Molly fish are some of the most popular freshwater aquarium species. They are also one of the easiest to care for, which is why they make a great starter pet for new hobbyists. But what does Molly Fish like in their tank?
There are undoubtedly many things that Molly fish like in their tank to be healthy and happy. Some include a little warmer temperature, slightly basic pH, regular water changes, live plants, some decorations, and friendly tankmates.
We will answer this question and more in this article!
What Type Of Fish Is Molly Fish?
Molly fish are members of the Poeciliidae family. They have a round body and come in bright colors such as orange, red, blue-green, or gold. Molly Fish originate from South America, but they can be present all around the world now. These fish are a type of livebearer fish which means they give birth to live young. These fish will typically carry anywhere from 30-100 babies at one time.
Molly fish lives in different types of water like fresh and brackish water. But most aquarists believe that they are more comfortable and healthy when kept in new or slightly salty water. Molly Fish can live for up to five years, and they usually grow anywhere from three-four inches in length. However, it would help if you only kept Molly Fish that are at least an inch long because when Molly fish get older, it is easier for them to reproduce.
Types Of Molly Fish
Mollies come in a variety of colors and types. The most common types of Molly fish are:
- Black Molly
- Lyretail Molly
- Mexican Sailfin Molly
- Peppermint Molly (Molly X Guppy)
- Balloon Molly (Molly X Platy)
- Cherry Barb Molly (Molly X Cherry Barb)
What Type Of Tank Should I Use For My Molly? 10 Things Molly Fish Like in Their Tank
Molly fish are freshwater, and you will need to pick which type of aquarium you want them to keep in the tank. For the best results possible, choose something that does not have sharp corners, so Molly’s delicate fins don’t stick on anything. Also, consider how much Molly fish you want in your tank. Molly fish can be very social, and they enjoy having a companion to swim.
However, the ten things Molly fish like in their tank are:
- Enough space in the tank. So, be attentive when you choose the ideal tank size for your Molly fish.
- Good water quality. Regularly change the water of the tank.
- You also need an excellent filter to keep the tank clean and clear of debris.
- An air pump with an airstone to keep the water moving.
- A heater, Molly fish are tropical and will die if their tank gets too cold.
- The substrate is at the bottom of the tank. Molly fish love to sift through the substrate with their mouths, so a good one will make them happier and healthier.
- Molly Fish like plants in the aquarium because they allow Molly fish to hide, sleep, and play. Good choices include live or plastic plants that have smooth surfaces, so Molly fish doesn’t stick.
- A good food supply with plenty of variety so Molly fish are healthy and happy.
- They also need a light in the tank to see at night when it is time to eat or play.
- And last but not least, Molly Fish like dechlorinated clean water.
What Temperature Does Molly Fish Like In The Tank?
Molly prefers the water temperature to stay between 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celsius) and 79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 Celsius). If you keep Molly fish outside this range, they will become stressed and develop problems with their immune system.
What Is The Best Filter For Molly Fish?
Molly fish like to have a clean tank, so you must invest in a good filter for your Molly’s home. Look for one that has an adjustable flow rate and a quick-release system for ease of maintenance. Molly’s doesn’t like a strong flow, so try to keep that in mind as you look at different filters.
Some of The filters best for Molly Fish Tank Are:
Fluval C Power Filter For Aquariums Up To 55gallons
The Fluval C is a larger filter with an adjustable flow rate and easy-to-remove cartridges for maintenance. This filter also comes with activated carbon to remove odors from Molly’s home and prevent discoloration in the water. One downside to this filter is that it needs paper sponges or other media to do Molly’s job.
Tetra Whisper Power Filter For Aquariums Up To 40 Gallons
This filter is an excellent option for Molly Fish tanks up to 40 gallons. This filter helps keep Molly Fish healthy by removing harmful chemicals and odors from the water and maintaining the tank clean.
MarineLand Penguin Bio-Wheel Power Filter For 50-75 Gallon Tank
The Marineland is another more effective filter option for the tank. This filter has an adjustable flow rate and easy-to-remove reusable cartridges, making Molly’s job easier. It also comes with a Bio-Wheel, which generates good natural bacteria for cleaner Molly Fish tank water.
Aqueon Quiet Flow 60-Gallon In-Tank Filter
This filter is excellent Molly Fish Tanks as it has an adjustable flow rate. It also comes with a quick-release, so you can easily change the media inside of the aquarium and clean up any fish waste that may stick on one side or another.
Eheim Internal Canister Filter
This filter is extremely quiet, and Molly Fish often prefers the water in their tank to be still, so having a sound filtration system that does not create too much of an impact on the tank’s movement will go a long way. Molly’s also likes a clean tank which makes this canister filter great because it has quick-release valves.
Molly Fish Tank Mates: What Can I Put In Molly Fish Tanks?
There are a few different kinds of tank mates you can have in your Molly fish tank, including other types of freshwater small-sized aquarium fish and plants. However, Molly Fish are live-bearers which means they give birth to their young, and Molly fish care can be costly. For this reason, you should only keep Molly fish with those of similar size so that they don’t eat their young ones or nip themselves.
In addition to other small-sized freshwater aquarium fish, Molly Fish can also live with their kind, but it is important to remember that Molly’s are very social. If you choose to put two Mollys in the same tank, make sure there are plenty of hiding spaces. Molly Fish will fight if they don’t have enough room or places to escape other fish bullying them.
Molly fish also like to eat plants, so you may want to avoid having live plants in your Molly’s tank if they share space with other types of fish.
What Is The Best Location For A Molly Fish Tank?
Molly fish do prefer a more warm environment as well as one without too much activity. Molly fish are very shy, and they like to have a place where they can retreat when it comes time for Molly’s care.
A Molly Fish tank in an office or family room is not likely the best idea, but placing one in your bedroom may be okay as long as you remember that Molly Fish sleeps during the day just like other types of fish.
Molly Fish are also very social, so it would be better to have another Molly or different types of small-sized freshwater aquarium fish as a tank mate for Molly Fish care purposes.
What Are The Best Plants For My Molly Fish Tank?
There are several live plants that Molly Fish enjoys living within their habitat. However, Molly’s likes to graze on the plants, so you may want to avoid having plants that are very difficult for Molly’s to eat, such as tall grasses or floating leaves, because Molly Fish will likely not be able to reach them, and they could cause Molly fish tank algae problems.
The best live plants Molly Fish enjoy living with include:
Anacharis: Molly Fish graze on the leaves of this type of plant, which makes it Molly-friendly.
Water Wisteria: This plant grows very low to the Molly fish tank floor, and Molly’s likes to eat it or swim through its vines, making it another Molly-friendly option for live plants in your Molly Fishtank.
Myriophyllum: Molly Fish loves this plant as it is Molly friendly and enjoys hiding in the plant leaves.
Vallisneria: Molly fish graze on Vallisneria, making it a popular choice for live plants to have with your Molly’s, but keep in mind that the grass-like blades can be difficult for Molly’s to eat. Molly Fish also likes hiding in the plant’s leaves.
Java Moss: Molly fish enjoy grazing off of this type of live moss, but it can be difficult for Molly’s to get enough food from eating the top layers, so make sure you supplement with algae wafers or other types of aquarium fish food Molly Fish care.
Bacopa: Molly Fish loves to eat Bacopa, and Molly’s also like swimming through the plants’ leaves, making this plant a Molly-friendly choice for live plants in your tank with Molly fish.
What Is The Best Food For Molly Fish?
Molly fish are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and meat. In the wild, Molly will feast on algae, plant matter, and small insects. In the Molly fish tank, you can feed them a mixture of both vegetation and protein food. Molly Fish will eat anything from flake foods to bloodworms or brine shrimp.
However, the best food for Molly fish are:
Algae Wafers
Molly fish will eat algae wafers almost immediately. Molly Fish loves to graze on the bottom of your tank, and such foods are perfect for that purpose. Algae wafers are full of various nutrients and are easy to digest by Molly fish.
Bloodworms
Molly fish loves to eat blood worms. However, you can feed them in moderation as Molly fish can be a little greedy and eat too many. Also, Molly Fish will get fat if you provide them bloodworms all the time as they contain high levels of lard, but in moderation, it is acceptable to give Molly Fish bloodworms every once in a while.
Brine Shrimps
Molly fish also love brine shrimp. You can buy it frozen, and Molly fish will love it. Molly Fish can be fed brine shrimp as a treat, but don’t do this too often, or Molly Fish will get fat.
Vegetables
Molly fish also like vegetables. So you need to buy some sinking wafers that look just like the algae wafers mentioned above and feed them once a week. Molly Fish will love it!
Pellets
You can also feed Molly fish pellets designed for bottom-feeding species of fish. These are good to use as they get all their nutrients from this pellet, such as protein, fat content, etc. You should Molly fish these foods at least once a day if your Molly fish is picky and always hungry. Molly Fish loves to eat these.
Flakes
Molly fish also like flakes, but they aren’t the best idea as it doesn’t have a lot of nutrients in them, and Molly Fish will constantly be grazing on them all day on,g which can make Molly Fish obese if fed this way regularly. You should feed Molly fish flakes if you have other fish in your Molly fish tank that may not be keen on algae wafers and pellets.
What Type Of Food Should I Avoid Feeding Molly Fish?
Molly’s are compassionate when it comes to their food. However, Molly fish have sensitive stomachs, and they don’t handle changes well in their diet, so you will want to avoid trying new foods too often.
Some of the foods that you should never feed Molly are:
Fried Foods: Molly’s have a sensitive stomach, and fried foods will only make this worse.
Raw or Undercooked Fish: Molly fish love their food fresh, so you should never give them raw seafood because they can become sick overnight from it.
Grains/Cereals: Most Molly fish requires a deficient carbohydrate diet. So, giving them too many grains or cereals can result in constipation or bloating. Always remember that these fish do not need too many carbs.
Banana Peels: Molly Fish will eat this no problem, but the banana has an enzyme that might make Molly sick if not eaten in moderation.
Avocado and Mango Seeds: The flesh of both fruits is delicate, but the seeds contain a substance that could kill Molly Fish.
What Type Of Decoration Should I Have In My Molly Fish Tank?
Molly fish like to have a few decorations in their tank, such as driftwood or rocks, for them to swim around, but you do not need to fill your Molly tank full. Molly fish like a bit of space so they can swim around and feel comfortable in their home.
The type of decoration Molly fish like in their tank are:
Decorative Rocks
Molly fish like to swim in and around rocks. So, please place some gems inside their tank. Molly fish like to have a few stones in their Molly tank.
Plastic Plants
Molly fish will not eat plastic so that it can be safe for them. Therefore, make sure the decoration is big enough so that these fish don’t stick inside them and that there are no sharp edges on the ornaments.
Driftwood
Driftwood or rocks for Molly fish: Molly fish like driftwood to swim around and feel comfortable in their home.
Some FAQs
What Is The Best Substrate For Molly Fish?
Molly fish requires fine gravel that is easy to clean. Molly fish like a fine substrate because they enjoy digging and burying their food. Clean the substrate regularly by doing a water change every week or two weeks depending on how many Molly fish you have in your tank. Molly fish are messy when it comes to the substrate, and they will create Molly’s tank very dirty.
How Many Molly Fish Should I Keep In The Tank?
Molly fish are very social creatures, and they like having companionship in their tank, but you should always keep an eye on Molly’s population levels as Molly can outgrow their tank. These fish loves moving around freely and need a lot of exercises.
So, you should never keep Mollies in a tank smaller than 20 gallons (76 liters).
Do Molly Like Lights In Their Tanks?
Molly is more nocturnal fish, so they don’t need light in their tank. In addition, Molly Fish do not like lights or bright colors on the wall of their tanks because they can distract the fish and induce illness.
The lights you can use in Molly fish tank are:
- Moon Lights, which Molly Fish find soothing to their eyes. They are not bright enough for Molly fish to become distracted by them.
- Artificial plant lights will make your tank look beautiful and naturalistic. These lights won’t distract Molly from swimming or eating because they are very soft or dim on the fish tank wall.
- Blue LED Moon Lights, Molly loves the blue light because it makes them feel calm and happy, perfect for your Molly Fish Tank when Molly needs to rest at night. This moonlight will not distract Molly from swimming or eating. Instead, they find this soothing, especially if you have a planted tank with many plants that need this light to grow.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Molly Fish are fascinating fish that can be very rewarding to own as pets. They also tend not to need large tanks and inexpensive food, so Molly Fish owners do not have a costly hobby like owning other pet fish types.
Molly Fish makes great additions for kids, especially families who want the children to learn how easy it is to care for pets and have a pet that can teach them about responsibility. They are straightforward to fish to take care of, so makes excellent starter fish for kids or people who want to get into owning pet fish without spending too much money on supplies or food.
Hopefully, Molly Fish does not mind living in a tank. Molly Fish will be able to live happy lives with Molly Fish owners.
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