Mollies are a member of the Poeciliidae family and are one of the cutest omnivores you can ever get for your tank. These mollies are quite popular amongst the aquarists but are often one of the lab rats for most beginners to experiment with. I have seen people leaving these fish without food for days so that they can watch these mollies struggle to keep themselves alive. So yeah, I get it; we can get curious about how long Molly fish will survive without food?
Adult Molly fish will survive for about two weeks, while molly fry will only survive three days without food. Hence, the survival time of these fish without food depends on their size. Bigger ones will survive longer than smaller ones, but they die sooner or later if they do not receive food within two weeks. After this, they start starving, which will lead to death.
We will discuss how long Molly can survive without food? How to feed them and How they behave when there is no food. Read on to find out.
How Long Can Molly Fish Survive Without Food?
Molly fish can survive without food for up to two weeks. However, they will begin to lose weight after only a few days of not having any food, and they may eventually die if this situation continues for several more days.
Of course, Molly’s survival rate decreases when another fish resides within their tank, as they might have to share the remaining food present in the tank.
They are much less likely to starve or dehydrate when you keep them with a group of mollies and other tank mates without food.
Moreover, the bigger Mollies can survive for a more extended time without food than the smaller Molly fish as adult Molly is relatively hardy.
But you should not keep Molly in an aquarium with any smaller species because they will eat anything and everything it can fit into its mouth.
What Should You Do Before Leaving Your Molly Fish For A Trip?
You should be aware that Molly fish will need some special care before leaving for a trip. It is crucial if this period lasts longer and involves water changes (for example, during summer vacations).
Before leaving your Molly fish alone in the tank with no one to take care of it, please make sure to:
Remove The Decaying Matter And Debris
Molly fish is a messy eater, and its tanks will get dirty over time. It would help if you cleaned their fish tank after every water change. But it’s best to clean the aquarium thoroughly when you can’t take care of your Molly fishes for some time (for example, during summer vacations).
Change The Water
Molly fish, like any other live creature, needs clean, fresh water. It is imperative, especially if Molly fish lives in a small tank with not much room for water changes or doesn’t have an efficient filter system that can handle the amount of waste Molly produces daily.
Clean The Filter
It’s crucial to make sure your Molly fish has a healthy environment, and regular cleaning will help you achieve it. Cleaning Molly’s tank means removing decaying matter & debris and uneaten food from inside Molly’s filter every week.
It would be best to do it more often during the summer months. Molly produces even more waste than usual due to high temperatures outside the aquarium during this period and can not control this on its own.
Slightly Lower The Water Temperature
Molly prefers tropical conditions for water temperature, which means that the slightly lower level of water temperature during summer will help Molly feel more comfortable in his environment while you are away.
Don’t Overfeed Mollies Before Leaving
Molly fish are messy eaters and will produce a lot of waste daily. However, the tank environment can only handle this amount of waste if Molly eats the correct diet that doesn’t overload its digestive system with nutrients it does not need – which means less decaying matter inside their fish tank.
So, overfeeding isn’t a great idea. Instead, you should avoid it altogether (not just because it leads to a polluted aquarium but also because Molly might overeat at once) to keep obesity and other diseases at bay.
Keep The Aquarium Lights On Timer
Since you won’t be around to take care of Molly during summer vacations, an automatic aquarium light timer is crucial to keep the cycle going while you are away from home.
Especially when there is no natural sunlight entering Molly’s tank, for example, if the water temperature rises above 82°F, Molly fish will not survive.
Should You Use An Automatic Fish Feeder When You Are Away?
It is possible to have Molly Fish survive without food for a couple of days. However, they will typically eat once or twice a day, which means if you leave home for two or more days, Molly will get hungry in your absence.
Automatic feeders are excellent devices to ensure Molly gets its share of nutrients. In addition, it helps you leave Molly fish alone during vacations and trips away from home.
A good automatic fish feeder can keep Molly alive and well by doing just what you would do yourself – only faster. However, there are some things to take into account before using an automatic fish feeder:
- First, please make sure the device is waterproof so water does not enter it.
- Make sure Molly can easily access the feeder, so she does not go hungry for long periods.
- Some automatic fish feeders work with batteries, while others come equipped with an AC adapter. Unfortunately, the latter types are usually more expensive and less portable, so you’ll have to consider what better suits Molly’s needs.
- You should set Molly fish’s feeding schedule carefully. So, they get their food at the right time and in moderate quantities. Molly is a slow eater and will only eat what she needs for survival every day or two.
In any case, Molly should not go without eating over three days unless you want your pet to lose weight dramatically.
How About Vacation Feeder/Pyramid For Molly Fish?
A Molly Fish Vacation Feeder or Pyramid is an automatic food dispenser that releases small amounts of food into the water at pre-programmed intervals. The food dispenser holds enough dry fish food to last for several weeks. Depending on your needs, you can program this to dispense feed to everyone for two, three, or four hours.
There are many advantages to using Molly Fish vacation/pyramid feeders:
- Use less electricity than LED lights
- Use less energy than an aquarium heater
- Give a constant fresh supply of air (oxygen)
- Can increase CO level with additional oxygen
- Place near filter helps keep Molly’s internal organs healthy
- Such devices come as battery-operated units or AC-powered ones, so you do not have to worry. It is because of running out of batteries.
Molly Fish feeders are easy to use, usually requiring no programming, and they provide some of the most reliable ongoing fish feeding available in aquariums today.
How Long Can Molly Baby Fry Survive Without Food?
Molly’s baby fry can survive without food for about three days. After that, these fish fry will entirely depend on the owner for their food, and the rapid growth rate asks for more energy than adult mollies.
Molly fry is quite weaker and has a sensitive body, hence needs more food in the initial days for energy. So you need to take care of these mollies’ fry along with their diet if you want to see all the growth stages of molly fish.
When Molly Fry becomes Juveniles (after about 12 days), you should start giving them Brine Shrimp or other meaty/algae-based pellets.
After that, you must feed Molly fish fry a diet of baby brine shrimp or excellent flake food if you want them to grow into healthy adult Molly fish.
Molly fry is particularly vulnerable to predators, so make sure they have plenty of hiding places if you wish Molly babies.
Some FAQs
How Often Should I feed My Molly Fish?
Molly fish are omnivores that can survive in a tank with no food, but you should feed your Molly fish at least once every other day to keep them healthy and happy.
Do Molly Fish Eat Algae?
Mollies will eat algae, but only if there’s nothing else available. These fish are not top-tier cleaner crew fish like some of the other freshwater aquarium species that you can get.
Molly fry generally tends to stick with eating things like infusoria or brine shrimp when they’re young, and then as they grow bigger, their diets expand as well.
But once again, molly is not one of the efficient algae eaters for your tank, so it is better to give them something more nutritious than green water now and then.
What Is The Best Food For Molly Fish?
Molly Fish are omnivores, which means they’ll eat both plant matter and meat, so you should feed your Molly fish foods that contain both elements.
For example, you can give them veggies like cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, etc., along with a meaty diet like bloodworms, micro worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.
Similarly, baby molly eats infusoria, brine shrimp, and regular fish flakes that you need to crush finely. Remember to feed these babies more than you drop for adult ones.
Do Molly Fish Eat Other Types Of Food?
Molly fish will usually go for flake or pellet-based types of food. However, if there’s nothing else available, Molly fish will happily eat shrimps, small snails, and algae present in the tank. But again, better give them something more nutritious than algae now and then.
What Foods Are Bad For Molly Fish?
You need to avoid feeding Molly any insect-based foods because this can be extremely dangerous for the mollies’ health. Molly Fish are not usually big fans of algae wafers either, so avoid feeding them these.
Conclusion
Summing up, Mollies can survive without food for a short period. However, if you notice that your Molly is not eating their food, it is best to feed them in small portions throughout the day until they become accustomed to providing at regular intervals. It will ensure that Molly does not go hungry.
Mollies are omnivores, so don’t hesitate to provide greens with their staple diet It is crucial to keep track of the amount of food given at each serving; overfeeding will ultimately lead to bloating, obesity, and swim bladder disorder in molly fish.
Hopefully, this blog post has helped you better understand Mollies and how long Molly can survive without food. Now, it’s entirely up to you…
Good Luck!!
Happy Fishkeeping!!