Molly fish are a type of freshwater aquarium fish that is popular as Poecilia Sphenops or short-tailed Molly. They are typically present in ponds and creeks throughout the world. Mollies usually grow around four inches long, with females being larger than males. For this, they must eat. But sometimes, Moly fish might not be eating. Do you know why?
There are many reasons why Molly fish is not eating. Sometimes Molly fish do not eat because of the poor water conditions, health issues. They do not find the food appealing, and when they are anxious or stressed out. Besides this, some fish might also stop eating when they feel lonely or when they get old.
In this post, we will discuss Molly fish and their eating habit.
What Does Molly Fish Eat?
Molly fish are omnivores and will eat a wide variety of food. They are not picky eaters, but they do have preferences. Molly’s diet will vary depending on whether or not the Molly is in a community tank with other fish species.
Molly Fish’s Diet In Aquarium
If you keep Molly in an aquarium without any other fish species to compete for food, it will most likely be fine eating flake foods and brine shrimp. Molly fish eat bloodworms, tubifex worms, daphnia, and plankton. Molly will not develop any health issues from eating these food items as long as you vary their diet with different foods every few days or so.
Molly’s Diet In A Community Tank
If Molly is sharing its tank with other fish species, then Molly will have to adapt its diet. Molly is a speedy swimmer, and as such, it needs energy from protein-rich foods to keep up with the rest of the community members. When sharing a tank, the best types of food for Molly are live brine shrimp, blood worms, or daphnia. Molly will have to compete for these protein-rich foods with the other types of fish in the tank.
What Is The Eating Habits Of Molly Fish?
When Molly is eating, they tend to eat small amounts very frequently throughout the day rather than one larger meal now and then. Molly’s digestive system is not super efficient, so you must feed your Molly often. Molly is usually a very active fish, so they burn through the food quickly. ut Molly will eat more than usual after an extensive exercise session or if Molly is pregnant.
How Often Should You Feed Molly Fish?
Molly fish need to be fed with proteins. You should feed them twice a day or even more if you have the time available for that. Molly fish will also not survive when they don’t eat for a couple of days, so make sure that the bowl where you put them has enough food in it at all times.
More than this, if Molly fish are eating well and growing regularly, there is no problem with Molly fish. Molly fish are not at risk of any issues when they eat well. But you should know that you should feed Molly fish with various types of food to grow fast and healthy.
How Much Molly Fish Food Should I Feed?
It depends on several factors such as your Molly’s age and size (the bigger he is, the less food he needs), how active it is, Molly’s metabolism rate, and other factors. You can use a scale to weigh your Molly fish to determine its weight after you feed it because this will help you adjust Molly’s food intake according to his eating habits.
You can give Molly fish about three to four food pellets, but Molly fish can eat up to ten pellets in one meal. Keep an eye on Molly’s body condition and adjust the amount accordingly because too much or too little of Molly’s food intake will affect his health negatively.
What Should You Feed Molly Fish?
Molly fish are omnivorous, which means they can feed on both algae as well as meat. Molly fish eat various live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, blood worms (frozen or freeze-dried), tubifex worms, plankton, daphnia, and even blackworms. If you don’t like to feed your Molly fish any of the above, you can feed them a high-quality flake or pellet food. Molly fish also enjoy eating fresh vegetables such as zucchini, peas, cucumber, and spinach.
What Should Not You Feed Molly Fish?
Molly fish are omnivorous and can eat anything like Molly fish food, vegetables, or plant matter. They will also feed on snails, shrimps, or other small aquatic creatures, but you should not provide their meat (from land animals) such as beef, chicken, etc. It is because Molly fish cannot digest too much meat protein, which will likely cause Molly death.
Besides this, some live plants are dangerous and toxic for Molly Fish. You should keep Molly fish away from plants like lilies, water lilies, or any other plant with leaves submerged in the tank all the time. Molly will eat these because they think it is food, but Molly’s death by toxic poisoning can result.
Why Is Molly Fish Not Eating?
Molly fish are curious and intelligent creatures. They like to eat various foods, such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, tubifex worms, and more. However, these fish can be picky when it comes to what they want to eat. Thus, it would be best to make sure that Molly has plenty of food in their tank.
Moreover, some of the reasons why Molly fish might not be eating are:
Molly Fish Might Not Be Eating Due To Illness
Molly fish are usually very hardy, but they can get sick. Some of the most common Molly diseases include swim bladder disease and mouth fungus. These illnesses degrade Mollies’ urge to eat. So, they will not want to eat, which makes them even weaker. So, it would be best if you kept an eye out for your Molly Fish’s health with regular Molly fish water tests.
Molly Fish Might Not Be Eating Due To Old Age
Molly Fish can live up to five years old and more. But they will eventually stop eating as they get older due to their age. These fish usually stop eating when they are older due to them not having the energy to eat.
As they stop eating, they will slowly get weaker over time and eventually die. So, be attentive about Mollies’ health issues and nutrition when they get old.
Molly Fish Might Not Be Eating Because They Are Lonely
Molly fish do best when you keep them in pairs or groups. This is because these fish like to be social and active. They love to swim around in the water. But when you keep Molly fish alone, they might suffer from depression and stops eating.
Molly Fish Might Not Be Eating Because They Feel Stressed
Like loneliness, Molly can feel stressed out very quickly if they don’t have enough tank mates or toys to play with. They are very social creatures, and they will not eat if they do not have companions to interact with them. Besides this, these fish are sensitive to environmental change.
When you move plants or decorations or even change the tank’s water, they will feel stressed due to the newer surroundings. As a result, they will stop eating.
Molly Fish Might Not Be Eating Because Their Tank Is Dirty
The water quality is a huge issue when it comes to Molly fish not eating. These fish need water that is clean and free of any toxins, chemicals, or anything else. Anything harmful in the tank can make your fish anxious. Molly fish are susceptible creatures when it comes to their environment. So you have to make sure their water quality stays pristine at all times.
How To Fix A Molly Fish That Doesn’t Eat?
It is a severe problem if Molly fish stops eating. Therefore, you should be careful and feed them properly to sure their growth and good health. Few tips to help feed Molly fish that is not eating are:
Give Many Treats
Molly fish are not only picky eaters. They also love to have variety in their diet. So you can fix Molly’s appetite problems by giving them more treats as a part of the feeding plan.
Try Different Types Of Food
Try different types of food and see how Molly reacts to this change. If you only feed them some particular kind of food, Molly will hate it and feel off-taste. So try different foods to make them eat properly.
Feed More Frequently
Molly fish can be a bit lazy when it comes to feeding time, so you have to increase the frequency of feeding for Molly. It is best to provide your Molly fish two times a day or more. After that, Molly fish will feel hungry and feed themselves.
Increase The Amount Of Food
Increase the amount of food for Molly to ensure they eat more than enough. But make sure you do not over-feed them as it can be dangerous or fatal for Molly if there is no space in their stomach to digest all that food.
Increase The Amount Of Water In Molly’s Tank
Change Molly’s water and make sure they have enough space to swim. Molly fish needs a lot of oxygen; therefore, you must keep their tank well-aerated by installing an air stone or air pump in their aquarium. Also, clean Molly’s tank regularly. Molly needs clean and healthy water to stay alive as Molly cannot live without it.
Consult With The Vet
It is also important for Molly fish owner to know the reason behind Molly’s not eating habit as if you feed them in the wrong way, they will stop eating even more, which can be very dangerous or fatal for Molly. If you own an aquarium with other Molly fish, you can be sure Molly will stop eating if their tank mates are bullying them. But sometimes, seeking the help of the Vet is the best idea.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Molly fish is a very peaceful and cute-looking community tropical species of freshwater that you can keep in the aquarium. They are relatively easy to keep as long as they have basic needs like clean water, proper temperature, and good food sources. But there comes a time when you will notice Molly fish is not eating, that something isn’t right. Molly fish will show some signs of illness before they die, so keep an eye out for their unusual habit.
Hopefully, this blog post resolved all your doubts about Molly fish and why Molly fish is not eating. Molly fish can be entertaining to keep a pet, but it also requires effort from the owner!
Thank you for reading. We hope you have a good day!