BACK TO FISH
Mollies are a very popular group of livebearing
aquarium fish, very active, peaceful, easy to care for and
easy to breed.
Most Mollies seen in aquaria are descendants
of three closely related species. For many decades
they have been selectively bred and also hybridized, resulting
in several different variations and many attractive colours. Mollies
are native to coastal regions around the Gulf of Mexico,
mostly from southern USA to Mexico, with one species also
extending across Central America. They are quite adaptable,
living in fresh, brackish and marine waters. Most Mollies
grow to about 7-9cm, the larger exception being the Sailfin
Molly.
Mainly vegetarian, Mollies have very healthy
appetites and should be fed at least 2-3 times per day. They
will eat most standard fish foods, but have a preference
for vegetable based foods, they also enjoy grazing on any
green algae growing in their aquarium.
While not too fussy about water conditions,
they do prefer alkaline water of moderate hardness and they
also should not be kept in soft or acidic water. Aquarium
salts should be added at a slightly higher dosage rate than
normal, particularly in soft water areas.
Mollies prefer temperatures in the mid to
high 20's (in the wild they inhabit warm shallow waters.) Being
heavy feeders, their aquarium should be well filtered.
Like most livebearers, Mollies are easy to
breed. From a single mating a female can give birth
a number of times, the gestation period varies from 4-6 weeks
depending on water temperature. When born the fry are
fully developed and can be easily raised on commercial fish
foods, starting with fry foods such as Super Baby Min and
Fry Bites. The fry need to be isolated in a small aquarium
or in a breeding trap, otherwise most will be eaten by any
other fish present, including their mother.
(The common name Molly is a shortening of
an old scientific name, Mollies were once place in the genus Mollienisia).
Sub Categories
Lyretail
Sailfin
Here at Pet City Joondalup we stock
a large range of tropical fish and can take customer orders
for any of the Sharks listed on this page. Please phone your
order through after reading how to make a customer
order
| ASSORTED MOLLY 5CM |
 |
Our single most popular seller for Mollies
is the Assorted, with a nice colour assortment including
popular varieties such as the Black, Gold, Dalmation
and Silver. |
| BLACK MOLLY 5CM |
|
The Black Molly is one of the most impressive
of black tropical aquarium fish and is very popular. |
| DALMATION MOLLY 5CM |
 |
The Dalmation Molly has been a very popular
fish for a long time with its striking black and white
colour pattern. |
| GOLD MOLLY 5CM |
|
The Gold Molly is an albino variety with
a rich golden colour. |
| SILVER MOLLY 5CM |
 |
Silver Mollies are great for the beginner. They
rarely have health problems, take to most food quite
readily, and if kept in good condition, will breed willingly,
even for first time aquarists. |
| ASSORTED
SAILFIN MOLLY MALE 6.5CM |
 |
Sailfin
Mollies grow larger than regular Mollies, they can
grow to 10-12cm, sometimes even larger. Male
Sailfin Mollies are impressive fish, decorated with
a very large sail-like dorsal fin. This fin is
often held fully erect when the male is courting passing
females, or when engaging in a "mock" battle with another
male. Native to the Yucatan region of Mexico,
the original wild fish are mostly grey-green in colour,
however the Sailfin Molly has also been developed into
many very nice aquarium strains. |
| ASSORTED LYRETAIL MOLLIES 5CM |
 |
The Lyretail Molly
is a very nice selectively bred strain of the Molly,
with a long graceful lyretail. Available
in a wide range of colours, it is an excellent
community fish. It has the same basic requirements
as other Mollies. |
