I have had a molly fish tank for a couple years and I always get some very interesting looking fish pop every now and then. I've never really tried to seriously rescue or propagate a particular strain, but lately i have a bit of time so I would like to give it a go.
Unfortunately, I have no clue what breeds to use to maintain the line, because all the research on molly genetics that I can find dont really mention the traits that I want to keep.
These fish are mostly about four or five generations born in my house, but I do get a couple new ones to refresh the blood lines and get new genetics in there every year.
I have three different mollies varieties that wish I could keep
One is a kind of muted dalmatian looking fish, but the patterns is more similar to an old gold dust where the orange/yellow has gotten muted with age. It does have very strong blue iridescence tho.. But, the thing that makes it very special is that it has a very bright orange tail.
The second type, I get a lot, but I have never been able to reproduce, they just are born randomly from the rest every now and then. They are basically a super long fin variety of a lyre tail molly. The fins are very soft free and fluffy, like in a long fin fancy goldfish. I call them lace tail molly.
The first time I got them they were mostly black with a lot of blue iridescence, but now they have some gold dust mixed with the black. They have an elongated body, they look more slender that the typical boxy molly fish. They have very long tail and extra long fins, specially the ventral ones. Some fins even reach the end of the fleshy part of the tail. The thing about those is that they really love to jump. I have lost many that way, they are very skittish much more so than the rest. I have never seen one of this kind get pregnant, even though they do have the normal reproductive behaviour. I guess the long fins get it the way. Also, most of them are female, they are born around a 10:1 ratio favouring females. On the males the gonopodium also gets very lacy so they can never get a good grip of any females. The males are the fastest they never get still and tend to be the ones that jump more.
The last one is very similar to a veil tail, is all orange, but the long tail is white. Not really transparent like some veil tails, more like a milky white.
In the photo I attached you can see the orange tail one in the middle and a bad view of one of the smallest lace tail on top. I will try to get some more photos as soon as I can, but is quite hard, they start going crazy as soon as I come around, they never stay still.
I would appreciate a lot some help with more information about molly genetics or any advice on which breeds to use to try and bring forth the characteristics I have now on the new offspring. In here spring is in full so they are about to start having babies like crazy.
With some luck I can keep these strains and rescue some different ones I have had in the past.
I used to have a couple black mollies that were jet black, but had a little red on the bottom from the back of the gills to the mid belly, I called them ember molly, they were very pretty. They also had the long fin trait. I hope I can get those back!
Thank you very much, all help is welcomed.
Unfortunately, I have no clue what breeds to use to maintain the line, because all the research on molly genetics that I can find dont really mention the traits that I want to keep.
These fish are mostly about four or five generations born in my house, but I do get a couple new ones to refresh the blood lines and get new genetics in there every year.
I have three different mollies varieties that wish I could keep
One is a kind of muted dalmatian looking fish, but the patterns is more similar to an old gold dust where the orange/yellow has gotten muted with age. It does have very strong blue iridescence tho.. But, the thing that makes it very special is that it has a very bright orange tail.
The second type, I get a lot, but I have never been able to reproduce, they just are born randomly from the rest every now and then. They are basically a super long fin variety of a lyre tail molly. The fins are very soft free and fluffy, like in a long fin fancy goldfish. I call them lace tail molly.
The first time I got them they were mostly black with a lot of blue iridescence, but now they have some gold dust mixed with the black. They have an elongated body, they look more slender that the typical boxy molly fish. They have very long tail and extra long fins, specially the ventral ones. Some fins even reach the end of the fleshy part of the tail. The thing about those is that they really love to jump. I have lost many that way, they are very skittish much more so than the rest. I have never seen one of this kind get pregnant, even though they do have the normal reproductive behaviour. I guess the long fins get it the way. Also, most of them are female, they are born around a 10:1 ratio favouring females. On the males the gonopodium also gets very lacy so they can never get a good grip of any females. The males are the fastest they never get still and tend to be the ones that jump more.
The last one is very similar to a veil tail, is all orange, but the long tail is white. Not really transparent like some veil tails, more like a milky white.
In the photo I attached you can see the orange tail one in the middle and a bad view of one of the smallest lace tail on top. I will try to get some more photos as soon as I can, but is quite hard, they start going crazy as soon as I come around, they never stay still.
I would appreciate a lot some help with more information about molly genetics or any advice on which breeds to use to try and bring forth the characteristics I have now on the new offspring. In here spring is in full so they are about to start having babies like crazy.
With some luck I can keep these strains and rescue some different ones I have had in the past.
I used to have a couple black mollies that were jet black, but had a little red on the bottom from the back of the gills to the mid belly, I called them ember molly, they were very pretty. They also had the long fin trait. I hope I can get those back!
Thank you very much, all help is welcomed.
