The molly fish is one of freshwater fish species. The molly fish is friendly so they are suitable to be in the same aquarium community fish.
They are do not need some big aquarium, because they grow up till 12 centimeters maximum size. The female molly fish has a bigger size than the male.
They are including omnivorous type, it means they can eat every kind of fish’s food, like pellets, blood worm, etc. The molly is easy to breed.
The molly fish is in list of the genus Poecilia. They are rank as one of the most popular feeder fish due to high growth rate, birth size, reproduction, and brood number.
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Types of molly fish
There is 3 types of molly fish, Sailfin Molly, Shortfin Molly, and Iyretail Molly.
1. Sailfin Molly
There are 3 species who include Sailfin Molly
a. Green Sailfin Molly (Poescilia Petenensis)
Green Sailfin Molly are originated from Middle of America and it species spread in Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala. Green Sailfin Molly can live till 3 years. They are the bigger species of Molly.
b. Yucatan Molly (Poecilia Velifera)
Yucatan Molly is originated lives in coastal waters of the Yucatan Peninsula. Yucatan Molly are usually grown till 10 centimeters and large female can reach almost twice than the male.
They are not easy to keep as a sailfin molly, they need spacious tank with well aerated, slightly brackish water to thrive.
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c. Sailfin Molly (Poecilia Latipinna)
Sailfin Molly is orginated from San Antonio, Texas. These fish are highly vegetarian fish so any soft plants maybe destroyed because they’re eat it.
Allowing some common green algae will provide additional food for the fish. Sailfin fish are must be maintained in moderately hard water.
When they get kept in soft water or acidic water, they will weakens fairly rapidly.
2. Short fin Molly
There are some Molly who include in Short-fin Molly type:
a. Atlantic Molly (Poecilia Mexicana)
Atlantic Molly is originated from Mexico and Guatemala. Atlantic Molly can lives in pools and slow runs, also side pool areas.
They are extremely hardy and can also live in canals that have been paved with concrete. The maximum standard lenght of Atlantic Molly is 11 centimeters.
b. Broadspotted Molly (Poecilia Latipunctata)
Broadspotted Molly is spread in North and Central America, Rio Panuco basin in Tamaulipas, anad Mexico. These fish are endangered. They are federally are protected by the Mexican government.
They are typical Molly characters by a longitudinal stripe of discontinuous black spots midside of their body. Broadspotted Molly maximum size is 40 mm.
c. Liberty Molly (Poecilia Salvatoris)
Liberty Molly is originated from El Savador, Central America. Liberty Molly is include in aggressive type fish, and often bite other fish fins, that it makes people sometimes do not want to have them.
Should be kept in groups with a view more females than males as the males will fight with one another.
d. Common Molly (Poecilia Sphenops)
Common Mollies are spread in Central and South America, Mexico, and Colombia. They feeds on worms, cractaceans, insects, plant matter. In aquarium, Common Molly feeds on green algae and also readily accepts dries food.
3. Hibryds Molly
Hibryds Molly is a crossbreeding results from many kind and type of Molly so that it produces many colours and many shape f Molly.
Molly is one of easy to breed kind of fish, so it makes Molly produces new type of Mollies.
There many kind of Hibryds Molly, and it lists of them :
a. Black Molly
The Black Molly is a short finned hybrid variation of the Sailfin Molly (Poecilia Latipinna). Their colour become black because of Melanistic, appearance of dark pigments or called albino.
The Black Molly prefers a tank of at least 30 gallons with plenty of strong plants such a Java Fern, Sagittaria, Vallisneria, and Anubias.
The Black Molly is omnivorous, provide these fish with an algae plants based flake food, tubifex, and brine shrimp.
b. White Molly or Silver Molly
White Molly or Silver Molly are originated from Central America. A peaceful community and aquarium with at least two females should be kept to each male, so they are not continually harassed.
It is difficult to stop White Molly to breeding, the females are nearly always pregnant, and can store sperm for up to 6 months. They will also give birth to between 10 and 40 fry every 6 weeks.
c. Golden Molly
Golden Molly is variety of the short finned of Molly. The Golden Molly is prefers hard, alkaline water conditions and may not thrive in aquariums with acidic or soft water.
The Golden Molly has the ability to adabt to a variety of salt levels in aquariums. They maybe maintained in either a freshwater or saltwater aquarium.
In the freshwater aquarium, we can put a minimum one teaspoon of salt to aquarium per gallon for them and for their health of course.
d. Lyretail Molly
The Lyretail Molly have a tapered tail end. They require a good filtration system because of their hearty appetites and resulting waste product.
The Lyretail Molly is suited well for the community tank because of their peaceful nature, and they are compatible with other.
The Lyretail Molly is omnivorous and that prefers that they can eat meaty food as well as algae. They prefers a tank of at least 30 gallons with plenty of strong plants.
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e. Dalmation Molly
The colour of Darmation Molly is silver with black spots in their body.
With a gradual acclimation, Darmation Mollies maybe maintained in either a freshwater aquarium or a saltwater aquarium, and it also recommended to put one teaspoon of salt to a gallon to keep their health.
The Darmation Molly is omnivorous and requires algae. That is why we should provide them with an algae based flake food, as well as freezed or dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp.
There are so many tyes of Molly fish like above, we need to save them and nature so they can keep breeding and make any variety, colours and shape of Molly Fish.
There are also many other types of molly fishes available in market, well recently i was reading an article where the author has mentioned
a great variety of mollies that are present in silver marble golden black red platinum and in green color mollies