Keeping and Breeding Black Mollies

Black Mollies are very social fish and like to live in shoals. When keeping them in an aquarium the best option is to keep 4 or more of them. Keeping 6 to 8 in a 20 gal. tank is ideal. The group should consist of 3 or 4 females for every male.

Optimal water conditions for a Black Molly is a temperature of about 80 F. pH values between 7.5-8.2 and hardness of about 15-30 dGH. For optimal conditions add 1 tsp of aquarium salt for every gallon of tank water.

With optimal water conditions and a good mix of male and females, Black Mollies will be healthy and live longer in an aquarium.

A Black Molly is like other live bearing fish in that they will carry the eggs after spawning and give birth to live fry. Gestation period is typically between 6-8 weeks.

To breed a Black Molly there isn't much required of the aquarium owner. A male and female will readily spawn when placed together in a tank that has good water conditions. After the gestation period the female will then give birth to as many as 80 fry depending on the size of the mother. A typical brood is usually closer to 40-50 fry. Molly fry can be fed brine shrimp and pulverized flakes.

One trait of Mollies and other live bearing fish is their tendency to eat the fry right after they are born. It is up to the aquarium owner to separate the fry from the mother to protect them from being eaten. This can be done by using a commercial breeding trap or by providing plenty of plants that will offer hiding places for the fry when they are born.

Because of the nature of Mollies to eat their fry soon after they are born it is important that something is done to protect them from mother after being born. There are a few options available to an aquarium owner to protect the fry.

Commercial breeding traps can be purchased at local pet stores. These are plastic containers that float inside the aquarium. They have multiple compartments with a divider that has a small space to allow fry to pass through but not the mother. After the fry have been born the mother can then be removed and the trap can be used to hold the fry till they are big enough to not get eaten.

Special plants can also be bought at local pet stores. These plants are often called baby hides. They are plants that have small enough spaces that the fry can swim into but the mother cannot. Using plants like this is better because it puts less stress on the mother. However there is greater chance that some fry may not make it to the cover provided by the plant.

While studying online and in magazines I have read several different opinions about Black Mollies and whether or not they need some salt in their water. Some people say it isn't needed and others say you should add some salt to the water.

From my personal experience keeping Black Mollies I have to say that after I added salt to the water my fish were generally more healthy, more active and generally happier fish. One thing I read is that salt can actually lower stress, promote health and increase the lifespan of Black Mollies. I have to agree with that statement.

If you have Mollies and have never used salt, you can start by adding 1 tsp for every 5 gal of water. That amount for me has been a good introductory amount. If your Mollies are healthy then there really isn't a need to add all the salt all at once.

So if you keep Black Mollies in your aquarium, add a little aquarium salt. Adding 1 tsp. for every 5 gal. is my minimal recommended amount and will improve the health of the Mollies. Adding 1 tsp. for every gal. is what has been ideal for keeping my Black Mollies happy and healthy. Remember to replace the salt when you do partial water changes.

There are many different types and colors of Mollies found in the hobby today. The Black Molly is just one of them. Lyre-tail and Dalmatian Mollies are a couple popular ones.

Hybrid Mollies are more susceptible to disease and special attention should be taken to keep tank water clean. Using salt is highly recommended to promote good health of hybrid Mollies. It is also highly recommended that the tank is fully cycled before keeping any hybrid Mollies in the tank.

One very popular variety of the Black Molly is called the Midnight Molly. These Mollies are black ones where the male will develop a sailfin. They are actually not Poecilia Sphenops but hybrids of the Poecilia Latipinna or Sailfin Molly.

When keeping and breeding this variety of Molly, it is a good idea to have a larger aquarium than the 20 gal recommendation for Short Finned Molly. This will ensure that the young males will have plenty of space to grow and develop a full sized dorsal fin.