# Male Betta and Molly tank mates?



## Leighla

Some people say yes, some say no. All depends on your betta's personality? I have 3 male betta's, in separate tanks of course, and I have 2 balloon/bloated molly's. Can these molly's go in with a betta in a 14 gallon tank?


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## Shirleythebetta

It's not advised because molly's do better in brackish water (slightly salty) They live longer in brackish and with conditioning they can even be switched over to total salt water! Molly's are incredible. They can also be agressive although I don't think balloon Molly's have the shape to do anyone harm. I wouldn't do it for the sake of the Molly's though. Also I would get at least 2-4 more with a 1:2 male female ratio. In my molly tank I have one male and all the rest are girls so he is in HEAVEN! The more females the less your males will be agressive.


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## Leighla

how do you tell the diff between the female and male mollys


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## Micho

See the thing with Mollies is that you don't know if they prefer brackish water or freshwater in general. And Bettas are freshwater fish, so they cannot tolerate salt at all, long exposures to salt will cause damage to their internal organs.

So, how about you just a tank just for the mollies? And make it a brackish water tank. 

Also the tell the difference between female and male Balloon Mollies is that the males will have patterns and have prettier fins than females, it's recommended for every 1 male molly you get 2 females, because if there's more males than females, things get pretty aggressive between the males.


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## NoahG

Micho said:


> Also the tell the difference between female and male Balloon Mollies is that the males will have patterns and have prettier fins than females


Not...necessarily. I've seen males with unimpressive fins and coloring, and plenty of females have patterns and at least decent color (as well as impressive fins if they have long fins). Here's the surefire way to tell the difference between male and female Mollies and Platies (as well as, technically, guppies if you have young ones and are having difficulties telling by their fins):


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## Shirleythebetta

Here's a quote I found online. 

*You will be able to tell by the anal fin. This is a fin that is located in between the stomach and tail. If the fin points straight out it is a male, if its a 'fan' shape its a female. And also males do tend to be a little bigger than females too but the best way to tell is by the fin.*

​


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## Leighla

Thanks ya'll. I believe I have a male and a female according to your pictures and descriptions, he follows her around everywhere, may just have to get me another female!


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## Shirleythebetta

They are great fish. Fun to watch and I have even heard of them getting up to 6 inches in the right conditions!


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## Sly13Cat

I have my Betta with Dalmatian Mollies. After 2 weeks of nipping and chasing, they got along fine. But after rearranging the tank, the aggressiveness started all over again.


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## MollyJean

I wouldn't risk it, but I'm nerotic. Mollies can be quite nippy. A Molly will want a couple hiding places, but need a large open area to move around, while betta like hiding places and lots of leaves, plants, nooks and crannys. If you really want to try it, just be sure you can keep a very close eye on them. Give the betta lots of hiding places on the edges of the tank and around the back. Give him places to hide near the surface, but leave the center front of the tank open for the mollys. It'll be easier to keep them from picking on each other if you give them their own spaces.

Oh, and mollies breed like bunnies! If you have a male and a female, expect baby molly fish every 30 days or so.. If you really don't want to keep them, the betta will eat them :/


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## Leighla

Oh boy! Babies! Haha. We'll see how that goes


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## Shirleythebetta

I have five right now!:welldone:


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## Leighla

After further investigation, I just got the mollies yesterday, and I believe that the girlie is preggers! She has the more boxy shape and the dark spot on her tush near the anal fin.  I could be just paranoid, and id provide a pic for anyone's opinions but I Unfortunatly dropped my iPhone in a glass of water last night and it's not only funky still but the camera is clouded with water  any advice would be appreciated


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## MollyJean

advice - new camera.  and a pic would help cause it's hard to tell by description. But keep an eye on her and if she gets bigger over the next 2 weeks or gives birth... well then you'll know. It takes 4 weeks.


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## NoahG

I dropped my iPod in water once: leave it tipped at an angle (or even upright if you can) so the bottom is facing downwards. Doing that mine actually drained and suffered no permanent effects.

Not sure if it's still an option, but it's worth a shot. Or if you have insurance through your cell provider they may be able to get you a new phone.


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## Shirleythebetta

The girls get a boxy kind of shape when they get pregnant So you probably got some babies on the way. If you want to try and give them a chance then seperate them from mom. I don't seperate them. I keep the filter off and do extra water changes and give them something that only they can fit into for hiding.


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## Leighla

My camera not on my phone was dead, but over the day, my phone has dried, the pics aren't awesome still, but I think you can see her good enough?


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## Shirleythebetta

She may be pregnant. I don't have experience with balloon molly's though. Only time will tell. If she is pregnant you could end up with five babys two days after purchase like I did


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## Leighla

Still not the greatest pics but my lighting is funky. Here's the original molly i was talking about with the previous pics, then I got two more females today, and I believe the dalmation molly is pregnant too, but I'm new at this so I'm not sure. She's the only dalmation molly I have, the others are balloon molly's. I noticed both of them are kinda sticking to the corners, or up by the heater. 
Anybody wanna give me your opinions? Help a sista out! haha.


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## xShainax

Shirleythebetta said:


> They are great fish. Fun to watch and I have even heard of them getting up to 6 inches in the right conditions!


I saw a molly at LEAST 6" at my LFS


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## Sheldon31

My mother in laws male black molly is 4 and a half inches and he's still got growing in him! I personally don't like balloon breeds because they always look preggers so can't tell! I think your dalmation is expecting can't tell on the other. Beautiful fish though!


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## Leighla

Sheldon31 said:


> My mother in laws male black molly is 4 and a half inches and he's still got growing in him! I personally don't like balloon breeds because they always look preggers so can't tell! I think your dalmation is expecting can't tell on the other. Beautiful fish though!


 
Had one person say the balloon molly is not pregnant, everyone else isn't sure. She just looks a lot bigger than I think she should, and a bigger belly than my other females, so I guess only time will tell! Thanks to anyone that has responded and will respond


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## bettaluvr

I love my two balloon mollies in my community tank..they're cute and get along with my halfmoon male and other fish great...and they are always pecking at the plants, driftwood and gravel for food. They were in a tank at petco full of babies and were given to me for free.


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