10 Different Types of Molly Fish: Can They Live Together?

Mollies are one of the most marvelous myriad species that you can keep in your aquariums. There are numerous molly fish that are also available in the fish market. For example, balloon mollies have rounded broad bellies with an arched back whereas sailfin molly has huge dorsal fins.

When you’re a newcomer to fish keeping, various molly fish can be quite confusing in that condition. Today in this article, we’ll discuss the top ten different types of mollyfish. Also some important information for when you add them to your fish tank.

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What are The Different Types of Molly Fish?

As we mentioned before, there are numerous types of molly fish. When you know about their history, recognizing them is reasonably easy.

In general, all molly fish can be divided into three groups. It’s depending on their body shape, color appearance, and fin configuration. Anyway, all molly fish are genetically linked or crossbred with these three species:

When it comes to colors, all molly fish is derived from only three basic colors. These colors are white, black, and orange. They also include fin configuration that sailfin mollies contain sail-like long fins.

Where short-finned mollies contain a stunning small harp tail. The bred balloon molly is identified by their larger belly and rounded body with arched backs.

Most importantly, Molly fish is originally from the Americas and Mexico. They are almost living like their near relatives such as endless, platies, or guppie fish. All are also naturally healthy and very simply required care. Altogether it makes them beautiful and beneficial for beginners.

Can Different Types of Molly Fish Mate (Breed)?

It’s a fact that all molly fish are the same species. Different types of molly fish can be mated due to this reason. Male molly will easily fertilize with females in case of any color or fin configuration. Importantly, they are capable of producing around a hundred newborn mollies.

All molly fish are similar species, and they’ll live together with breeding. At first, you have to establish their fish tank before adding them. This setup may take some days but once you establish it, your molly will happily live together.

Top Ten Types of Molly Fish

As we mentioned earlier, molly fish have different color variations and individual fin configurations with body shapes. Here are the most popular molly fish that you can add to your aquarium.

1. Black Sailfin Molly

The black sailfin molly or sailfin molly is simply a black color substitution for the Poecilia latipinna. This is a peaceful fish that lives in the company of one male and many females. They can share a single tank with other hard water peaceful fish.

Male and female sailfin have rounded anal fins, so they need a tank of at least 30 gallons with plants and plenty of places to swim.

Your aquarium should be well built with well planted with plants that can resist a small number of salts like Java fern and Java moss. Sailfin mollies are omnivores, so give them a rich diet that contains flake foods, algae wafers, and herbivores food. 

Similarly, give them freeze-dried, frozen, or live meaty foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp.

2. Dalmatian Molly

Dalmatian molly has a black and white body and they are related to the saffron or marbled molly. This is another famous color variation of Poecilia latipinna.

You can not only keep this fish in a freshwater fish tank but also in a saltwater aquarium. But, you have to add a single teaspoon of salt to every gallon of water in a freshwater fish tank.

Another important thing, your fish tank should be heavily surrounded by plants to improve the development of young fry along with hiding spots.

Dalmatian molly has a larger dorsal fin and pointed anal, so they need at least a 50-gallon tank. They also require an excellent filtration system due to their appetites that make a heavy bioload.

You can add Java fern, Sagittaria, Vallisneria, and anubias types of aquarium plants in your fish tank. They are compatible with other peaceful fish in a community tank due to their peaceful character.

Similar to all mollies, dalmatian Molly is omnivorous and needs to give algae. So, you have to give them an algae-based flake food with some freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.

3. Golden Sailfin Molly

Golden sailfin molly is an excellent fish for any hobbyists who are searching for strong fish with blowing colors. They are widely known for their bright orange coloration. Another thing that makes them different from others, they are very productive, breeding around every 45- 60 days with couples.

Maintain your golden sailfin mollies in a 20-gallon tropical aquarium with a lot of plants and hard water.  Also, add a single teaspoon of salt for each gallon of water, it is helpful for these fish.

Golden sailfin molly will grow up to six inches in size, so you’ll keep them in a 20-gallon fish tank. They are usually peaceful and can comfortably live together with other hard water fish.

Golden molly is categorized as omnivores, so give them a sufficient plant diet that will contain algae wafers and sometimes give them frozen mosquito larvae.

That said, put out some care while keeping golden mollies as they’ll feed on aquatic plants. Also, keep only male or female golden mollies to avoid unexpected babies in your aquarium.

4. Gold Dust Molly

It’s a variation of the short-finned molly in addition to half black and golden color. They are also known as gold panda molly and are suitable for those who like black molly but need a colored one. Gold dust molly is peaceful in nature. So, they are suitable for other peaceful fish in a community tank.

They are omnivorous and feed on meaty food along with algae. So, you have to give your gold dust fish any algae-based flake food along with freeze-dried bloodworms or brine shrimp.

5. Platinum Lyretail Molly

Platinum lyretail molly is also known as the name of Yucatan molly, Mexican lyretail, giant lyretail, or just lyretail molly.

They are a peaceful color variant of Poecilia velifera and mostly prefer hard water. Similar to other mollies, they have an excellent adaptation ability to variations in salt levels. For this reason, they can live in freshwater fish tanks and saltwater aquariums.

These fish need a heavily planted 30-gallon tank due to the fact that they will grow up to five inches in size. Besides, any floating plants will give sufficient hiding spots for your molly fish.

Though these peaceful fish are excellent community species, it’s important to keep them together with other peaceful fish. Lyretail Molly is omnivorous, so you have to feed them meaty food along with plant substances.

Algae-based flake food can be used as an excellent basic meal, sometimes also giving freeze-dried blood worms. 

6. Balloon Molly

Balloon Molly has a rounded belly and an arched back with a color variation of white, yellow, and black. They are an impressive breed of sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) adapted by a diversity of salt levels.

You can keep this fish in a 20 to 30-gallon aquarium planted with aquatic plants such as Java fern and Anubis. They also require a regular filtration system due to their appetites that make a heavy bioload.

These fish are peaceful, so they are suitable for any community tank. But, always keep them in the condition of hard water along with tank mates.

They are omnivorous and need both meaty foods along with algae. So, you have to feed your gold dust molly with algae-based flake food along with freeze-dried bloodworms or brine shrimp.

7. Harlequin Sailfin Molly

This is another multicolor beauty patch and is considerably convenient for the community. Like other mollies on our list, this is also peaceful and requires a well-planted aquarium with a lot of hiding space.

You have to use a 30-gallon fish tank due to the fact that they will grow up to six inches in size. Always give your harlequin an omnivorous diet containing plant matter and algae wafers. Sometimes, give them frozen mosquito larvae.

8. Gold Doubloon Molly

They have the coloration of the harlequin molly devoid of the dorsal fin. This fish has a gold and black color design with a short-finned variety.

They are powerful, playful but peaceful to happily live in community tanks. This fish will require hard alkaline water and will not grow in soft or acidic water.

As a result, add a teaspoon of salt to every gallon of water for better health. Anyway, they are also adjustable with a variety of salt levels in the aquarium. Always keep your gold doubloon mollies in a 30-gallon tank with hard water conditions.

Gold doubloon is omnivorous, so give them a diet that contains both meaty foods and plant matter. You can give your mollies algae-based flake food as a regular feed along with sometimes freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.

9. Marble Lyretail Molly

This peaceful fish is a color potion of Poecilia sphenops and differentiate by a particular black and white shade. They will require alkaline hard water conditions and also uneasy to soft acidic water.

Although, they have adaptation ability to salt levels, therefore put one teaspoon of salt on every gallon of water. This fish tank will require a 30-gallon fish tank with a lot of algae.

Marble mollies are omnivorous like most mollies. So, regularly give them a meat and plant-containing diet. You can give them algae-based flake food as a regular feed, sometimes freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.

1o. Black Lyretail Molly

Black lyretail molly is a variety of Poecilia latipinna, which is similar to black sailfin. They also have adaptation abilities with a diversity of salt levels in the fish tank. For this reason, these fish can be sustained in either freshwater fish tanks or saltwater fish tanks.

Black lyretail molly will grow one to five-inch in size and need a fish tank of 20 to 30 gallons. Also, add some aquarium plants such as Java fern and Sagittaria. A proper filtration system is also important due to the fact of hearty appetites that occur in a bioload.

Black lyretail is omnivorous similar to other mollies. So, you have to feed them meat and a plant containing a diet. You can regularly feed them algae-based flake food and occasionally feed them freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Conclusion

All around, these ten different types of molly fish can peacefully live together and mate. They all have similar water and temperature requirements with few exceptions. Also, they all prefer hard water with a high salt level, even though all will not resist in saltwater aquariums.

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