if Muppies look more attractive than Gollies. Keep them in a large aquarium with proper filtering and lighting while maintaining the water’s temperature and pH. Take care of the pregnant Mollies in a separate birthing tank and remove them once they have given birth.