
The Molly is a tropical fish that prefers a little salt in their water. A teaspoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water will go a long way in helping them. You may also see them in saltwater tanks from time to time. There is a local reef store here that keeps black molly fish in a regular saltwater tank with similar sized species. The molly is a very attractive tropical fish that comes in many different colors such as orange, green and black. Some of the more popular varieties include the sailfin, balloon and the dalmation.
The Molly fish is a livebearing tropical fish that can be fairly easy to breed. For many aquarists the biggest problem is not getting them to breed but stopping them from breeding. If left in a tank with other adult fish, the baby mollies will get eaten.
Mollies will eat flakes, frozen, freeze dried and definitely live foods.
Molly Fish Picture
Scientific Name : Poecilia sphenops
Common Names : Lots of different types are available: Black Molly, Lyretail, Sailfin, Liberty, Mollie, Pointed Mouth, Short Finned, Mexican, Golden, Piebald, Ghost Pearl, Gold Dust, Red Sunset, Dalmation, Ballon, etc.
Care Level : Easy, very good for freshwater beginners if keeping a single sex. Keeping both sexes could cause problems since this fish is such a prolific breeder.
Size : 2 to 4 inches (5 - 10 cm) depending on the species
pH : 7.5 - 8.5
Temperature : 70°F - 82°F (21°C - 28°C)
Water Hardness : 10° to 25° dH
Origin / Habitat : Central America
Life Span : 3 - 5 years
Molly Fish Temperament / Behavior : Peaceful
Molly Fish Breeding : These are livebearers so it is fairly easy. Adding a little aquarium salt will help. Do you have a pregnant molly fish? Read the breeding guppies article for more information. That article talks about guppies and swordtails, but the process is very similar for the Molly fish babies.
Aquarium Size : 20 gallon minium, prefer tall aquariums
Molly Tank Mates : Not many - some feel they should only be kept with others of the same species.
Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment
Diet / Foods : Give them a varied diet consisting primarily of flake foods but supplement with live and freeze dried foods occasionaly.