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Badman's Tropical Fish
Home Fish Profiles Molly Fish: What’s the Average Lifespan of This Fish?


MOLLY FISH: WHAT’S THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF THIS FISH?

By
Patrice Chandler
-
June 19, 2024
 * Author
 * Recent Posts

Patrice Chandler

With more than 15 years in the fishkeeping industry, I have set up, maintained,
and tweaked hundreds of aquarium setups and models, each experience teaching me
something new and valuable. As a graduate in animal welfare, I have also been
involved with major associations in the field (Assn of Zoos and Aquariums,
MASNA).
Latest posts by Patrice Chandler (see all)
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Molly fish, also known as black molly fish, is an amazing choice for beginner
aquarists to keep in their aquariums. They have various colors, but all belong
to the same breed.



Read this detailed guide about molly fish to learn how to keep and care for
these fish the right way to keep them healthy and active!

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 * What is Molly Fish?
 * Stats
 * Molly Fish Care
 * Overview
 * Types of Molly Fish
 * Breeding
 * Behavior and Temperament
 * Tank Mates
 * Molly Fish’s Diseases
 * Are Molly Fish Good for Your Fish Tank?
 * Conclusion


WHAT IS MOLLY FISH?

Molly fish are popular freshwater tropical fish due to their vibrant colors and
easy to care for nature. If you plan to get a molly fish, you get a lot of
options because they are different types of molly fish.

Molly fish’s vibrant colors make them an attractive addition to your fish tank,
having in mind how they are one of the most friendly fish pets that live in
freshwater. 




STATS

Before we move on to the details of molly fish, let’s have a quick glance at the
molly fish’s stats.

Scientific name Poecilia sphenops Family Poeciliidae Common name Molly, Molly
fish, black molly fish Tank size 10 gallons or more depending upon the molly
fish type Lifespan 3 – 5 years Ease level Easy Behaviour and temperament
Peaceful Tank type Community tank Diet Omnivorous Size 4 – 5 inches Temperature
77 – 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit pH 7.0 – 8.0 Water hardness 20 – 30 dKH


MOLLY FISH CARE

The caregiving process to this fish is an easy thing to do which makes them a
perfect fish for beginners too, although the care is easy, it’s specific too. As
long as you ensure that your fish tank has the following conditions and things,
your molly fish will survive.










– WATER PARAMETERS

The natural habitat of molly fish varies greatly, and so do their water
conditions. You can find molly fish in freshwater rivers, brackish water, and in
the ocean too. All these natural habitats have different water parameters.

Molly fish are hardy and can adjust to different freshwater environments.
Preferably, your molly fish will be happy with warm water having a neutral pH,
hence you don’t need to add salt to the fish tank to keep your molly fish
healthy. The ideal water parameters for molly fish are:

Temperature: 77 – 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit



pH: 7.0 – 8.0

Water hardness: 20 – 30 dKH

To keep the water conditions in the required range, you can keep the test kit.
It will help you keep a check on the tank water conditions and make the
necessary adjustments.


TANK SIZE

Most molly fish can live happily in a 10 gallons tank size, making sure that
you’ll need a bigger tank for your molly fish depending upon the type of molly
fish you choose. For example, if you want Yucatan or Sailfin molly fish, you’ll
need more space because these fish are bigger in size. 



Another factor determining the tank size is the number of molly fish you want to
keep. For each molly fish that you add to the tank, the required tank size will
increase by three to four gallons. 

Therefore, you have to transfer your molly fish to a bigger tank. It’s always
recommended to choose big tanks for your molly fish if you have sufficient space
since bigger tanks allow your molly fish to move more actively in the tank,
which improves your fish’s overall health.


DIET

Molly fish food requirements are simple knowing that they are omnivores, they
can eat plant-based food as well as meat. In addition, you’ll also occasionally
see your molly fish feeding on the algae growing in the tanks, simply by the
help of their lips, they remove the algae from the rocks, plants, and glass of
the tank.



However, they are not very good algae eaters and only consider it an optional
food when they don’t have anything else to eat.

You can give your molly fish vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and zucchini. On
the other hand, they also love eating brine shrimp, bloodworms, and daphnia.
Additionally, commercial flakes and pallets are also great options if you need
an easy option for feeding your molly fish. You should alter its diet frequently
to ensure it gets a balanced amount of all the required nutrients.


– TANK SETUP

The best tank setup for molly fish is the one that closely resembles their
natural habitat. That means you can add many plants, driftwood, and other things
to provide enough hiding places for the fish. Noting that algae growth in fish
tanks is another thing for keeping the molly fish happy in their tank.



Additionally, you can add sand or gravel as a substrate at the bottom of the
fish tank. Keep in mind that molly fish are mostly present in the middle and
upper part of the fish tank, which means they won’t stay for long near the
substrate, so you can also skip this.

If you want to add sand substrate for plants, it’s better to add aragonite sand,
because it can hold plants firmly and is also the source of essential minerals
in the water.


– LIGHTING AND FILTRATION

Molly fish are not very demanding when it comes to lighting. They can do well in
standard lighting too. However, plants in the fish tank will need light, and
your molly fish needs plants in the tank.



Therefore, you have to ensure that the lighting your fish tank receives is
enough to keep tank plants green and growing.

Besides lighting, the tank should have a strong filtration system, as they
produce a lot of waste in the fish tank. Even if you keep a small group of molly
fish, they can raise the levels of ammonia and nitrate to a toxic level.
Therefore, choose a powerful filtration system that can remove these wastes
produced by molly fish.


OVERVIEW

Molly fish are the most popular freshwater fish for community tanks due to their
peaceful nature. With easy-to-maintain requirements, they are the best option
for beginner, experienced and seasoned aquarists. The section below covers a
brief overview of the fish to help you understand the care and other
requirements better.




– ORIGIN

Molly fish are found in the freshwater bodies of North, South, and Central
America. Most of the molly fish types were found in the slow-moving tropical
rivers. Even though they are found worldwide in huge numbers, America has a lot
of them in the lower southern gulf regions.

Additionally, in the wild, the natural habitat of the fish contains a lot of
vegetation, although they can also be found in the rivers that flow into the
gulf waters.


– APPEARANCE

Although there are many types of molly fish, most of the types have a similar
appearance. 



A flattened body and a triangular-shaped head are common features that you’ll
see in all the molly fish. They have a wide midsection, and the body shape gets
a narrow shape towards the snout end. Moreover, the body also becomes narrow at
the base of the fan-shaped tail.

 * MALE VS FEMALE MOLLY FISH

Male and female molly fish can be easily distinguished by looking at the
following differences:


 * Female molly fish have a bigger body than male molly fish.
 * The rounded abdomen is a characteristic of female molly fish. A clear
   “gravid” spot is also present in females, which is used to keep the young
   fish during pregnancy.
 * The shape of the anal fin is different in male and female molly fish. In
   females, the anal fin has a triangular shape, whereas in males the anal fin
   has a modified shape. Additionally, the Anal fin in males have a tube-like
   shape and is also called a gonopodium.


LIFESPAN

Most of the molly fish lifespan is three to five years. If you need a need with
a longer lifespan, then molly fish isn’t perfect for you, however, if this is
not your requirement, you can keep molly fish.  Some types can even live longer
than the average lifespan, this can be asked about during the time of your
purchase.



Furthermore, the lifespan of molly fish is significantly impacted by the level
of care you’ll provide. Poor care and living conditions can make them sick
leading to an early death.


– SIZE

In fish tanks, freshwater molly fish can grow up to four to five inches when
fully mature. Due to its manageable size, they can be easily kept in fish tanks.
The growth is directly proportional to the level of care, food, tank
environment, etc.

Sailfin molly fish size can be even bigger than the average size. These type can
grow five to six inches in length, hence, you’ll need bigger tanks for keeping
Sailfin molly fish.


TYPES OF MOLLY FISH

Like most people, if one fish comes to your mind when you hear about molly fish,
then continue reading. There are different types of molly fish found in natural
habitats and formed due to breeding. All types can be broadly classified into
two major categories:


– NATURAL MOLLY FISH TYPES

Natural molly fish types are those four basic varieties that are present in the
wild. These include:

 * SHORT-FINNED MOLLY FISH

Also known as the common molly fish, the scientific name of the short-finned is
Lat. Poecilia sphenops, which is a common type has been used to create black
molly fish via selective breeding.



However, due to the dim colouring of this natural, it’s not commonly found in
aquariums nowadays. Instead, its variant, black molly fish, is a popular choice
among aquarists. With short fins, these fish can grow two to four inches in
size, where the female short-finned are bigger than the male ones.

 * LIBERTY MOLLY FISH

Liberty molly fish or Lat. Poecilia salvatoris was considered a type of Poecilia
sphenops. These are not commonly kept in fish tanks due to their aggressive
nature towards tank dwellers among other molly fish. Although not very popular
among aquarists, Liberty molly fish have an attractive colouring, noting that
these are mostly found in EL Salvandor waters.

 * YUCATAN MOLLY FISH

They are also known by the scientific name Lat, Poecilia velifera. These types
have a silver-coloured body and can grow up to six inches in size. The
distinctive feature of the Yucatan molly is the huge size of the dorsal fin,
which may be up to three inches. Due to its big size, these fish need spacious
tanks for survival.

When you’re choosing tank mates for Yucatan molly fish, you have to be careful.
Avoid adding tiger barbs or other fishes that can bite and harm the fins of
Yucatan.

 * SAILFIN MOLLY FISH

The scientific name specified for Sailfin molly fish is Lat. Poecilia latipinna.
These fish resemble Yucatan molly fish a lot. They have well-developed dorsal
and tail fins like Yucatan molly fish.



However, the color of Sailfin molly is different, through the body of these fish
and how it’s tall and elongated, becoming flat on the sides. In the wild, males
often grow bigger than females.


– SELECTIVE BREEDS

The selective breeds are formed due to the cross-breeding of the natural molly
fish types, where cross-breeding is done to get different color variations. Some
common types of molly fish produced by selective breeding are mentioned below.

 * GOLDEN MOLLY FISH

Golden molly fish don’t always have yellow-orange color, the color of these fish
can be different based on the type. Moreover, tank conditions also influence the
coloration of molly fish, as they are hardy fish and can adjust to a variety of
tank conditions.

 * BLACK MOLLY FISH

Black molly fish are the most popular and easy to care for molly fish type. They
are the best option for beginners who don’t know anything about fishkeeping.

The elongated body, dark black-blueish color, and flat body sides make it a
stunning addition to small fish tanks too. Black molly fish aren’t very big, so
you can easily keep them in a tank with limited space.

 * WHITE MOLLY FISH

White molly fish is a general term that can often be used for natural molly fish
types, to be more specific, it’s used for the artificially bred type of molly
fish. White molly fish are the hybrids of Poecilia velifera or Poecilia
latipinna.



The primary distinctive feature of White molly fish is the uniform silver body
color and the semi-transparent fins. Based on the species used for breeding,
Velifera or Latipinna, the size of mature White molly fish can vary. In this
case, Male White molly fish are bigger than female fish.

 * DALMATIAN MOLLY FISH

Dalmatian molly fish is another molly fish type that isn’t found in the wild.
These fish are also artificially bred to create a color variation. The Dalmatian
fish has a unique body-color pattern.

The skin surface of these fish is white and covered with black spots and
speckles. On the other hand, the body pattern of these fish gets them the name
Dalmatian molly fish because the pattern is similar to the Dalmatian dog’s body
color pattern.

 * BALLOON MOLLY FISH

If you see a molly fish with a short body structure but a large belly, it’s
Balloon molly fish. Its body color varies hence it can be black, red, orange or
white. Balloon molly fish have a short lifespan and need extensive care because
their innards are pressed and lessened. If you feel that you can provide good
care, they are great for variegating your aquarium.

 * GOLD PANDA MOLLY FISH

Gold Panda molly fish is a rare selective breed. The name of these fish
corresponds to their body color, as they have a rare black end with a golden
face and middle body area. The dense black eyes of Gold Panda molly fish make it
a highly captivating fish in the fish tanks.




BREEDING

Breeding molly fish is extremely easy because they breed actively and naturally
without any help from humans. Molly fish are livebearers and instead of laying
eggs, the female fish carries them inside her belly, as the eggs are ready to
hatch, they are released into the water.

If you want the newly produced molly fish to survive, it’s better to breed molly
fish in a separate tank having controlled conditions. Tanks with slightly warmer
temperatures are usually preferred by molly fish that are ready to breed.

You can identify when a female fish is ready to give birth as it forms a balloon
shape during pregnancy. The duration to form mature molly fish inside the female
is about 35 to 45 days, as the fish is ready to give birth, shift them to a
breeding box.

The breeding box is important due to the absence of any parental instincts in
molly fish. They can attack their own newborns and try to eat them when hungry.


– CAN YOU BREED DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOLLY FISH?

Yes, you can breed different types of molly fish. As the genus of the molly fish
types is the same, there is no problem breeding them; however, the different
varieties of molly fish are often obtained by cross-breeding of the different
types.

When kept in the tank, a single male molly fish can breed with almost all the
females in the tank. Even if you have more than one male molly fish, most
females will breed with the most vibrantly colored male.




BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT

Molly fish are easy-going fish and are peaceful when kept in the community
tanks, they are social and like to be in the presence of at least four fish. If
the groups are larger than this, it’s even better for your the fish.

These lively creatures are active swimmers in the tank and want to explore
everything. Although they are peaceful fish, aggression can occur if you keep
many males in the tank. Male molly fish can harass females in the tank if their
number is more.

To avoid any aggression, it’s recommended to keep more females than males in the
tank. When male molly fish are not in large groups, there are fewer chances of
aggression.


TANK MATES

When you start looking for the perfect tank mates for molly fish, you get a lot
of options because, like any easy-going fish, it can live with anything.
However, you must ensure that all the tank mates are peaceful as molly fish
can’t tolerate the presence of aggressive tank mates.





Most suitable tank mates for molly fish include:

 * Cory catfish
 * Cherry barb
 * Rosy barb
 * Platies
 * Dwarf gourami
 * Swordtail fish
 * Different types of tetras
 * Yoyo Loach
 * Celestial pearl danio
 * Harlequin rasbora

Besides different types of fish, you can also put shrimps and snails in your
molly fish’s tank, as they won’t have any problem with their presence too. Note
that you should never put aggressive and large-sized fish in your molly fish’s
tank.


MOLLY FISH’S DISEASES

Like other aquatic species, molly fish can also get some diseases, the most
common health conditions that affect them are molly disease and constipation.

Molly disease is also known as “shimmies” and can be diagnosed easily, during
this condition, they don’t swim properly. The primary reason for this disease is
disturbed tank conditions extreme fluctuations in water temperature and ammonia
levels.



Constipation is often observed in balloon molly fish. It happens when they eat
too fast or too much. Hence, it’s important to have a check on the eating habits
of the fish.

Besides these common health problems, they can also be attacked with many other
diseases. These include bacterial infections, parasites, flukes, and ich.


ARE MOLLY FISH GOOD FOR YOUR FISH TANK?

Yes, molly fish can be a great addition to your tank, as they are easy to take
care of and their peaceful nature makes them the most beginner-friendly
freshwater fish. Creating a suitable tank environment for molly fish is easy as
it can live with most aquatic species. All these reasons make them perfect for
anyone who is into fishkeeping.


CONCLUSION

Ready to keep molly fish as your next pet. Remember the following things that
you learned in this detailed molly fish guide:


 * Molly fish is also known as black molly fish.

 * Molly fish have different types naturally, also some are formed by
   cross-breeding.

 * They are hardy fish species and can adjust to different tank conditions.

 * Molly fish are peaceful and social fish. They love to be in groups and don’t
   like the presence of aggressive or large tank mates that can attack them.

 * They frequently breed without any human interference.

 * Like other aquatic species, different diseases can attack molly fish.

Here ends our detailed guide on molly fish. So, go and get your favorite type of
molly fish for your tank as you now understand how to create a perfect living
environment for them. 


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Patrice Chandler

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