Mollies And Guppies

[SilverBetta12]

I got a new 10 gallon tank. And I am trying to decide what fish to get.  I love mollies, but guppies are very pretty.  Would I be able to have both Guppies and mollies in the same tank or do they have to be separate? 

 

[nic1]

I love mollies and guppies! Love sailfin mollies especially.
However they are prolific breeders, they can be kept together but there's a risk of being over run in a matter of months, also I have witnessed my own male guppies trying to mate with my female Molly's!
Very funny to watch the little guys chasing after the massive Molly's.
I personally don't keep female guppies and I don't keep male Molly's, but I was sold a male molly as a female when he was a juvenile and he's gone and got two of my females preggers already!
Lovely fish, I say yes you can but be prepared for fry.

 

[SilverBetta12]

I think I will get both. But at my Local pet store it can be expensive to get fish.  What would happen if i got male and females of both kinds and took care of the fry till my tank was populated and then separate the males and females? Also if you have too many fish how do you get rid of them without killing them?

 

[fluttermoth]

A 10g tank is too small for mollies, which grow much larger than people realise.

It is very difficult to get rid of livebearer fry; most shops won't take them and it can be hard to even give them away. The trouble with separating the sexes is that livebearers can store packets of sperm for around six months, so can carry on producing fry, even when there are no males present.

When you remember that each female can have between 30 or 40 fry (although they can have more), every 30 days, and that the fry can breed at 3 or 4 months old, you can end up with a lot of fish, very quickly.

I would very strongly recommend you have male guppies only.

 

[nic1]

First thing you have to do is make sure your tank is fully cycled...you mentioned it was new? What are your parameters?
You must add fish very slowly once the water is right and safe for them, I usually get 2 per month till I m satisfied with my stock.
It is possible to seperate the genders afterwards but Molly's are always pregnant for up to 6 months after mating with a male so seperating them will not really do much for the short term.
If you become over populated then you can sell the fry back to the fish shop for a credit note if they are willing or let nature take its course... the parents will eat their fry as soon as they are born!
Just read flutter mouths post... I agree totally with her. Male guppies are beautiful.

 

[tmoney7]

Honestly i would just go with the guppies, but try to stay away from having males and females in that size tank unless you are going to get a pygmy breed like endlers.  I have endlers in my 10gal tank that i breed right now and i have about 30 right now, but lucky for me i am able to sell about 7 every other week to my LFS.

 

[SilverBetta12]

I haven't got any fish yet.  I am just deciding on what to get.  I think guppies might be the right way to go.  And my friend gave me the tank so it is already cycled.  Thanks for the help.  

 

[fluttermoth]

Don't forget that if you haven't been feeding the bacteria with a source of ammonia, they may well have died off

 

[CoryFever]

Just FYI, guppies and mollies WILL hybridize. They're in the same genus, and have bred together before. 

 

[AshNicole]

I would go with just male guppies they are so colourful and all so unique. Both mollies and guppies are great but mollies get quite big for a 10 gallon with other fish . Male guppies are my favourite fish. Hope this was helpful.