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Hi,
Ive had some platies and mollies for some time now in my 50 gallon planted tank and not once have they spawned. I am also sure I have both male and female genders and the ratio if more females to males.

The other inhabitants are as follow :
10 Serpae Tetras
2 Kuhli and YoYo loaches
4 SAE
1 BN Plc
1 Ghost Shrimp
3 Platies (had six but died due to aggresion issues presumply)
2 Mollies(had 5 but other 3 or 4 died due to aggresion issues: fish has been removed that was causing this)

WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM!!!?!?!?!?!?!

ALSO, IS THERE ANY ROOM TO ADD ANYMORE FISH?!?!?!

Other fish maybe eating the fry as they are dropped. What are your water peramiters? Maybe there is something in the water that is not conductive to them breeding?

Also to add what Pug said...what is the temp. of your tank?

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If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished.

First off, temperature. Mollies tend to like it relatively warm. Around 76°F for maintenand, and nearer 82°F for breeding. Your Platies will also find such conditions conducive.

Second, pH and hardness. Mollies do MUCH better in hard, alkaline water. Some species (e.g., velifera Sailfins) should be given brackish water, but domesticated Black Mollies and the assorted cultvars will do OK in hard, alkaline water. The Platies aren't usually so fussy about this, but they will appreciate similar conditions to the Mollies, given that they hail from the kind of waters in Central America where hard, alkaline water loving Cichlids also hail from. Platies are, however, more adaptable than Mollies in this respect.

Third, feeding. Mollies in particular need decent levels of vegetation in the diet. If you can't provide algae for them to eat, then herbivorous food supplements are required. Tetra now market a special vegetable enriched food (TetraPro Vegetable) that I've been road-testing with my Characins and other fishes, which should be ideal for your Mollies. Again, the Platies will benefit from this.

Fourth, the other inhabitants. Serpae Tetras have a long history of being described on this board by various keepers as nasty, nippy fish. They will almost certainly devour any fry that the livebearers themselves miss, and do so ravenously. I suspect they're probably unsettling the livebearers psychologically with their ruffian antics so that the livebearers don't feel it's safe to breed. It might be advisable to put the livebearers in their own aquarium. Chances are they'll breed prolifically if you do!

If you wish to save fry, your best bet is to set up a separate maternity aquarium for your female Mollies and Platies, with plenty of fine leaved plants for the fry to hide in once they're born, as the momma fish will help herself to any that are careless enough to hang around. Transfer the female as early in the pregnancy as possible, and do so carefully. Feed the female the best food you can lay your hands on to condition her for the forthcoming ordeal - in the case of your Mollies, mix a good herbivorous food with intermittent live Daphnia or similar for best results. And have a nice culture of baby brine shrimp ready to fire up when the babies sappear.

Hopefully, this should address most of your breeding problems.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

well if the females get fat every so often, but you find no fry. the fries are probablly being eaten by other fish.

if the females don't get bigger than it is probablly the water qualaty.