Molly fish is one of the most popular aquarium fish among aquarists, thanks to their vibrant look and easy-to-care nature. And, of course, they are one of the social fish that won’t mind living with other fish in the community tank. But these fish are livebearers, so what about livebearers? Will these fish mind livebearers in the same tank? Can Molly fish live with other livebearers?
Yes, molly fish can live with other livebearers as most molly fish compatible tankmates are livebearers and from their family. Hence, you can keep mollies with platies, guppies, swordtails, etc., in the molly fish tanka s long as you separate them during the breeding season or have a big enough tank.
We will be discussing more Molly fish and livebearers in this article. But, hopefully, this post will clear all your doubts regarding keeping and caring for a Molly fish.
What Are Livebearers?
Livebearers are a group of fish that give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. Mostly you will find them kept in aquariums due to their beautiful, often vibrant coloration and ease of care for an aquarist.
Molly Fish is one example of this type of fish, but there are many different species in the Livebearing family, such as Guppy and Swordtail.
While all livebearers are in the same family, they can vary significantly in size and temperament. For example, Livebearing fish such as Platies or Mollies will generally get along with any community tank mates.
In contrast, others like Swordtails are slightly aggressive towards other species members. Additionally, some might need more specialized care, such as the Bumblebee Goby, which requires brackish water to survive.
Are Molly Fish Livebearers?
The short answer is yes, Molly fish are livebearers. You can include Mollies in this group and Guppies, Platys, and Swordtails because they all share the same biological classifications as livebearing fish. Their reproduction method consists of bearing eggs that hatch into fry (babies).
The mother doesn’t release her milt over the eggs to fertilize them as other species do. Instead, she holds each egg between a small structure called plates or plaques on her anal fin until it hatches–similarly to how seahorses carry their offspring.
Is It True That Molly Fish Cannot Live With Other Livebearers?
It is a question that many Molly fish owners have asked themselves, mainly when they will introduce more livebearers into their tanks.
Honestly, it depends on what kind of tank setup you currently have installed in your home and other factors. However, if you can give these mollies a proper tank setup and the livebearers with similar compatibility levels, they can live happily in the tank.
However, you must also consider that if you have any aggressive or territorial breeds within your aquarium, this could cause some issues.
Therefore, before you decide to introduce any other livebearer species into your aquarium, it is best to research the compatibility levels between each type.
You can also speak with a professional about what kinds of fish would work best in your tank. It will help ensure success when introducing new breeds of livebearers into your home.
Can You Keep Molly Fish With Other Livebearers?
Yes, you can. It would be best not to worry about keeping Molly Fish with other livebearers. Molly fish species are peaceful, and they will not attack each other as long as they have enough hiding spots in the aquarium.
However, it would help if you always kept in mind that maintaining livebearers together will result in overcrowding.
As a matter of fact, your mollies will always appreciate the company of other fish in the tank. These fish are quite social and prefer the natural habitat vibe in the aquarium surrounded by other fish and friends.
Who doesn’t appreciate the diversity anyway? Just have a little faith and do tons of research about the livebearers compatible with molly fish before deciding.
How Can You Keep Molly Fish With Other Livebearers?
Now, I know you need things to hang on to and understand how keeping molly fish with other livebearers is alright. As long as the owner maintains the tank
To ensure the peaceful coexistence of Molly Fish with other Livebearers, here are some things to consider:
Plants And Hiding Spots
Livebearers are plant eaters, so providing live plants to graze on will help prevent overcrowding. You can keep plants like Amazon Sword, Java Ferns, and Anubias, to name a few.
Livebearers are active species that need places to hide when frightened or stressed. Therefore, it would help if you had an aquarium with rocks for enough hiding spots so Mollies would not feel threatened.
Also, keep in mind that the more livebearers you add to your tank, the higher the chance of overcrowding because each molly will need its hiding spot. So make sure not to overstock your aquarium just because it looks empty at first glance.
Number Of Fish
You cannot keep molly fish alone even when these mollies decline to form a school. But they do appreciate a company of their alike, especially when the male-to-female ratio is favorable.
You should not have more than three females per male because they can get aggressive when a female is ready to give birth (especially if the water temperature is relatively low).
In addition, females usually start showing their pregnancy by getting rounder after about two weeks into breeding. This happens regardless of whether or not she has mated successfully with a male.
It may be possible for one female to have multiple clutches at once, depending on how soon she releases them after giving birth.
Therefore, if you plan to have only one pregnant pair, you should remove the male immediately after the female gives birth.
Aquarium Size
Molly fish (and other livebearers) are not as difficult to care for as one would think, but you must provide enough space for them in their habitat.
You can estimate about two gallons of water per fish at a minimum because they like to play around a lot, so having more available room will prevent boredom and stress. The ideal tank size for six molly fish is 20 gallons, so decide accordingly when you add more fish.
Do note, however, that overstocking an aquarium with mollies may result in aggression between males which often results in death in smaller tanks where there aren’t many hiding spots or shelter from each other.
Temperature Needs
Most livebearers prefer warmer waters above 70 Fahrenheit, but some species may tolerate a bit cooler temperatures. Molly fish, for example, can live in water as low as 68 Fahrenheit.
Still, it would be best to avoid any lower than this because it will put them under unnecessary stress. Mollies may become susceptible to disease or other illnesses not related to the temperature of their environment.
Feeding
Most livebearers need meaty foods to stay healthy so try feeding your mollies small insects such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, blackworms, and daphnia.
Some species prefer plant matter over animal protein (such as vegetarians), so when there is an option, make sure you provide some algae-based flakes or pellets which aren’t going bad anytime soon.
Maintaining a tank with livebearers is not as easy as it seems, but the experience can be rewarding when done correctly.
What Are The Best Livebearers To Keep With Molly Fish?
Molly fish themselves are livebearers, and some people think they will only live with other molly fish. However, this is not the case!
Here are a few types of livebearers you can keep together:
With Mollies Themselves
Your mollies may not school together, but they sure prefer having each other side by side. You will find your mollies swimming happily if you keep six molly fish together in the tank.
Take a 20-gallon tank and set it up properly so that the shoal of six mollies has enough space to swim around and explore their new home.
Platies
These guys love to swim in schools and get along with many different fish species. They come in tons of beautiful colors, too, so it’s fun just admiring them all day long!
You need to keep at least six platies in the tank and six mollies to run the tank smoothly. Do not make your fish lonely and all alone in the tank.
Guppies
Like platies, guppies usually congregate in groups and have many peaceable behaviors. A lot of pet store employees seem to recommend these guys as well, but I’m personally more partial towards my platy friends myself 🙂
You will fall in love with these fish and always prefer keeping mollies and guppies together. However, there are instances where breeders have invested effort to breed these together.
Swordtails
These active swimmers are perfect for beginners because they are so hardy. They also come in different colors and are just as fun to watch swim around the tank!
Remember to keep them in a group, my friend. This fish with a long tail will probably feel lonely when you keep them alone in the tank full of mollies.
Some FAQs
Do Molly Fish Eat Plants?
Yes, molly fish are omnivores which means they eat plants, meat, or both at the same time! Hence, you will see them nibbling the leaves of plants present in the tank if the hunger takes over.
It is best to understand that your molly fish needs live plants in the tank. These aquarium plants will tank the natural feel and maintain the oxygen level in the tank.
But remember, mollies do not prefer a densely planted tank that doesn’t give them enough space to swim around. So try to keep the number of live and artificial plants low and subtle.
Mollies mostly enjoy and eat algae present on rocks instead of plant roots that grow out from the substrate. But do not depend on your molly fish to clean the tank and get rid of algae naturally.
Does Molly Fish School?
Mollies are not schooling fish, but it doesn’t mean these molly fish prefer to stay alone in the tank. You have to keep at least six mollies in a 20-gallon tank to see them happy and healthy.
However, it is essential to make sure that the water condition of your tank is up-to-date. Similarly, you must maintain the aquarium’s water temperature, molly fish dietary needs, and the number of fish in the tank.
They are prone to diseases and infections if you expose them to a polluted or overcrowded environment for too long.
Therefore, keeping Molly fish in optimum tank condition and a certain number of fish will ensure their survival within an aquarium environment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is a myth that livebearers won’t go or can’t live together. Trust me, mollies and guppies will breed together if you keep them in the right tank conditions. Hence, before jumping to a conclusion, please research well about the tank mates that are compatible with your molly fish. You will find quite a few livebearers making to the top of the molly fish tankmates list.
Finally, always remember that what matters most is the well-being of your fish. Don’t neglect them or own too many in one tank just because it looks good or sounds fun.
Thank you for reading this post! Would you please comment below if you have any further questions or concerns about Molly fish?
Fishkeeping is very enjoyable if you do it appropriately.
Good Luck!!
Happy Fishkeeping!!
