Mollies can be a great addition to your aquarium. But it would be best if you took some time and researched these fish before adding them. These fish require a similar temperature as most tropical freshwater fish do. They also need at least 30 gallons of water per Molly (or an equivalent amount for their size) so make sure the tank is large enough. But are Molly fish good with other fish?
Molly fish are good with other fish. They are a peaceful species, and they can be pretty active when in the right environment. When you keep them along, they tend to lay at the bottom of their tank all day long. But they will be more lively if you keep them around good company (or even just some clean-up crew).
We will talk about Molly Fish and what fish can be good with this fish in this post.
What Type Of Fish Is Molly Fish?
Mollies are native to South America and come in different colors including silver, blue, and gold molly. These fish do not require any special care, so they make great starter pets for beginners. They are very peaceful and great with other small community tank mates.
Usually, the growth phases of Mollies is rapid, and it will grow into an adult fish within a year. However, the lifespan of these fish is lesser, and they will live around three to five years. But if you provide them with proper water conditions and meet their requirements, they will live longer and happier.
Different Types Of Mollies
Mollies are not just a single fish, but a group of fish falls under this category. These fish belongs to the family Poeciliidae and are about 40 different types of Mollies. Usually, all these Mollies fall into the three categories of Mollies: Shortfin Mollies, Lyretail Mollies, and Sailfin Mollies.
Moreover, some examples of Mollies are:
- Albino Mollies: The albino mollies have a silver body with white fins and red eyes.
- Blue Mollies: Blue Mollies are very similar to the albino Molly Fish but with a blue body.
- Gold Mollies: The gold molly has a solid golden color and may or may not have any spots on its body.
- Green Mollies: Green Mollies are very similar to guppies, especially when they are babies. The green color fades as these fish grow older, and their tails split into two or three parts.
- Orange Mollies: The orange mollies has a bright orangish hue with either an albino or gold body.
- Red Mollies: Mollies are very similar to guppies, but red Molly has solid red bodies instead of a combination of colors like guppies.
- White Mollies: These fish has an overall silver body with white fins and red eyes.
Do Molly Fish Like Living With Other Fish?
Mollies are social, so that you can keep them in pairs or larger groups. They will not bother other species of tropical aquarium fish if you provide them enough space to live comfortably.
Mollies prefer living with guppies, platys, swordtails, bettas (male only), and most tetras as long as they have a place to hide. They are peaceful and can live with other non-aggressive species of tropical aquarium fish.
However, Mollies are not compatible with betta fish. These fish will nip at the fins of other tropical aquarium fish, and this can potentially cause injuries. Sometimes the fin nipping behavior of Mollies also leads to fighting and even death.
So keep Mollies only with the fish that do not provoke or disturb them. Such as corydoras catfish because they feel safe when hiding among their barbs.
Do Molly Fish Like Living Alone?
Molly fish do not fare well when living in a tank by themselves. They are generally safe in tanks with the most common community fishes. But you must avoid any highly aggressive or territorial species that might harass these fish.
Mollies also do not fare well when kept in an overcrowded aquarium. So be sure your stocking levels are appropriate for the size of your aquarium. They are usually peaceful, but they will eat smaller fish that fit in their mouths. It is best to keep them with other non-aggressive species of similar size and temperament to avoid conflict.
What Fish Are Good With Molly Fish?
Despite the aggressive nature of Molly fish, they get along with some types of fish. Such as:
Goldfish
Mollies will not get along with other fish. They are aggressive and territorial. So you should never keep them alone or in less than a gallon of water, per Molly. You can keep them with goldfish, though.
Goldfish are suitable for Mollies because they do not nip the scales off Molly fish as much as other types of fish would. In addition, mollies do a great job of keeping the goldfish tank clean.
Platies
Molly fish are not aggressive towards platies. So you can keep both species together if there is enough space in your aquarium. However, Mollies will eat any baby or young fry that comes out though. So make sure to remove babies of platies as soon as possible to keep them safe.
Cory Catfish
Mollies can get aggressive. But they will not bother cory cats as much. These fish will also help to clean up that tank of your catfish as they eat all the algae present in the tank. You need to make sure that there is plenty of hiding places in the aquarium, so your cat has somewhere to retreat when they want to hide.
Otos
Mollies fish will be peaceful until other fish provokes them to fight. When these fish see an to, they think it’s just another shrimp in the tank. So, there is nothing to worry about. Otos are great for keeping your Molly’s aquarium clean because they love to eat algae off the rocks and plants.
Fish That Are Not Good With Molly Fish
Usually, Mollies are not good with any fish that has sharp or spiny fins. It is because these fish will try to nip at them and get injuries in the process. So, some fish that should never accompany Mollies are:
- Cichlids that have spiny fins like Jack Dempsey, Convict, and Texas Cichlid might injure Mollies’ sensitive skin.
- Molly fish for sure nips the long fins of Angelfish. So, they are not suitable to keep them together.
- Goldfish may be compatible, but they can grow quite large in time. Therefore, Molly will not feel safe when a giant goldfish swims around the tank.
- Swordtails are another example of fish that may be incompatible with Mollies due to their long swordlike tails, which Molly might consider a threat or competition for food and territory.
Some Tips To Follow When You Keep Molly Fish With Other Fish:
Mollies are peaceful and small in size. They do not have any teeth or spikes on its body. Hence it is not a good idea to keep Molly with other species, especially those that can injure them like bettas, larger aquarium animals, some types of guppies, etc.
But you should follow few safety tips to ensure the healthy growth of all the fishes before keeping them together. So, the tips are:
Ensure There Is Enough Space
It would be best if you kept Mollies in a big enough tank so that all they and other small fishes can grow healthy. These fish requires at least 20 gallons of water for them to swim freely and live comfortably.
Don’t Keep Molly With Big Fish.
Molly fish is small in size. If you keep them with big fish, they might end up killing it or injuring it. So, before keeping them together, ensure that the bigger needs a separate tank and food. Otherwise, they will eat up the Mollies or may result in fin nipping.
Fish Molly With Fish Of Same Size
Molly fish is a small-sized peaceful fish, and you should keep them with other fishes of the same size. This is because fish of similar size have the exact food requirements and do not find each other appealing to eat. Besides this, same-size fishes cope well with each other. Thus, they bond rather than fighting.
Sufficient Food Supply
Molly fish is an omnivorous fish. So it needs sufficient food supply for its healthy growth and development. When you keep many types of fish, you must feed each type of fish in different schedules. Along with this, you need to give the food that goes well with the diet of all the fish. In addition to this, always make sure that the food you provide your fishes are enough and nutritious.
Fish Molly With Fish That Provides It Security
Besides sufficient space in the aquarium, Mollies also require security from other fishes. Since Mollies are smaller, they cannot defend themselves from the bigger and stronger fishes.
So, ensure Molly has sufficient hiding spaces like plants or rock caves to hide at the time of threat. Also, it would be best to make sure that their companions do not get in their way while eating food or take up their personal space.
Care Molly Fish Properly
Molly is small in size and provides you less time to look after it than other fish. Therefore, it can survive if proper care is provided by following some tips like giving Molly enough space, checking water quality frequently, etc.
Molly Fish Diet
Molly’s diet should include some fish flakes or pellets as Molly is an omnivorous fish. But Mollies also like to eat plants. So you should feed them with spinach leaves and algae rich in protein content from time to time. It will help Mollies to grow healthy without any health issues.
These tips will help you keep a good aquarium environment for Molly’s growth and healthy companions so they can be an excellent addition to your aquarium.
Some FAQs
Is Molly Fish Aggressive?
Mollies are generally very docile and non-aggressive. However, males can be territorial. For example, they may fight with another male fish if they’re close to each other (typically in limited space).
Molly Fish Breeding?
Mollies will typically breed on their own without any interference from humans. However, if you’re looking to breed your fish, you can add female mollies in the tank that already house a male fish.
Does Molly Fish Bite?
Mollies will not typically bite you if they properly acclimate to their new environment. However, these fish can nip at your fingers if you suddenly disturb them.
How Many Fish Can You Keep In A Tank With Molly Fish?
Mollies are a very social fish. Therefore, it will not do well if you don’t have enough other Mollies in their tank. It would be best if you aimed to keep at least five Mollies in about a 30-gallon tank. So be sure to measure your entire tank before purchasing Molly fish. If the size of the fish is larger than the normal range of four-inch, you need a bigger tank to keep them.
Can I Keep Other Types Of Fish With Molly Fish?
Molly fish are compatible with most other species of tropical freshwater fish. However, there are some types of Molly that you should avoid keeping in the same tank as a Molly (such as Plecostomus) due to their different dietary requirements.
Conclusion
Mollies are beautiful fish that make great pets. Molly fish care is relatively simple. They love to swim and eat anything you feed them. With an ideal environment and proper care, they can live up to five or more years. In addition, they are easy to breed and thrive well in minimal tank conditions. Thus, they are the best pets for beginners.
Mollies can be timid when they first meet. But within a few days, they will warm up to owners and begin to swim around the tank with other fish. Sometimes they even your hand if you are patient enough.
Hopefully, this blog post has helped you learn more about Mollies and what they can bring to a household.