Mollies are one of the most marvelous myriad species that you can keep in your aquariums. There are numerous molly fish that are also available in the fish market. As for example, balloon mollies have rounded broad bellies with an arched back where sailfin molly has huge dorsal fins. When you’re a newcomer to fish keeping, various molly fish can be quite confusing in that condition.
Today’s in this article, we’ll discuss the top ten different types of molly fish. Also some important information for when you add them to your fish tank.
What are The Different Types of Molly Fish?
As we mentioned before, there are numerous types of molly fish.
When you know about their history, recognizing them is reasonably easy.
In general, all molly fish can be divided into three groups. It’s depending on their body shape, color appearance, and fin configuration. Anyway, all molly fish are genetically linked or crossbreed with these three species:
Sailfin Molly | Poecilia latipinna |
Short-finned Molly | Poecilia sphenops |
Yucatan lyretail Molly | Poecilia velifera |
When it comes to colors, all molly fish is derived from only three basic colors. These colors are white, black, and orange.
They also include fin configuration that sailfin mollies contain sail-like long fins.
Where’re short-finned mollies contain a stunning small harp tail. The bred balloon molly is identified by their larger belly and rounded body with arched backs.
Most importantly, Molly fish is originally from the Americas and Mexico. They are almost living like their near relatives such as endlers, platies, or guppie fish.
All are also naturally healthy and very simply required to care. All together it makes them beautiful and beneficial for beginners.
Can Different Types of Molly Fish
Mate (Breed)?
It’s a fact that all molly fish are the same species. Different types of molly fish can be mated due to this reason. Male molly will easily fertilize with females in case of any color or fin configuration. Importantly, they are capable of producing around a hundred newborn mollies.
Will Various Mollies Live Together?
All molly fish are a similar species, and they’ll live together with breeding.
At first, you have to establish their fish tank
before adding them. This setup may take some days but once you establish it, your molly will happily live together.
Top Ten Types of Molly Fish
As we mentioned earlier, molly fish have different color variations, individual fin configurations with body shapes. Here are the most popular molly fish that you can add to your aquarium.
Black Sailfin Molly: The black sailfin molly or sailfin molly is simply a black color substitution of the Poecilia latipinna. This is a peaceful fish that lives in a company with one male and many females. They
can share a single tank with other hard water peaceful fish.
Male and female both sailfin have a rounded anal fin, so they need a tank of at least 30 gallons with plants and plenty of places to swim.
Your aquarium should be well built with well planted with plants that can resist a small number of salt like Java fern
and Java moss.
Sailfin mollies are omnivores, so give them a rich diet that contains flake foods, algae wafers, and herbivores food.
Similarly, give them freeze-dried, frozen, or live meaty foods such as bloodworms
and brine shrimp.
Black Sailfin Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | Up to 5 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 30 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 75°F to 82°F
pH 7.5 to 8.5 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Dalmatian Molly: Dalmatian molly has a black and white body and they are related to the saffin or marbled molly. This is another famous color variation of Poecilia latipinna.
You can not only keep this fish in
a freshwater fish tank but also a saltwater aquarium. But, you have to add a single teaspoon of salt in every gallon of water in a freshwater fish tank.
Another important thing, your fish tank should be heavily surrounded by plant
to improve the development of young fry along with hiding spots.
Dalmatian molly has a larger dorsal fin and pointed anal, so they need at least a
50-gallon tank.
They also require an excellent filtration system due to their appetites that make a heavy bioload.
You can add Java fern, Sagittaria, Vallisneria, and anubias types of aquarium plants in your fish tank.
They are compatible with other peaceful fish in a community tank due to their peaceful character.
As similar to all mollies, dalmation Molly is omnivorous and needs to give algae.
So, you have to give them an algae-based flake food with some freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Dalmatian Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | Up to 5 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 50 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 68°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 7.8. |
Care Level | Moderate |
Golden Sailfin Molly: Golden sailfin molly is an excellent fish for any hobbyists who are searching for strong fish with blowing colors. They are widely known for their bright orange coloration. Another thing that makes them different from others, they are very productive, breeding around every 45- 60 days with couples.
Maintain your golden sailfin mollies in a 20-gallon tropical aquarium with a lot of plants and hard water. Also, add a single teaspoon of salt for each gallon of water, it is helpful for these fish.
Golden sailfin molly will grow up to six inches in size, so you’ll keep them in a 20-gallon fish tank. They are usually peaceful and can comfortably live together with other hard water fish.
Golden molly is categorized as omnivores, so give them a sufficient plant diet that will contain algae wafers and sometimes give them frozen mosquito larvae. That said, put out some care while keeping golden mollies as they’ll feed on aquatic plants. Also, keep the only male or female golden mollies to avoid unexpected babies in your aquarium.
Golden Sailfin Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 4 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 20 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 68°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 8.0 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Gold Dust Molly: It’s a variation of the short-finned molly in addition to half black and golden color. They are also known as gold panda molly and suitable for those who like black molly but need a colored one. Gold dust molly is peaceful in nature. So, they are suitable for other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They are omnivorous and feed on meaty food along with algae. So, you have to give your gold dust fish any algae-based flake food along with freeze-dried bloodworms
or brine shrimp.
Gold Dust Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 2 to 5 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 25-30 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 72°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 8.0 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Platinum Lyretail Molly: Platinum lyretail molly is also known as the name of Yucatan molly, Mexican lyretail, giant lyretail, or just lyretail molly.
They are a peaceful color variant from Poecilia velifera and mostly prefer hard water. As similar to other mollies, they have an excellent adaptation ability to variation of salt levels. For this reason, they can live in freshwater fish tanks and saltwater aquariums.
These fish need a heavily planted 30-gallon tank due to the fact that they will grow up to five inches in size. Besides, any floating plants will give sufficient hiding spots for your molly fish.
Though these peaceful fish are excellent community species, it’s important to keep them together with other peaceful fish. Lyretail molly is omnivorous, so you have to feed them meaty food along with plant substances. Algae-based flake food can be used as an excellent basis meal, sometimes also giving the freeze-dried blood worms.
Platinum Lyretail Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 3 to 5 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 30 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 75°F to 82°F
pH 7.5 to 8.5 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Balloon Molly: Balloon molly has a rounded belly and an arched back with a color variation of white, yellow, and black. They are an impressive breed of sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) adapted by a diversity of salt levels.
You can keep this fish in a 20 to 30-gallon aquarium planted with aquatic plants such as Java fern and anubias.
They also require a regular filtration system due to their appetites that make a heavy bioload.
These fish are peaceful, so they are suitable for any community tanks. But, always keep them in the condition of hard water along with tank mates.
They are omnivorous and need both meaty foods along with algae. So, you have to feed your gold dust molly with algae-based flake food along with freeze-dried bloodworms or brine shrimp.
Balloon Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 3 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 20 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 68°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 8.0 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Harlequin Sailfin Molly: This is another multicolor beauty patch and considerably convenient for the community. Like other mollies on our list, this is also peaceful and requires a well-planted aquarium with a lot of hiding space.
You have to use a 30-gallon fish tank due to the fact that they will grow up to six inches in size. Always give your harlequin an omnivorous diet containing plant matter and algae wafers. Sometimes, give them frozen mosquito larvae.
Harlequin Sailfin Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 3 to 6 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 30 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 68°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 8.0 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Gold Doubloon Molly: They have the coloration of the harlequin molly devoid of the dorsal fin. This fish has a gold and black color design with short-finned variety.
They are powerful, playful but peaceful to happily live in community tanks. This fish will require hard alkaline water and will not grow in soft or acidic water. As a result, add a teaspoon of salt in every gallon of water for better health. Anyway, they are also adjustable with a variety of salt levels in the aquarium.
Always keep your gold doubloon mollies in a 30-gallon tank with hard water conditions.
Gold doubloon is omnivorous, so give them a diet that contains both meaty foods and plant matter. You can give your mollies algae-based flake food as a regular feed along with sometimes freeze-dried
bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Gold Doubloon Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 2 to 5 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 30 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 68°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 8.0 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Marble Lyretail Molly: This peaceful fish is a color potion of poecilia sphenops and differentiate by a particular black and white shade. They will require alkaline hard water conditions and also uneasy to soft acidic water. Although, they have adaptation ability to salt levels, therefore put one teaspoon of salt on every gallon of water. This fish tank will require a 30-gallon fish tank with a lot of algae.
Marble mollies are omnivorous
as like most mollies. So, regularly give them meat and plant containing diet.
You can give them algae-based flake food
as a regular feed, sometimes freeze-dried
bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Marble Lyretail Molly Overview | |
Fish Size | 2 to 3 inches |
Fish Nature | Peaceful |
Tank Size | 20 to 30 gallons |
Tank Condition | Temperature 68°F to 82°F
pH 7.0 to 8.0 |
Care Level | Moderate |
Black Lyretail Molly: Black lyretail molly is a variety of poecilia latipinna, as similar to black sailfin. They also have adaptation abilities with a diversity of salt levels in the fish tank. For this reason, these fish can be sustained either freshwater fish tank
or saltwater fish tank.
Black lyretail molly will grow one to five-inch in size and need a fish tank of 20 to 30 gallons. Also, add some aquarium plants such as Java fern and Sagittaria.
A proper filtration system is also important due to the fact of hearty appetites that occur in a bioload.
Black lyretail is omnivorous as similar to other mollies. So, you have to feed them meat and a plant containing a diet.
You can regularly feed them algae-based flake food and occasionally feed them freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.
pH 7.0 to 7.8
Black Lyretail Molly Overview
Fish Size
1 to 5 inches
Fish Nature
Peaceful
Tank Size
20 to 30 gallons
Tank Condition
Temperature 68°F to 82°F
Care Level
Moderate
Conclusion:
All around, these ten different types of molly fish can peacefully live together and mate. They all have similar water and temperature requirements with few exceptions. Also, they all prefer hard water with a high salt level, even though all will not resist in saltwater aquariums.
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