Molly

About

The common or short-finned molly is a sizeable, adaptable livebearer native to the coastal fresh and brackish waters of Central America. Wild fish are silvery-olive, but aquarium strains include the ubiquitous jet-black molly, dalmatian, gold and lyretail forms. Mollies are hardy but appreciate warm, hard, alkaline water and are far more robust with a little added salt or mineral hardness; soft acidic water leads to disease and finger-fungus. Males can be pushy toward each other, so keep a female-skewed group in a spacious tank.

Care

Keep in warm, hard, alkaline water 24-28°C with strong filtration and a mostly herbivorous diet. Favour more females than males; benefits from added mineral hardness.

Diet

Herbivore-leaning omnivore; algae, spirulina and blanched veg are essential, with modest protein.

Sources

• Seriously Fish — Poecilia sphenops
• Aquarium Co-Op — Molly Fish Care