Mollies (lat. Mollienesia) is an aquarium fish that even those who are far from the hobby know. But not everyone knows that there are actually many different species: black, snowflake, velifera, sphenops, latipina. However, whichever of these species you name, they are all popular and widespread in the aquarium and belong to the same species, although sometimes they look very similar differently. And all because they have many advantages - they are peaceful, very hardy and unpretentious, inexpensive, and they simply reproduce. These are purely American fish, as they live in North and South America. Wild species can be divided into two groups - those with short fins, such as black molly, and those with long fins, such as velifera or marbled molly.
Maintenance and care
Caring for these fish is easy. There are no special requirements for the aquarium, everything is within the standard ones available to every beginner.
Arrangement of the aquarium
- The volume of the aquarium depends on the type of mollies and starts from 35 liters. For most species, an aquarium of 40-50 liters per couple will be optimal. If you plan to reproduce, it is better to plan a larger aquarium - 65-70 l:
- Water changes can be carried out once every two weeks (in aquariums up to 40 liters - drain a quarter of the volume weekly):
- Any soil is suitable; the molly fish practically does not pay attention to it and never digs in it. Cleaning the soil with a siphon is mandatory, since mollies do not have the habit of picking up leftover food:
- Live plants are required. In dense thickets, mollies hide from annoying neighbors, and fish eat small leaves floating on the surface of the water with pleasure, for them this is an additional vitamin supplement:
- Filtration and aeration are standard, the filter and compressor are selected according to the size of the aquarium:
- The lighting is intense. These fish need continuous lighting for at least 10 hours a day. It’s better to additionally set a timer so you don’t forget to turn the lights on and off:
- The decor of an aquarium with mollies should take into account both the need to hide and the need to swim. It is better to plant plants on the sides, leaving a free zone in the center for comfortable swimming:
Water parameters
- Temperature 24-28°C. It can tolerate mild changes, but the longer the uncomfortable temperature lasts, the more strongly it affects immunity and life expectancy. How long mollies live depends directly on the conditions. 4-6 years is the average period with caring treatment;
- Hardness 22-28°. It can also be noted that adding a small amount of sea salt to the water will make the conditions even more comfortable, and at the same time safe in terms of infections. The addition is based on the calculation of 10 g per 20 liters of water;
- Acidity 7-8 pH;
Historical information
In 1846, zoologist Adil Valansienov described the molly sphenops. And only 50 years later, Charles Organ described the Velifera molly and the free molly. Molliesia latipin came to Europe in 1913.
Selected morphs began to appear in 1920. At the same time, breeders crossed three species of fish. By breeding the sphenops molly in 1925 in Florida, Jack Bitter, a black and speckled form was obtained. Further selection was continued by Bill Sterneck. He managed to breed a black velvet form of molly. She came to us 10 years later. A little later, Sternek developed an albino form of this fish. And even later, fish with a shortened body and a convex abdomen appeared.
Care and maintenance
The fish is quite unpretentious, but for successful keeping and breeding you need to observe the following water parameters in the aquarium:
| Volume per 1 individual | Temperature | Acidity | Rigidity |
| 5 — 10 | 23-28˚C | pH 7.1-7.9 | 22-28 dGH |
Mollies feel more confident when swimming in schools of 7-10 individuals. To relieve intraspecific aggression, there should be 2-3 females per male. The fish spend most of their time in the upper and middle layers of the water; they are quite active. The size of the aquarium must be at least 50 liters, it is better if it is 100 liters or more, rectangular, with a mandatory lid. Mollies sometimes jump out of artificial ponds.
The fish are not picky about the quality of the soil; it can be coarse river sand or medium-fraction pebbles. To prevent the water from becoming cloudy, the soil is thoroughly washed in running water. The bottom is decorated with boiled driftwood or small stones.
The fish must have secluded corners where it can hide. This can be easily achieved by creating thickets of various aquatic plants in the background. Floating small-leaved plants are needed on the surface of the water. It is better to leave the space near the front window free to give the molly the opportunity to move quickly.
Mollies love hard, slightly brackish water. Experienced hobbyists add 1 tbsp of sea salt to aquarium water. for 20 liters of water. This is possible if the aquarium contains only mollies. Other fish may not tolerate salt water well.
The fish does not tolerate old polluted water with a high concentration of nitrogen compounds: ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Molly reacts to increased pollution by curling its fins. Filtering is required. It is recommended to replace 25-30% of aquarium water weekly with fresh water that has been left standing for 1-2 days.
The fish needs 12-13 hours of daylight. Illumination should be at least 0.5 W of power per 1 liter of water. Molly does not tolerate sudden temperature changes; a heater must be installed in the aquarium to maintain optimal temperature conditions.
From the many types of compressors, when choosing, rely on the power suitable for your aquarium.
Molly reacts painfully to insufficient oxygen. The installed compressor must match the volume of the aquarium. With a lack of aeration, mollies rise to the surface of the water and begin to greedily swallow air.
Feeding
The fish are unpretentious in their diet and happily eat dried, live and frozen food. Molly's diet should include products of animal and plant origin. With a lack of fiber, mollies eat the soft leaves of plants and destroy green weed filament algae.
Tetra produces fish food in various packaging, volumes, and filling options.
The Tetra brand produces a line of high-quality balanced dry food for aquarium fish: Tetra Min, Tetra Pro Algae. The food contains the necessary vitamins and microelements. It is harmful for fish to be on a mono-diet. You need to change your diet periodically to avoid addiction. Feeding is carried out 2 times a day. The amount of feed should be eaten within a few minutes to avoid water spoilage.
Feeding
They are unpretentious when feeding and will eat any food offered. But this implies the possibility of overeating, so carefully monitor the amount of food given and if the fish are obese, reduce the portions. Feeds on live, dry and frozen food. Feeding them alive with bloodworms, earthworms, and daphnia is suitable. vipagran sera can become the basis of fish food.
Plant foods are also important in the diet. It includes lettuce, cucumbers, dandelion leaves, and apples.
Yellow mollies eat mud from the walls of the aquarium and some types of algae, keeping the tank clean.
Mollies Sphenops, or small-finned platy
Black Mollies, Lyra Mollies, Sharp-winged Mollies, Small-finned Plaecies). They live in the waters of Central America from Mexico to Colombia
Mollienesia sphenops has a rather dense, oblong and laterally flat body. She has a relatively small head, large eyes, and slightly upturned mouth. It has relatively small fins - the dorsal fin consists of 10-11 rays, and the anal fin has 8-9 rays. At the base, the caudal fin is quite wide, well developed and contains 22-24 rounded rays. Molly sphenops has a fairly wide range of colors: from green and blue to olive-brown scales. Several color variations of mollies have been artificially bred: silver (is the original, wild one), yellowish-gray with dark spots, yellow-orange and pure black, “Black mollies”, as it is often called by the people, is the most common form of velvet black mollies colors, fish with cherry edging of unpaired fins are highly valued. Sexual differences: The male in nature reaches up to 8 cm in length (in an aquarium about 6 cm), has a pointed gonopodium characteristic of poeciliids. Females are much larger than males, 10-12 cm in nature (about 10 cm in an aquarium), and have a more rounded abdomen. Life expectancy in captivity is approximately 5 years.
Molliesia sphenops (in the photo is a variety of lyre) is a widespread type of fish among aquarists, it is undemanding to the conditions of keeping, quite peaceful, active and jumping fish, so to keep this viviparous fish you need an aquarium with a lid of at least 70 liters (at the rate of about 10 liters per individual) with bright lighting close to natural.
Black molies love thickets of aquatic plants, shelters and floating plants. They also need a free area to swim. Mollies sphenops stay in the middle and upper layers of water. It is recommended to keep them in a flock with a predominance of females. Black mollies usually get along with each other and get along well with many comparable species of aquarium fish (the exception is tiger barbs, which cannot be kept together!). In a small aquarium, males can chase each other. Some males behave quite aggressively with members of their own species. Parameters for keeping sphenops: hardness 11-25°, pH 7.5-8.0, water temperature 24 - 27°C. Aeration, filtration and weekly replacement of up to a third of the water volume are needed. It is recommended to occasionally add salt (sea or regular table salt 1.5 grams per 1 liter of water). The optimal soil for mollies is medium-sized gravel.
Molinesia Sphenops feeds on different types of food:
plant food (you can thinly sliced spinach and lettuce leaves, food bran, algae), live food (bloodworms, daphnia, mosquito larvae, coretra, earthworms), as well as good quality artificial substitutes. Fish are naturally prone to overeating.
Editorial: Krenikara
Mollies are hardy and unpretentious aquarium fish
Mollies (lat. Mollienesia): black, snowflake, velifera, sphenops, latipine - whatever of these species you name, they are all popular and widespread in the aquarium and belong to the same species, although sometimes they look very different. And all because they have many advantages - they are peaceful, very hardy and unpretentious, inexpensive, and they simply reproduce. These are purely American fish, as they live in North and South America. Wild species can be divided into two groups: those with short fins, such as the black molly, and those with long fins, such as the molly velifera or marble molly.
Most species appeared in aquariums back in 1899, and various hybrids since 1920. Now you can find black aquarium mollies, snowflakes (completely white or yellow), silver ones, and spotted ones. And the number of different species continues to grow and gain popularity.
For beginner aquarists, the best choice is the common black aquarium molly, as it is less demanding, easier to breed and requires smaller aquariums. To maintain all types, you need a well-planted aquarium that is quite spacious. It is important that their diet contains a lot of plant matter and algae.
HABITAT IN NATURE
Mollies mainly inhabit coastal areas of North and South America, but are also found where rivers flow into the ocean, in brackish water. The entire continent can be called their homeland, they are so widespread.
- Types of mollies:
- Black molly or Sphenops (Poecilia sphenops) lives from Mexico to the northern states of the United States.
- The latipin moth (Poecilia latipinna) is found along the southeastern coast of the United States and in Mexico.
- Velifera (Poecilia velifera) or high-finned (sailfin) molly is native to the coastal regions of Yucatan and Mexico.
All of them are distinguished by their wide range, unpretentiousness and omnivorousness, which makes them very common in these areas.
DESCRIPTION
The black molly is one of the species artificially bred in 1930; it reaches sizes of 6-10 cm in an aquarium, and up to 20 cm in nature. Life expectancy is about 3 years, but may be longer. The black molly has a completely black body, with a deep velvety hue. Often there are forms with a lyre-shaped tail fin, the black lyre.
Latipina grows up to 10 cm in an aquarium, and up to 20 cm in nature. The body color is silvery-brown, with dark and blue dots. A distinctive feature is the high dorsal fin. Velifera in general is very similar to Latipina, but now it has received a new and popular look - from it a completely white species has been bred - snowflake.
Popular types
Here are the most popular types of mollies: black mollies (lyra-molly), Velifera sailcloth mollies, sailed mollies. Silver mollies (also called snowflake mollies) are a breeding form of sailcloth mollies.
It is better to keep them in groups or pairs.
This fish lives mainly in the upper and middle layers of water and loves water space and light.
The daylight hours of mollies should be at least 12-13 hours. It is useful for fish if the lighting is natural for at least a couple of hours a day, but if this is not possible, then you can do without it.
Of course, it also needs natural shelters: thickets of plants, snags, decorative ornaments that can serve as a refuge.
Mollies feed on all types of dry and live food.
The only condition that helps keep these fish active and healthy is that they definitely need plant fiber.
Therefore, along with others, use vegetarian food, plant plants with soft leaves in the aquarium that the fish can eat. You can also feed them small portions of chopped boiled vegetables.
Another important point in keeping mollies: in their homeland they live where river water mixes with sea water, and therefore they love hard water. If your indoor pond contains only mollies and platies, you can even add a little salt to the water on purpose. If other fish live with them, then, of course, you shouldn’t do this. But in case of illness or quarantine, the fish can be placed in an aquarium with salted water - this way it will return to normal faster
Mollies sphenops (Poecilia sphenops) . Synonyms: Lyra mollies, Black mollies . Homeland: Central America, from Mexico to Colombia. Black molly , as it is often called popularly, is the most common type of mollies with a classic black color. There may be different variations of shades from olive-brown to green and blue scales. black mollies can “regenerate” - change their sex, both at a young and mature age.
Orange mollies. One of the most attractive color forms of Mollies sphenops. Unpretentious, flexible, quickly adapts to new conditions. It gets along well with other viviparous and other fish, which are characterized by peacefulness or, at least, the absence of pronounced aggressiveness. Feels best in a densely planted container. Prefers fairly bright, but diffused light (the optimal filter is vegetation floating on the surface). It looks most advantageous against the backdrop of dark soil and the bright greenery of an underwater garden. When there is a shortage of vegetarian food, it can eat tender young shoots. It lives mainly in the middle layers of water. Maximum size - 12 cm. Approximate size - 3.5 cm.
Optimal maintenance conditions: T = 23-280C, dGH 10-300, pH 7-8.5, salinity up to 8%, filtration, aeration and regular replacement of fresh water (up to 30% per week) are required. The minimum volume of the aquarium is 50-70 liters per couple.
Food: frozen and dry food from well-known manufacturers, including those with plant ingredients. Prone to gluttony, it is necessary to arrange a fasting day. To enhance color, it is advisable to include feed rich in carotenoids in the diet.
Silver spotted molly or Dalmatian molly (Poecilia sphenops var.) . The upper size limit is 6 cm.
Silver molly “Snowflake” (Poecilia sphenops var.) - this breeding form of sailing molly, which appeared in the mid-90s, quickly gained popularity due to its exceptionally delicate and unique coloring - almost white with a slight bluish tint. Unpretentious, gets along with reasonable neighbors. Prefers an aquarium with dense vegetation, in which it willingly hides from overly annoying neighbors. The maximum size is 10-14 cm. The upper limit of the size is 5 cm.
Optimal maintenance conditions: T = 22-280C, dGH 8-250, pH 7-8.5, salinity - up to 5%, filtration, aeration and regular replacement of fresh water are necessary. The minimum volume of the aquarium is 60-80 liters per couple, but they feel better as part of a school with a predominance of females in a spacious (200-400 liters) tank.
Food: frozen and dry food from well-known manufacturers, including those with plant ingredients. Prone to gluttony, it is necessary to arrange a fasting day.
Broad-finned molly , or Latipin molly (Poecilia latipinna) . Homeland: Southeast and Southwest America, from Carolina to Southern Mexico. Swallowtail mollies - males have a greenish-brown body according to the gods with a white and bluish tint under the throat and belly. You can often see drops and dots on the sides - red, green or blue - and there may also be black spots in the abdomen area. The dorsal fins are blue, often with a dotted pattern of blue, black or orange (depending on body color). The color of the female is almost no different from the male. It should only be noted that females are always slightly paler than males.
Mollies Balloon (Poecilia Balloon) . A selection form of the broad-fin molly. Prefers an aquarium with dense vegetation (including floating) and plenty of free space for swimming. When there is a shortage of vegetarian food, it can eat tender young shoots. It lives mainly in the middle layers of water. There are color and veil forms. Approximate size: 2.5 cm. Maximum size: 12 cm.
Optimal maintenance conditions: T = 20-280C, dGH 10-250, pH 7-8.5, if necessary - salinity up to 8%, filtration, aeration and regular replacement of fresh water (up to 30% per week) are necessary.
Food: frozen and dry food from well-known manufacturers, including those with plant ingredients. Prone to gluttony, it is necessary to arrange a fasting day. The minimum volume of the aquarium is 50-70 liters per couple.
Mollies Velifera , or Sail mollies (Poecilia velifera) . Homeland - Southern Mexico. Velifera is one of the most beautiful species of mollies. The body of this fish can be from green-blue to silver. The body may have various dot patterns of the same but more saturated colors. The dorsal and anal fins are transparent and have beautiful pearlescent inclusions.
Care and maintenance
The minimum size of an aquarium for keeping mollies is 30 liters; when choosing an aquarium for these fish, you need to take into account that a pair of adult fish should have at least 6 liters of liquid. It is desirable to create a stable biological balance of the environment in the aquarium. All types of mollies are quite thermophilic and prefer water with a temperature of 22-30 ° C and do not tolerate temperature changes well.
Fish love fresh water, so a systematic, for example once a week, partial replacement of about 25% of the volume of water with fresh and settled water is desirable. When doing a water change, you need to strictly monitor the temperature. Biological filtration and intensive aeration of water are required, recommended acidity pH is from 7.2 to 8.5, hardness dH is in the range of 10 - 35°. It is not recommended to lower water hardness below the minimum. Most of the time, the fish stay in the upper and middle layers of the aquarium. Mollies are very fond of bright sunlight or artificial lighting of the aquarium, with an intensity of about 0.5 - 0.7 W per liter. Optimal daylight hours for these fish should last at least 12 hours, so it is necessary to equip the aquarium with open, well-lit areas. No less important is the presence of snags, hills of stones for shelter and dense thickets of aquarium vegetation.
Mollies are an active fish, moderately friendly. It is better to keep her in a group with a predominance of females. It can live both in a general aquarium and in a separate one. It gets along well with a variety of neighbors, but it is advisable not to keep tiger barbs together, as they can conflict. In general, neighboring fish should be approximately the same size. Mollies get along well with each other, but in a cramped aquarium, males can chase each other. Therefore, it is better to provide a spacious aquarium so that there is at least 10 liters of water per individual. Medium-sized gravel is suitable as a soil.
These fish are omnivores, but a varied diet is important for them. They can eat live, frozen, dry and plant foods. But under no circumstances should you feed them only animal food. Plant food for mollies, especially fry, is very important. They can even eat algal growth on the walls of the aquarium or plaque on plants. But if there is a lack of plant food, they can begin to eat young shoots of plants.
If there is not enough oxygen in the water, the behavior of the fish changes: the mollies swim a lot at the surface of the water, signaling the owner about problems in the aquarium. When the water spoils or the temperature drops, mollies move weakly and press their fins to their body; sometimes they can lie on the bottom or sway in one place. This situation can be corrected by increasing the temperature to the optimal value and replacing a third of the water with settled fresh water. Adding sea or regular table salt to water in a ratio of 2 - 3 g per liter of water works well.
REPRODUCTION
Sexual differences between males and females
Female Mollies are much larger than males. By this feature it is very easy to distinguish them from each other. In addition, all males have a rolled-up anal fin, while females have a triangular fin.
Breeding recommendations
In a fish like mollies, reproduction is very simple. Since all platies are viviparous, fry are born immediately, bypassing the egg stage. The female becomes sexually mature at 5–7 months, while in males development takes from 9 to 12 months. In order for a pair of mollies to mate, there must be warm salt water in the aquarium. Table or sea salt should be added at the rate of 1 spoon per 20 liters of water. The male fertilizes all the eggs available to the female at once.
Soon after this, signs appear indicating that the female is pregnant. Her abdomen increases in size, and a black spot appears in the lower abdomen. A pregnant female carries the first batch of fry for 33–45 days. When the due date begins to approach birth, the fish should be placed in a separate aquarium. Here she will give birth to about 45–55 fry at a time. After delivery, the mother should be placed back and monitored. It is possible that she will begin to bear the next batch of fry. A pregnant molly should eat better than other fish.
Her daily diet is increased and enriched with vitamins and microelements. Males selected for fertilization should also be fed with useful substances. During the period of reproduction and breeding, caring for fish becomes somewhat more complicated. You need to be prepared for this.
Getting offspring
At the end of their term, pregnant females move to a nursery where they spawn. The fry are weak and need extra care. Caring for them involves changing the water frequently. Small fish are very sensitive to any pollution. In addition, they can die in a cramped aquarium. ADVICE! To improve the immunity of babies, it is recommended to add table salt to the water. If the water temperature rises above 28°, the pregnant female will give birth to dead or premature offspring. You can feed your babies right away using special food, cyclops, Artemia nauplii, or powdered dry food. Grown-up fish are transplanted into a common aquarium.
Caring for fry
A successfully fertilized female bearing fry is distinguished by a dark spot on the lower abdomen, near the anal fin, and a large belly. The duration of pregnancy in mollies is about four weeks, after which the female gives birth to up to 100 fry; with age and growth, large mollies can give birth to up to 250 fry.
There is no need to create special spawning grounds for black mollies, because... they do not pursue their offspring.
After giving birth, the female remains a little fat because she does not give birth to all her fry at one time, but continues to carry fertilized eggs. Thanks to this, the female can bear offspring for 6 months without the participation of a male.
The most successful breeding occurs in an aquarium with various types of mollies. The fry are born quite large. For their rapid growth, you need to use plant and live food of the appropriate size; you can feed them with dry food, ground or crushed into dust. To obtain dust, simply place a certain amount of feed in a mortar and grind thoroughly. Special food for fry is available in pet stores. You need to feed often and plentifully.
It is important to know
Breeding molly in a general or separate aquarium is not difficult, but you should know some of the behavior and maintenance of both breeders and fry.
- Larger and more mature females give birth to more fry than young ones.
- The fry of mollies are large, but with a weak body, unlike the fry of guppies and swordtails. They swim to the surface of the water after a few days, and in the first days of life they lie in the aquarium at the very bottom, sometimes on the leaves of plants.
- Molly fry require frequent changes of aquarium water to avoid dying.
- Salted water (1 teaspoon per 20 liters) improves their immunity.
- If the conditions of the aquarium are not up to standard, the breeders will not give birth to healthy offspring, or will not reproduce at all. In the worst case, the female gives birth to dead fish or premature eggs.
- The reason for unsuccessful spawning may be a cramped tank, very high water temperature (over 28 degrees Celsius).
- The main food for fry is ground plant food, Artemia naupilia, Cyclops, live dust (crushed).
- After the fry grow up, they are placed in “different-sex” aquariums. Female molly fish are larger than males; males have a cone-shaped anal fin called a genopodia. Females have a rounded anal fin.
- Black mollies sometimes give birth to fry with green or blue spots on their bodies. There is nothing wrong with this - mollies from the wild have a uniform and brighter body color, so such “marks” are a sign that all hybrid mollies are descendants of natural Latin American species.
Characteristics
Aquarium species of mollies are the result of domestication of North American species, or their selection. Despite a number of differences, all fish have common qualities.
- Females of all types of mollies are an order of magnitude larger than males: for example, the velifera mollies reaches 18 cm in length, the female latipina – 12 cm, sphenops – 8 cm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced: in addition to the difference in body size, the male’s anal fin is cone-shaped (genopod), in females it is fan-shaped. All female mollies are viviparous fish; they bear fry, bringing them into the world ready for full life activity.
- Pet stores sell various sphenops and latipinas; only experienced ichthyologists know how many of them have actually been bred. Black mollies are common on sale. Sometimes among their brood there are other forms - spotted, with light scales, or blue-green skin. New species are the fork mollies, which have a “cut out” caudal fin, elongated at the top and bottom; scarf molly, which has a long and elongated dorsal fin.
FEEDING MOLLINESIA
What to feed mollies? Omnivorous fish that eat all types of live, frozen or artificial food. But, they need a very large amount of food with plant fiber, such as algae or vegetables. The fact is that in nature, mollies have a lot of algae and various fouling in their diet, this is evidenced by their lips and behavior. You can often see them scraping off fouling from glass and decor in an aquarium.
The easiest way to feed molly is flakes with spriulina, or pieces of slightly boiled cucumbers, zucchini, and lettuce. Animals include bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp. In general, there are no problems with feeding mollies, the main thing to remember is that plant food is very important for them.
Main types of feed.
NovoBel from JBL. A nutritional complex that is well balanced. It includes many components necessary for fish. Fully meets all the body needs of aquatic inhabitants. NovoColor from JBL. The fatty acids, carotenoids and natural components included in the composition improve the color of fish scales. Vipagran by sera. The main food for inhabitants of the middle layers of water.
Available in the form of small granules, it contains a complex of plants, vitamins, proteins and many other valuable substances. MInBaby by TETRA. Nutritious balanced food for fry. It contains all the useful compounds and elements that kids need. MENU by TETRA. Long-lasting food in the form of flakes in 4 different colors. Red ones improve the fertility of females and males, chestnut ones strengthen the immune system, yellow ones promote full growth, and green ones increase the lifespan of fish. This food greatly simplifies the care and maintenance of platies.
Compatibility
Mollies are considered one of the most beautiful fish, which is why they are desirable pets for many aquarists. They get along well with swordtails. Although the “swords” have a rather restless character, they chase platies very rarely.
Only if there are no female swordtails in the flock, the “guys” will try to pester the molly, but, as you understand, to no avail. Also keep in mind that in tight spaces there may be turf battles, so the fish should have plenty of space.
The compatibility of mollies with guppies is almost ideal. Both species are viviparous, live in warm, brackish water, love sunlight and dense vegetation. If your plans include breeding, then before giving birth the fish should be separated from each other, and after the offspring appear, the females should be removed, since they sometimes do not mind eating their own fry.
In general, mollies can be kept together with:
- All types of poeciliids and catfish,
- Rainbows,
- Tetrami,
- gourami,
- Labeo.
Mollies diseases
Unfortunately, gentle mollies are susceptible to a number of different diseases. All of them are the result of incorrect content. You can distinguish a sick fish by its unusual behavior: lethargic or, conversely, restless.
Gas embolism.
Develops when there is an excess of oxygen in water. Most often this happens if you pour unsettled water straight from the tap into the aquarium. The disease is manifested by restlessness and darkening of the gills. Care and treatment in this case consists of replacing the water with a more suitable one.
Melanosis.
The body becomes covered with spots of non-standard colors, which subsequently turn into tumors. This problem cannot be cured. Prevention lies in creating the right conditions of detention.
Cold.
If the fish become lethargic and apathetic, swim near the surface, and lose their appetite, it means they have a cold. The disease occurs if the water in the aquarium is too cold for mollies. Care and treatment in this case consists of creating the optimal temperature of the habitat. Life expectancy depends on the type of mollies. The average lifespan is from 4 to 8 years. Females live slightly longer than males. Balloon mollies can live no more than 2–3 years.
average price
The cost of the fish depends on the type. Regular mollies can be purchased for 45–60 rubles. Mollies of such species as snowflake, dalmatian, balloon are sold more expensively, their price is from 100 rubles.
MOLLINESIA SPHENOPS OR BLACK MOLLINESIA (MOLLINESIA SPHENOPS, POECILIA SPHENOPS)
MOLLIENESIA LATIPINNA, POECILIA LATIPINNA
PECILIIA: CARE, CONTENTS, PHOTO, VIDEO, REPRODUCE, DESCRIPTION, COMPATIBILITY
KOI CARP: DESCRIPTION, CONTENT, FEEDING, BREEDING, COMPATIBILITY, PHOTO, VIDEO.
PECILIIA: CARE, CONTENTS, PHOTO, VIDEO, REPRODUCE, DESCRIPTION, COMPATIBILITY
ZANIO: CARE, MAINTENANCE, NESTING, COMPATIBILITY, PHOTO AND VIDEO, DESCRIPTION
150 DIFFERENT KINDS OF AQUARIUM FISH
TERNETIA CARAMEL: CARE AND MAINTENANCE IN THE AQUARIUM, PHOTO
PECILIIA MICKEY MOUSE: CONTENT IN THE AQUARIUM, PHOTO
PECILIIA HAWAIIAN: CONTENT IN THE AQUARIUM, PHOTO
PECILIA RADISH: CONTENT IN THE AQUARIUM, PHOTO
HOMALOPTERA CONFUSON: CONTENT IN THE AQUARIUM, PHOTO
BOTIA PULCHRA: CONTENT IN THE AQUARIUM, PHOTO
ACANTHOCOBIS UROPHTHALMUS: CARE AND MAINTENANCE, PHOTO
Reproduction
Mollies are viviparous fish; fertilization and development of eggs occurs in the womb of the female. During spawning, fully formed fry appear, capable of feeding on their own.
Sexual differences in mollies are visible to the naked eye.The sexual characteristics of the fish are clearly expressed. The female is larger than the male, has a rounded abdomen and a rounded anal fin. Males are somewhat smaller and have a slender, lean body. The anal fin (gonopodium) is rolled into a tube, used as a gutter for the passage of milk into the female’s body and as a hook for ease of mating.
All morphs successfully cross with each other and produce hybrid offspring, sometimes with unexpected colors. When planning fish breeding, you need to take care of quality producers in order to reduce the number of culling of young fish. Sexual maturity in females occurs at six months, in males at 11-13 months.
The process of courtship and mating can be activated by raising the water temperature by 1-2˚C, partially changing the water, or adding salt. The aquarium should not have high levels of NH3, NO2, NO3, PO4. Producers are intensively fed for two weeks.
Under favorable conditions, mollies are able to reproduce monthly. The female's pregnancy lasts 35-45 days. The ripening of eggs is clearly identified by a dark spot in the lower abdomen and a rounded abdomen. Just before spawning, it is advisable to place the female in a separate aquarium with a volume of 8-10 liters, with thickets of plants in the background.
The temperature of the water in the sedimentation tank is raised slightly, but not higher than 28˚C. If the water is too warm, premature birth and stillbirth are possible. Spawning often occurs early in the morning. The fry that are born sink to the bottom, and at first they are inactive. The female, after the end of spawning, needs to be reined in. She is capable of eating her babies. There are 50-100 fry in one litter, depending on the breed and age of the parents.
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Genera of Mollies. Reproduction or spawning of mollies. Lyra mollies.
Fry born in a community aquarium become easy prey for adult fish. In the presence of dense thickets of plants, individual individuals survive.
Raising fry
Babies in the first days of life are fed ciliates or crushed dry food (Tetra Min Baby). The fry are fed 8-10 times a day in small portions. Grown-up kids happily eat cyclops and Artemia nauplii. The water in the aquarium with the fry is partially changed weekly. The young grow unevenly. It is advisable to transplant larger individuals in small batches into a common aquarium to give the small fish the opportunity to fully feed.
Compatibility with other types
As you know, the community for an aquarium must be selected wisely, because even if we are talking about peaceful and calm mollies, where is the guarantee that more aggressive neighbors will not harm them? Mollies coexist well with other popular aquarium inhabitants - swordtails. Although the “swords” have a choleric disposition and cannot be called calm, they chase molly on rare occasions.
The relationship between fish of these species can be aggravated by the lack of females among the swordfish, then they will begin to pester their “neighbors,” but such courtship will be ineffective. In addition, in a cramped tank, the inhabitants may begin to fight for scarce territory.
To avoid this, it is important for the owner to take care of a spacious container for his charges
Mollies and guppies have almost perfect compatibility. Both fish belong to the viviparous class and love brackish water, sunlight and dense thickets. If the owner plans to breed fish, then before giving birth the females must be removed, and after the fry appear, the “parent” must be removed, since in some cases they engage in cannibalism, eating their own offspring.
Mollies can coexist well with many fish. It is recommended to consider the following aquarium inhabitants as neighbors:
- poecilius;
- catfish;
- iris;
- tetra;
- gourami;
- labeo.
As practice shows, even harmless molly can turn out to be pests. For example, if you place them with angelfish, veiltails, and telescopes. Indeed, looking at such a company, one can admire - luxurious fish, which you can constantly admire, look great together.
Actually, they get along quite well... But the peace-friendship lasts until the mollies for no reason begin to pinch their handsome neighbors by the beautiful fins. Naturally, injury to the fins leads to fish diseases, even death.
Mollies cannot get along at all with representatives of the cichlid species, koi carps and piranhas. In general, you should not place these fish with aggressive and warlike representatives of the fish world.
There is one more category of neighbors: conditionally compatible. If they end up in the same tank while still young, it is quite possible that the fish will learn to coexist without conflict. This group includes bots, discus, carnegiellae, lalius, macropods, pristella, and phylomena.
Description
Mollies belong to the genus of viviparous fish, which means that they do not lay their eggs in a safe place, but the eggs and fry develop inside them until they are ready for the outside world. The black fish called Black Molly was first artificially bred in 1909. It was then that the species from the Poeciliaceae family became widespread.
The range is wide, yellow mollies are able to adapt to new environmental conditions, so they have mastered fresh and brackish water bodies. But the largest concentration of fish is found in central and northern America and in the vicinity of the Yucatan Peninsula.
In their natural environment, mollies are not so brightly colored; the more common coloring is gray with faint tints of yellow and green with camouflage spots. But breeders received a fish with a rich yellow color, sometimes with an orange or green tint. Often small orange spots are visible on the fins and head. A closely related color is the black and gold molly, half of the body of which is painted black.
The length does not exceed 10 cm in an aquarium. The body shape is widened in the center and greatly tapered in the tail and head. The fins are transparent, sometimes spotted. Particularly prized are individuals with a tail that has extensions at the ends. They are called lyretail golden mollies.
The order Poeciliidae includes, in addition to the golden one, 30 more species of mollies.
The most common ones are:
- Molly peten. The most famous color of this mollies is gold and black. A distinctive feature is that there is a red stripe on the fins, which clearly distinguishes them from other fish.
- Broad-finned. It is distinguished by its large size - up to 20 cm. Body color ranges from blue to orange.
- Sphenops or coal. Molly, common among aquarists for more than 8 decades. The size is no more than 7 cm. The body seems to be flattened, the fins are smooth and rounded.
- Balloon. The Latipine subspecies is distinguished by a short, seemingly crooked body and a plump, strongly protruding abdomen. The fins against the background of a medium-sized body look more aesthetically pleasing than on other species.
- Small-finned. This species has reduced fins, especially the dorsal one. The body is elongated, without a protruding belly. The most common colors are blue, gray, brown, silver.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of mollies in an aquarium with proper maintenance ranges from 4 to 5 years. But monotonous feeding, untimely cleaning of the aquarium, and overcrowding of the tank significantly shorten the lifespan of the fish to 2 years. Females usually live longer.
History of appearance in aquariums
These fish are naturally found only in the waters of Central America and the southern part of the United States. Aquarists began breeding them in 1899. By the 20s of the 20th century, thanks to the efforts of breeders, the first interesting hybrids of mollies appeared.
There are a lot of species of these fish, but in recent decades the most popular are the following:
- small-finned mollies;
- broad-finned;
- sailing
Mollies have been popular with aquarists since 1899.
The latter is better known as Poecillia Velifera. All three species were originally beautiful in color, but this was not enough for the breeders. They actively engaged in hybridization and crossbreeding, as a result of which numerous varieties of mollies were developed.
Initially, scientists attributed these fish to the genus Mollienesia, hence the corresponding name. But later ichthyologists ranked them in the genus Poecilia, and as a result, confusion arose - this fish is now called either platie or mollies.
Initially, mollies were found in North and South America, but then they were brought to Colombia, Israel, Japan, and Taiwan. Today they are even found in some reservoirs in Eastern Europe. These fish belong to the Poeciliidae family, so they can be easily hybridized.
In nature, they inhabit river mouths, ditches, lakes, and some species even live in the reservoirs of karst caves. Mollies feed mainly on worms, insects and other living food, but they do not disdain plant foods, and food preferences can vary significantly from species to species. For example, Poecilia latipinna prefers algae , and aquatic insects and small crustaceans serve as a protein supplement to its plant diet.
Mollies feed mainly on worms, insects and other living food.
Breeding Mollies
Mollies mature in 5-12 months. These fish are viviparous. The frequency of litter is 28-50 days. Pregnancy can last from 10-15 days to two months. Sexual maturity of male mollies is at 8-12 months, females at 5-6 months. Females give birth to up to 240 fry regularly every 4-6 weeks. Pregnancy lasts 8-10 weeks.
Editor's note: Redfield rules
Males have a fin that has developed into a sexual organ and is called a gonopodium. When the female collects eggs in her belly, the male inserts his gonopodium into her anus, releases sperm, and the eggs are fertilized inside the female. At one time, a male can fertilize many eggs and his sperm can be contained inside the female so that her next eggs will also be fertilized, and even if the female is alone in the aquarium, she can spawn fry a couple more times. A pregnant female can be recognized by a dark spot on the lower abdomen and a swollen belly. Before giving birth, the female begins to hide in secluded corners of the aquarium, and if the aquarist wants to leave offspring, she must be placed in a spawning aquarium. Molly fry are larger than those of guppies, but much weaker and do not swim from the bottom immediately. If the conditions for keeping mollies are not optimal, all offspring may be born dead. The number of fry depends on the size and age of the female. Large females can give birth to about a hundred fry at a time.
Molly fry are born quite large and develop very quickly. In order for the fry to grow beautiful and healthy, they need good nutrition (just like all other fish). Initial food for black mollies fry: ciliates, rotifers, other live food.
Some features. Sometimes completely black parents can give birth to snow-white fry. This is due to both genes (one of the ancestors was white) and the presence of an albino form in mollies. The white color does not necessarily persist into adulthood. During the first month, black dots may appear on the body of the white fry, which increase with age and may even multiply. At 6-7 months, such a molly may already have a black body color, and only in the front part of the back and chest there are white and iridescent spots.
Breeding morphs
The golden molly is covered with yellow-orange scales with a slight white-blue tint. Eyes may be red.
Silver mollies or snowflakes are white with a silver tint. They look very nice with black individuals.
Balloon mollies differ from other species by their swollen abdomen and shortened body. Color can be black, orange, red and white. In individuals of this species, the internal organs are reduced, the spine is curved. They live only 1.5-2 years.
The lyretail molly is popular. Her tail resembles a crescent moon. The length of the tail of fish may vary.
From left to right: golden, silver, balloon and lyrebird
Diseases
Black mollies rarely get sick, but failure to maintain optimal water parameters, temperature and proper care provokes the development of fish diseases.
Non-communicable diseases
Chlorine poisoning, where the main symptoms are:
- difficulty breathing;
- pale color;
- molly is restless;
- the gills are covered with a white slimy coating;
- Molly stops moving.
Often the owner of the aquarium simply does not have time to take the necessary measures. The disease quickly causes death. For prevention, it is recommended to constantly measure water for chlorine content.
Fluctuations in water temperature
Black lyrebirds become very active at temperatures above the permissible level. Mollies often swim to the surface and breathe heavily. Also, high temperatures contribute to the rapid aging of molly and early death.
At low temperatures, sphenops rarely move and lie on the bottom. A long stay in bad water provokes the development of diseases in all fish.
Lack of oxygen
A common occurrence among aquarists. Manifests itself in the following external signs:
- difficulty breathing;
- frequent stay at the surface of the water;
- restless behavior;
- “greedily” they gasp for air.
Other individuals also suffer, including snails that crawl to the surface. The end result of oxygen deficiency: loss of appetite, infertility, suffocation and death of the molly. As a recommendation, increase the aeration power.
Acidosis
The disease in lyres can be distinguished by the following characteristics:
- Mollies move little and swim belly up, head down or sideways;
- Sphenopsas are shy in behavior.
Treatment consists of testing the water for alkaline levels.
Obesity
Overfeeding lyres is a common occurrence among beginners. Obesity affects the liver and kidneys, causing infertility and death. For prevention, aquarium fish include a variety of foods in their diet, and have a fasting day once a week.
Gas embolism
A dangerous disease that causes blockage of blood vessels in lyrebirds and subsequent death. Black molly behaves restlessly, but swims sideways, the gills practically do not move
For preventive purposes, inspect the entire aquarium for the presence of small air bubbles on the decor and mollies, then carefully stir the liquid until they completely disappear
Contagious diseases
Fin rot
One of the most insidious diseases affecting all types of aquarium fish. Appears due to mechanical damage or poor quality care.
Symptoms:
- fins become deformed, lose color and decrease in size;
- ulcers on the body;
- abdominal bloating.
Treated by replacing water, disinfecting the aquarium and plants. The infected sphenops is removed and treated with special solutions.
White-skinned
Black lyres change their external color and become completely white. Most pets stay in the upper layer of water.
For therapeutic purposes, sick mollies are placed in a separate tank, and the soil and water are disinfected.
Hexamitosis
It occurs in low quality water and is also transmitted from sick mollies.
Signs:
- lack of appetite;
- color brightens;
- Lyra avoids neighbors;
- mucus on the body;
- there are pits and tubercles on the head.
Peptic ulcer disease
It occurs when bacteria enter the aquarium tank or when new aquarium fish are introduced. Symptoms:
- no appetite;
- bulging eyes;
- dark spots turning into ulcers.
Treatment includes quarantine, where a solution of potassium permanganate is added to the hatchery with sick black mollies.
Trichodinosis
A bacterial infection that enters the aquarium through live food, spoiled soil or plants.
Signs:
- plaque all over the body;
- loss of color on the gill covers;
- exhaustion;
- Mollies “itch.”
They are treated with quarantine, where the temperature is raised to +31 degrees and table salt is added (10 l/20 g of substance).
Glucose
An incurable and dangerous disease that affects the entire body of sphenops.
Symptoms:
- light spots turning into bumps;
- Lyrebirds roll over onto their sides.
The sick molly is destroyed.
Ichthyobodosis
It enters the aquarium water through the ground, along with food and plants. Among the distinctive features are:
- mucus on the body;
- gluing mollies fins;
- change in gill color;
- lack of oxygen.
They are treated with quarantine: the diseased lyre is removed, the water is heated to +35 degrees, and methylene blue is added.
Varieties
The aquarium molly fish varies in appearance depending on the species. Some grow up to 5 cm, others, due to their lush fins and tail, reach up to 10 cm. The body shape is also different. Most species are artificially bred. In nature, mollies live in brackish lakes of Central America. Natural inhabitants grow larger than aquarium ones, up to 12 cm for males and up to 16 cm for females.
Mollies balloon - the body shape is similar to the platie fish: the body seems to be elongated in a vertical plane, there is a curvature of the spine on the back, the stomach protrudes. The fins remain standard sizes, the mouth points upward. The size of the fish is 3.5-4.5 cm, the life expectancy is shorter than that of other fish - up to 3 years.
Yellow mollies, orange mollies, red mollies - these fish are standard in body shape: an elongated body, the mouth is located in the upper position, the abdomen is slightly convex, like a pregnant fish. The fin sizes are standard, not conspicuous, average. Translucent, can have patterns in the form of dots, the shade repeats the color of the body.
The small-finned molly is one of the natural species that has given birth to many breeding forms. It has a standard laterally compressed elongated body and fins of regular shape and size. Colors may vary.
Molliesia sphenops - body color is coal-black, the body shape is elongated, somewhat widening in the abdomen area, then narrowing towards the head. The mouth is located in the upper plane, it is convenient for them to collect food from the surface of the water. Alternative names: black molly, lyre molly.
Editorial: KrenikaraWhite mollies - the size, body shape and mouth are the same as those of the sphenops, differs in color: a silver-white fish. Alternative names: snowflake molly, silver molly.
Sail molly - characterized by its small body size (up to 4 cm) and luxurious fins. The colors are different - silver, green, blue and black. The fins may have dotted patterns. The dorsal fin is similar to a sail, it is much larger than the other fins. Alternative names: Velifera molly, high-finned molly.
Mollies latipin (broad-finned) - body color is pearl-white with a bluish tint. Feature: fins - they are larger than those of other species and flutter in the current like a veil.
Interesting Facts
- In all species of mollies, females are larger than males . Females of Molliesia velifera reach up to 18 cm, Molliesia latipinna - 10 - 12 cm, and Molliesia sphenops - 6 - 8 cm. Sex is determined in the same way as in other viviparous animals, by the shape of the anal fin.
- The most common forms of mollies currently on sale are purely black, artificially bred forms. However, litters of black Mollies, as hobbyists call them, usually produce a number of spotted fish, with black scales interspersed with light and bluish-green scales, like the original form.
- Mollies are critical to the illumination of the aquarium - daylight hours should last at least 13 hours. Lighting 0.5 - 0.7 W/l lamps with an enhanced red part in the spectrum. Preferably 2 hours of natural sunlight.
- Mollies are omnivores , so they can be fed with any live, dry or plant food (including algae). The diet of mollies must necessarily contain herbal supplements. Make sure your fish's diet is varied enough.
- Varieties of these mollies have been developed relatively recently. Fork mollies - with a cut-out tail and with elongated upper and lower ends, and scarf mollies - with an elongated dorsal fin.
Video
About the diversity of species
The first molly entered the aquarium at the end of the 19th century, and a couple of decades later many hybrid species appeared. Today you can find “snowflakes” on sale - fish with a completely white or yellow body, with silvery or spotted scales. There are the following types of molly:
- "Snowflake". This is not a separate species, but only a form of molly velifera, but at the same time its offspring have pronounced external characteristics - body shape, snow-white color.
- Black velvet. Fish with an elongated, strong body and large eyes. The most beautiful and valuable individuals are considered to be mollies that are evenly colored in a deep tone, without shine or spots.
- Velifera (sailing). Among other representatives of the species, these fish are the largest and most spectacular. In nature, they grow up to 20 cm, while aquarium inhabitants are smaller - females are about 14 cm, males - 12 cm. Nature has generously rewarded the Velifer males: their gray-silver scales are covered with sparkling mother-of-pearl dots, and the color on the chest and throat is golden yellow. The dorsal fin is edged in red, and in size it is not inferior to the length of the entire fish. Because of such a luxurious fin, this species of mollies was called high-finned or sailing. The ideal velifera fin should be square or close to this shape. Females are more modest, round and large. Only males have a high fin; females do not have such decoration.
- Marbled orangetail. Aquarium molly grows up to 10 cm, while males are several centimeters smaller. The fish are marbled in color and also have an orange insert on the tail.
- Latipina (broadfin). The main color of the scales is a calm, greenish-brown, on which there are red, blue or green dots. The fins are blue or transparent, also covered with dots: black, orange or bluish. Latipina is more often found in the natural environment and is rarely bred artificially, much less in an aquarium.
- Red. A striking representative of the species, with bright red or reddish-orange scales. There are individuals with black spots, for which these mollies are nicknamed “red leopard”.
- Mollies "balloon". This hybrid species of molly was obtained by using broad-finned mollies in breeding. This is an unusual and beautiful representative with a swollen, rounded abdomen. Individuals of various shapes were bred - veil and color. The size of individuals depends on the size of the reservoir and its population. Of course, the beauty of the “balloons” is captivating, but it is worth remembering that they are far from long-lived, since their original form is associated with a congenital pathology that cannot be treated – scoliosis.
It is worth noting that breeders continue to work, so new varieties of mollies appear regularly, and their popularity has not decreased over the years. Beginner aquarists are advised to purchase a regular black aquarium molly: it can live in a small aquarium, does not require special conditions and reproduces without any particular difficulties.
Difficulty in content
Simple and unpretentious fish that are well suited for keeping by beginning aquarists. This is especially true for the popular and widespread black molly.
You only need to be careful with disk forms or, as they are also called, balloons; due to their curved shape, their life expectancy is less than that of normal fish. The fact is that the shape of the balloon is scoliosis, with all the ensuing consequences.
For beginner aquarists, the best choice is the common black aquarium molly, as it is less demanding, easier to breed and requires smaller aquariums.
To maintain all types, you need a well-planted aquarium that is quite spacious. It is important that their diet contains a lot of plant matter and algae.
