Molly Fish is one of the most popular freshwater fish in America. What you need to know about Molly Fish before you get it is that they are compatible with many different kinds of aquariums, including fresh and saltwater tanks. They also have a lifespan of up to 5 years. Furthermore, there are many things to know before you buy a Molly fish.
There are many things you need to know about Molly fish before you get it. Such as the environment that is best for them, the size tank required, and how to take care of it. Things like where to buy it and what you need when you bring your Molly fish home. Things such as a food bowl or water dish; are things you will need before getting the new addition home.
This post will guide what you need to know about Molly Fish before you get it?
What Is Molly Fish?
Molly Fish is tropical aquarium fish. It’s one of the easiest and hardiest species for both experienced and newbie aquarists. So it makes an excellent choice for people who want to keep freshwater fish but don’t have much experience with them.
A Molly Fish is a colorful, active, and peaceful fish that’s great for people who aren’t sure they want to get into the hobby. You can keep them in small groups of two or three without any problems with aggression.
Molly Fish are prevalent freshwater aquarium fish due to their ease of care and intangible charm that makes them popular with children and adults alike.
What Are The Types Of Molly Fish?
There are three types of Mollies: short-finned, lyretail, and sailfin molly. The most common type is the short-finned Molly which comes in various colors, including red or blue with orange/yellow on its fins.
Short-finned Molly Fish
The short-finned Molly fish is a freshwater, livebearing fish that can be live in the rivers and lakes of South America. They are popular because they have many colors to choose from, making them more attractive as pets for aquariums.
Lyretail Mollies
The lyretail molly fish is also a freshwater fish from Mexico’s coastal brackish and marine waters. They tend to have a peculiar tail with vibrant color. Their tails seem as if they are on fire. They are incredibly colorful, with reds, oranges, yellows, and blues on their bodies and varying patterns that make them popular for aquariums.
Sail Fin Mollies
The sailfin molly is a freshwater, livebearing fish present in fresh, brackish, and coastal saltwater in coastal lowland habitats from North Carolina to Texas and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. They have longer fins than both the short-finned and long-finned Mollies, which give them their name. Their bodies are primarily black, but they also come with reds or oranges on their fins.
What Should You Know Before Getting a Molly Fish?
There are several things you need to know before getting a molly fish. If you are looking for a pet to keep in your home, the following information is critical and will help guide you on what kind of care this particular type of fish needs from its owner.
Where Can You Get Molly Fish?
You can find Molly fish of different varieties at your local pet store. They are also available online from a variety of retailers and breeders.
How Much Does Molly Fish Cost?
The price of a molly fish will vary depending on the age and species you choose. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50-$150 for one, though they are generally more expensive when purchased online or at pet stores instead of local breeders.
Why Is It Important To Know What You Are Getting?
Mollies are one of the most diverse fish species available to pet owners. You can find mollies in a wide range of colors, sizes, and temperaments, making it essential for you to know what kind you are getting before committing to one.
What Type Of Molly Fish Is Best For Home Aquarium?
The best type of molly fish for home aquariums is the short-finned variety. These types are not as aggressive and will be less likely to cause problems with other tank mates that you place in your aquarium with them.
What Kind Of Tank Does Molly Fish Need?
Mollies can thrive in both freshwater tanks and saltwater tanks. However, it is best to keep mollies in tanks that are anywhere from 20 gallons up to 55 gallons, with more prominent being better for the health of your fish.
What Should You Now After Getting Molly Fish?
You should know that buying Molly fish is not as simple as it looks. There are some questions you need to ask yourself before you get your first fish:
How Long Will Molly Fish Live?
Mollies usually live for about five years. However, it is always possible that your fish will die earlier than the average lifespan because of some reasons like water pollution or diseases.
If you want a Molly Fish with a longer life span, then there are several things you need to do, such as giving them a proper diet and clean tank mates free from disease.
Can You Keep More Than One Molly Fish?
If you do not have a large tank, it is better to keep one molly fish only because they are very active and if there is another of the same kind; then they will fight each other, which may lead to death or severe injury.
What Is The Best Water Condition For Molly Fish?
Mollies are naturally present in warm water, and this is why they can live with any other tropical fish. But, of course, they can adapt themselves in calmer waters too, but if you want them to be active, you should stick with warmer temperatures around 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit with pH levels of around seven to eight.
Besides this, Molly fish requires fresh and clean water with a regular water change. They do not like dirty water. Thus, there must be filters in the tank to keep their water clean.
What Is The Best Food For Molly Fish?
Mollies fish is omnivorous. They will both eat plants and meat. You can include flakes, pellets, shrimp, or algae in their food to keep them healthy and active for a longer time.
They also eat bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia.
What Is The Best Tank For Molly Fish?
Mollies fish do best in tanks that are longer than it is deep, so this is why they can swim around the tank freely. Also, you should provide them with many plants for hiding and breeding purposes, which will make them feel comfortable in their home.
It would be best if you did not overcrowd the tank because Molly fish are aggressive, especially when they see another one of their kind, and this can lead to fighting, injuries, or even death.
How Do You Breed Mollies Fish?
Breeding molly fish is easy if you have a proper aquarium with water conditions and enough space for the fry to grow. It would be best if you had an aquarium with at least 20 gallons of water and two or more Molly Fish depending on how big it is.
Place a lot of plants in their tank because mollies like plants where they hide when feeling scared or stressed, and this is also good for breeding purposes, as female fish lay eggs on the plants.
It would be best if you also kept the water level around two inches from the top of the tank because they like to lay eggs on the surface, which will make them feel more comfortable.
Breeding mollies is easy, but it requires time, so if you want to fry, you have to wait for at least a month or even more until you get the fry.
How Long Does It Take For Molly Fish To Breed?
Mollies are livebearers which means they give birth to their babies rather than laying eggs like other fish species, and this is why it requires time for breeding too because female Molly can only reproduce every month, or after that, she will die as well.
After the breeding cycle is complete, then it takes about three weeks for them to give birth.
What Is The Best Tank Mate For Molly Fish?
Molly fish are aggressive. They can become very territorial, especially when there are other mollies in the tank. This means you should avoid keeping two or even more of this species together. If they breed, there will be a lot of fighting, leading to injuries or even death.
So, the best tank mates for Molly fish are:
- Guppies
- Swordtails
- Platies
How Can You Keep Molly Fish Happy And Healthy?
Molly Fish are hardy fish, but they often become infested with parasites if kept in poor water conditions. Therefore, you should constantly monitor the cleanliness of their habitat. So, please take steps to keep them free from infections and diseases by immediately treating any signs of illness or disease.
You can follow the following tips to ensure the excellent health of Molly fish.
Provide Enough Space
You should provide a good amount of space for your fish. They need at least 20 gallons per fish, and this is the minimum size tank that you can keep them in. Usually, they tend to be very active swimmers and do not like cramped or tiny spaces.
Water Quality
You need to check the water quality of the fish daily, as poor water quality can lead to bacterial or fungal infections. This, in turn, can cause severe problems for your fish. Therefore, you should perform a 25% water change every week and use an effective filter (biological, chemical, and mechanical) each day.
Temperature
You should maintain the temperature of the tank between 24C-28C. If the temperature is not within this range, it can cause discomfort to your fish.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
You should provide Molly Fish with high-quality pellet food that will help them maintain their health and vitality. However, you need to be careful when adding other foods to their diet as some types of food (like live Bloodworms or Algae) can make them sick.
Live Plants
You should add some live plants to the tank as they help improve water quality and enhance your fish’s environment. They will provide shelter, shade, and security for Molly Fish. You need to choose only those types of safe plants for your fish because if a plant has sharp or spiny leaves, it can injure your fish. You can place plants like Java Moss, Java Ferns, and Anubias Barteri around the tank.
Do Not Overcrowd
You should always ensure that you do not overcrowd your Molly Fish as this will cause stress to them. You need to have at least three females per male. Only add more fish if the tank is large enough and contains enough food.
Some FAQs
How Often Should You Feed Molly Fish?
Molly Fish is an omnivorous fish that you should feed at least twice daily. How often you should feed Molly fish will depend on the age of your pet, its size, and activity level. It’s important to remember that if they don’t eat in one feeding. They won’t magically get hungry several hours later. Therefore, it’s best to offer food several times throughout the day.
How Many Fish Can You Keep With Molly Fish?
The number of fish that you can keep with Molly fish depends on the size of the tank. Usually, you can stay around five to six mollies in a tank of 30 gallons. So, the number can increase with the increase in tank size. The thumb rule is to increase the tank size by 10 gallons with the addition of each fish.
What Type Of Water Is Best For Molly Fish?
Molly Fish is an adaptable fish that can live in a variety of water conditions. However, the best option is to keep them with other peaceful tank mates in well-filtered aquariums or ponds containing fresh, clean water at temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18-24°C).
What Type Of Habitat Is Best For Molly Fish?
Molly Fish are more adaptable than many other fish and can live in a variety of water conditions. However, they do best when provided with live or plastic plants for them to hide among and gravel on the bottom of their habitat. But you must change the tank water regularly once a week.
What Type Of Lighting Is Best For Molly Fish?
It would be best if you did not use bright lights as Molly Fish are naturally nocturnal. Instead, try to keep their habitat dimly lit or provide floating plants in the tank to hide among if they do not like brighter lighting.
Are Molly Fish Prone To Diseases?
Molly Fish is a hardy fish, but they can contract diseases from stress or poor water quality. If Molly Fish appears to be diseased, you should immediately treat the tank with salt and raise the temperature of their habitat for more than 24 hours to kill any infections.
Is It Harmful To Keep A Male And Female Together?
It is best to keep a male and female Molly Fish together. It is because they can breed very quickly if you keep them in the same tank. This would increase the population of fish at an unsustainable rate unless.
However, this can cause excessive breeding and reproduction. Thus, this could lead to overpopulation and pollution in the tank and different health issues in the breeding fish.
Conclusion
Summing up, Molly Fish is an excellent addition to your fish tank. They will help you with algae problems and can be very interactive when they get older! If you want to add Molly Fish into your aquarium, I recommend getting them from a local pet store that breeds their fish rather than buying wild-caught specimens from craigslist or eBay.
Hopefully, this post helped you know about Molly Fish before you get it. For more information about fish tanks and other great tips about pet care, check out our blog!
Thank you for reading!