Mollies refusing to breed

asdfghjkl

I got 3 mollies the other day. 2 female and one male. The females seem healthy, swimming around and all. The male truly refuses to mate with the female, the female is almost trying to hover next to him but he just swims away. Yes i know the difference between male and female. I just got them yesterday so is it possible he is still stressed from the travel back home? He is just hovering in the water not swimming too much. Is he ok? It was a long ride back home. About 3 hours. Is this too long? the petsmart people put that gas in the bag so i hoped he would be ok. The others seem fine. Anyone know what might be wrong?
Thank You

TwilightGuy

Hovering instead of swimming and not chasing the females are two signs that he's not a happy camper. He should be doing both. He might just need some more time to adjust. My guess is stress from the change of surroundings. Possibly got chilled on the way home.... a large temperature change, perhaps. How's the water quality? Not all fish, even of the same species, will react the same to substandard water quality. Any other tank-mates that might be harassing him? Other male mollies, maybe? Does he eat? It's a good indicator of a fish's overall health & well-being. Three hours is not too long... I drove across country, a five day trip, with fish. Had baby platies a week later...

asdfghjkl

there are some small guppies harassing him, but hes so much bigger than they are. ill try feeding him a bit more. the water quality is good. would it be a bad idea to get another male and female? its a 30 gallon. that way i would have 3 female, 2 male. Also, would a male balloon molly still breed with a female regular orange cremecicle molly? Or would he be not as interested?

asdfghjkl

dropped food right in front ofhim. didnt eat....what should i do?

Calmwaters

How long has your tank been setup? When you say the water is fine what are your readings when you test it? When was the last time it was tested? Whats the temp of the tank, ph, ect?

asdfghjkl

my tank has been set up for a year. I dont remember the last tests, but they were a few weeks ago and were good, i dont think its the water quality i think its the fish himself. Hes just sitting by the heater doing nothing. all the other fish are energetic and ate like pigs. he didnt even really try. water temperature is 80. He runs from the female...... what about another male female pair?

Calmwaters

I do not think another fish is a good idea right now just incase he is sick. Do you have plenty of plants or hiding places for him? When he swims does he swim streight?

asdfghjkl

yeah he swims fine. he darts around when i put my hand near the glass near him. i dont know....he doesn't seem sick...... just seems like super lazy. the guppies continue to nip him. should i get him out of the tank incase he is sick?

TwilightGuy

I have to agree, it's not a good idea to add more fish at the moment. If he didn't show interest in food then he is not well.
Hopefully it's just him and he might rebound. Can you isolate him it a tank by himself?

I don't know about mixing balloon mollies and regular mollies - I wouldn't. Who know what you'd get if they did mate successfully. A half inflated molly?

Isolate the poor guy, give the tank and other fish a week or so, if no ill effects then add a few more regular mollies.

asdfghjkl

should i put him in the breeder net?