Molly Fish Food & Diet
What is this? Beyond algae, these fish enjoy
blanched vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and zucchini
. The occasional high-protein snack is appreciated, too. Mollies will accept live or frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp.
How much should I feed my black molly?
You should strive to feed them vegetables
at least once per week, but twice if you can
. The base of a Black Mollies diet should be a high-quality flake food, such as the TetraMin Flake by Tetra. We get ours from Chewy.com, it's less than $5 a tub and it's the best flake food I've ever used.
How much should I feed my pregnant Molly fish?
Feed them a small amount of food
three to five times a day
.
How long can mollies go without food?
| Type of fish: Period it can safely live with no food: | Danios up to 14 days | Tetras up to 10 days | Platies between 10 and 14 days | Mollies up to 2 weeks |
|---|
How many mollies can be in a 10 gallon tank?
You can put
three mollies
in a 10-gallon tank. As a general rule, an inch of fish requires one gallon of water. In captivity, mollies usually grow to be 3–4.5 inches long, so each fish will need around three gallons of water to swim freely.
Do molly fish get lonely?
Mollies do not get agitated or aggressive when separated from each other unlike other schooling fish like Tetras or Barbs. However,
your Molly might get lonely if kept alone
.
Do mollies clean the tank?
Indeed,
Mollies can help you keep your aquarium free of algae and relatively clean
. They do so by picking and eating the algae that naturally grow on the rocks and plants of your aquarium.
Do molly fish need salt?
It's their tolerance of salt that led to the myth they require salt to be healthy. That is not true,
they don't
. That said, they do seem to prefer hard, alkaline water. Your use of cichlid salts to increase the hardness and pH is appropriate.
What happens when overfeeding fish?
When you overfeed your fish,
they produce a lot more waste than they normally would
. That waste is what releases ammonia and nitrates into the water, which is of course not good. At the same time, uneaten food that is not removed from the fish tank also begins to decay, thus creating even more ammonia and nitrates.
Do mollies eat algae wafers?
Mollies are always hungry since they don't have a stomach and
they love to eat algae wafers also
. It is extremely important to control their feeding process and give your mollies at least one day off in order to avoid obesity.
Can molly fish eat goldfish flakes?
Both goldfish and mollies are omnivores, so
in theory mollies should be able to eat goldfish food
. With that being said, goldfish do require more fiber in their diet than mollies. So, you can feed your mollies some goldfish food on occasion, but it definitely should not be a regular occurrence.
How many fry does a molly have?
Gestation and Birth
Female mollies will gestate their young for about 60 days. They can give birth to
between 40 and 100
fry. Mollies that are young or are having one of their first few pregnancies will tend to give birth to a smaller rather than larger number of fry.
Do mollies eat babies?
Cannibalism is normal with mollies
and other livebearers like guppies and platys. As fecund as they are, you don't really need to worry about saving every last one.
How long is molly fish in Labour?
The fish birthing process can take
1 – 24 hours
. It sounds like your molly gave birth while you were away, but the rest of her offspring became food for the other fish. It is unlikely that the baby fish will be able to survive around the other fish.
How do you know when fish are hungry?
- Your fish is digging around the substrate (searching for food).
- Waiting and the top of the aquarium (for feeding time).
- Behavior changes (aggression).
- Noticeable weight/size changes.
- Slow or sluggish behavior.
Do aquarium fish recognize their owners?
Surprisingly, science has found that
fish are capable of recognizing their owner's face
, even if the owner is standing by the tank with other people. Fish can develop an association between something they like, being fed, with the person who feeds them.
Do fish get bored in a fish tank?
Fish-keepers sometimes see their pets ‘glass surfing' – swimming repeatedly up and down the glass of the tank. This could be the aquatic equivalent of the pacing of a captive tiger that's bored from a lack of stimulation. But
the fish could also be stressed from an overcrowded or unfamiliar tank.
How many mollies can you keep together?
Mollies tend to stick together most of the time, which is why you should keep them in groups of
4 or more
. If you are planning to keep more than 4 mollies, make sure you get a 20-gallon tank at least.
What temperature do mollies like?
Mollies are a tropical fish that needs temperatures in the range of
75°-80°F (24°-26.7°C)
. A heater is an absolute necessity that will keep the water warm and hold it at a steady temperature.
Can you keep only male mollies?
It is recommended that only one male molly be kept in a tank
since males will fight with each other to establish a dominant alpha fish. With this type of fish, you should stick to the 1 gallon of water per 1′′ of fish. Since mollies usually grow up to 2′′, a 10 gal tank should have no more than 4-5 fish.
Can a Molly live with a Betta?
Some of the main things to remember when adding mollies and bettas together are:
Mollies survive better in slightly brackish water
, while you may think bettas wouldn't like this the international betta congress approve of using aquarium salt as a general preventative and believe it's also beneficial to bettas.
How do you tell the difference between a male and female Molly?
Males are more torpedo-shaped and have bigger fins than females
. The males also have pointed gonopodia, modified anal fins they use to mate with females. Dominant male mollies intensify in color and grow larger fins to produce a mating show for females or to show dominance to other males.
Why do mollies raise their fins?
Male mollies often raise their dorsal fin
when threatening rival males or trying to impress potential mates
.
Can mollies live in tap water?
Yes, mollies can live in tap water
. Mollies are very hardy and can tolerate various living conditions quite easily. With that said, you need to beware of water contaminants. Tap water in certain areas may be contaminated with heavy metals or chemicals that can harm your fish.
Do mollies eat snails?
Most fish do not eat the snails' shells. Larger fish may though. The molly may pick at the snail to see what it is and if it is edible but,
unless the snail is very very small, I can see it eating the snail
.
Can mollies be kept in cold water?
No, Black Mollies can not live in cold water
. Black Mollies are a tropical species of fish and as such need to be kept in water which is between 76°F and 80°:F (24°C to 26°C). For most aquarium setups, Black Mollies will require an aquarium heater to raise the temperature to a sufficient level.
