Molly notes

How to take Care of Molly Fish

By Reuben Shannon © Fish Keeper ® Reuben Shannon is a Fish Keeper

Molly Fish Fun Facts 1) Mollies are usually often quoted as a easy going beginner fish and are usually quite cheap to buy at the local fish store.

2) The molly fish is a tropical fish that prefers salt in their water. A teaspoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water will greatly help them.

3) The Molly is a very attractive tropical fish that comes in many different colours such as orange, green, white and black. Some of the more popular varieties include the sailfin, balloon and the dalmation.

4) Mollies are popular in community aquariums, but you must keep an eye on them with species.That have long and flowering fins.

5) Mollies are omnivores and like to eat flakes, frozen, freeze dried and live foods.

Molly Fish Care Tips 1) Mollies need a minimum of 20 gallon size so that they can swim around constantly utilizing the entire space.

2) Add lots of artificial or live plants in your tank. Mollies like to have lots of hiding places 3) Keep at least 2 or 3 mollies for each male else you can keep all females.

This is because mollies are hyperactive and constantly chase the female mollies.

4) A simple foam filter or a hang on the back filter will do. Mollies like to swim around the surface of the water in search of food, avoid using filters that disrupt the water surface.

5) The water pH can between 6.5 to 8 i.e. moderately hard to very hard.

6) Molly fish are tropical fish that need an aquarium heater to maintain under temperature between 72 to 84 F (22 to 29℃).

7) Mollies are omnivores and in the wild they feed on small invertebrates, algae and plant matter. In the tank their favourite food are bloodworms,

daphnia, and brine shrimp. You can also feed them good quality flake food.

8) Mollies are a popular community fish but you need to keep an eye on them if you mix them with other fish that have long flowing fins. They tend to nip such fish. Also fish substantially smaller than molly shouldn’t be kept together as they tend to chase them and try to eat them if they can. The best tankmates for Mollies are other livebears like Platys, Swordtails etc.

All about Molly Fish

Orgin: Central America Size: 2 to 4 inches (5-10cm) Temperature: 70◦F-82◦F (21℃-28℃) Life Time: 3-5 years pH: 7.5-8.5 Water hardness: 10◦ to 25◦ dH

Molly fish are perfect fish for the starters. They are active colourful and easy to keep. You find them in many colours but the most knowing form of them is the black molly. Male molly fish do have a pointed analfin and females a shaped one.

How to Molly fish mate

Well when Molly fish are mating the male molly will swim after the female molly in a fast speed . While doing that you will see the male molly pushing hese head against the flank of the female. Like forplay. When the moment their is male molly will penetrate the female with hese pointed analfin.

Pregnancy When a molly is pregnant she will get a gravid spot like I marked on the picture above. Its hard to tell for a black molly. With black molly’s you can only see it in the shaped stomach. It will get bigger nor swollen and some days before she gives birth it will look squarish.

Giving Birth So you see what I mean with the squarish stomach before she gonna give birth. Well put her in a fry trap (available at fish store) or put many plants in your tank so the molly babies can hide untill they are big enough. Some fry will reach adulthood when they have enough hiding places.

The molly fry (babies) After pregnancy of 3-4 weeks the molly will give birth. She can give birth from 20-150 baby mollies. When they are born take the mother out of the fry trap course she and the adult fish will eat them. Leave the babies into the fry till they grow big enough. That will take 1 month maybe 1.5 month. Than you may place them into the main tank with the other fishes.

The fry trap Let it float your fish tank. When its full of water put down the mother fish into the places above. When she give birth the fry will fall through it the babies will be saved from eating. After giving birth place the mother fish back into the main tank and let the babies into the trap till they grow big enough.

How to breed molly fish Mollies are an ideal choice of bearing fish (i.e. they don’t lay eggs) to place in a community aquarium or fish tank. For the most part, mollies are very easy to breed. A single female can produce 100 baby mollies, also called fry, in one live birth. They also come in variety of colours, and work well with a wide community of other fish. Prepare your tank and yourself beforehand, and breeding mollies should be a breeze.