Animals & Nature
Keeping and Breeding Black Mollies
(by 243 people)
Your rating:
Black Molly: Tips For Keeping And Breeding Them
The Black Molly (Poecilia Sphenops) is a popular color variety of Molly that is distinguished by a completely black body. They grow to be about 3" in length and do well in an aquarium that is 20 gal. or larger. Black Mollies are from a species of tropical fish that give birth to live fry called "Live Bearers".
Learn more about Mollies and other freshwater aquarium fish at Bala Shark Bay Aquarium Fish Resource.
Baby Black Mollies
2 litters of Baby Black Mollies
The 2 Black female that I bought had babies on 9-24-07. They are 1 day old in this vid.
Runtime: 1:04
2290 views
10 Comments:
Vote For Your Favorite Live Bearing Fish
Black Molly
All about Mollies, care for and breeding of these more...23 points
Fancy Guppy
All about the fancy Guppy the most popular live be more...3 points
Swordtails
All about Swordtails, care for and breeding of Tux more...3 points
A Healthy Black Molly
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.
Tips For Black Molly Breeding
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.
Protect Your Molly Fry
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.
Popular Types of Mollies
- Black Molly
- Silver Molly
- Dalmatian Molly
- Orange Creamsicle Molly
- Lyretail Molly
- Sailfin Molly
- Balloon Molly
Katys Tropical Fish
Katys Tropical Fish - A Complete Guide: Learn The Secrets To Setting Up And Maintaining A Professional Looking Aquarium!
The Black Molly Aquarium
- Fish Tank and Stand
- The most important part is the fish tank itself. The size of the tank will have a very big impact on the amount of Black Mollies that can be kept and how many fry can be raised in the tank before it becomes crowded. The stand needs to be sturdy and able to support the weight of the tank when it is full.
- Hood and Lighting
- The hood provides a cover for the tank and will also hold the lights for the tank. Some hoods have filters built into them.
- Aquarium Heater
- Black Mollies are warm water dwelling fish that prefer temperatures closer to 80 degrees. A heater is necessary to maintain the right temperature for the Mollies to live in. There are many different types and styles of heaters each with their own special benefits.
- Aquarium Filter
- In an enclosed aquarium environment, waste products can build up quickly. Good filtration is a must for any tank that will be the home to Black Mollies. A good filter will remove the toxins from the water and help keep the water conditions optimal for keeping and breeding Black Mollies.
- Home Aquarium Supplies
- Not just supplies. This site gives you tips on buying all the right equipment to set up a fish tank. Be sure to visit this site if you're looking at setting up a black molly aquarium.
Best Book About Black Mollies & Live Bearing Fish
Livebearers: Understanding Guppies, Mollies, Swordtails and Others (Fishkeeping Made Easy)
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Add this book to your personal collection and you will always have all the answers to keeping black mollies at your fingertips. Order your copy today!
Usually ships in 24 hours
Tropical Fish News From Practical Fishkeeping
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBuy These Great Aquarium Books
Add These Aquarium Books To Your Personal Library.
The Benefits Of Aquarium Salt
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.
Hybrid Mollies
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.
Midnight 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.
Magazines and DVDs on Amazon
In Summary:
- Keep Black Mollies in a tank that is a minimum of 20 gal.
- Keep Black Mollies in shoals of 1 male for every 3-4 females
- Keep tank water warm at about 78-80 degrees
- Add 1 tsp. of aquarium salt for every gallon of water
- Use plants or a breeding trap to protect fry when born
- Hybrid Mollies are more susceptible to disease
- Only Silver Mollies are hardy enough to cycle a tank
Get Answers to Your Black Molly Questions
If you have any questions about anything to do with Black Mollies or any other aquarium fish there is one great place to ask questions and get answers. Yahoo Answers is a place where you can ask questions and then other people can give their advice to try to answer your questions. Follow me on Yahoo Answers.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMolly Photos
Black Molly
Female Black Molly
Male Silver Molly
Male Dalmation Molly
Check Out These Lenses
-
Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Angelfish
-
Freshwater Angelfishes are very popular among aquarium owners. They are the best known fish of all the cichlids. Angelfish are can be found in a variety of shapes and colors with as many as 30 different species found in the hobby today. They are very...
-
Cory Catfish: The Coolest Catfish Ever
-
Cory Catfish are a small, peaceful species of catfish that usually only grow to be between 2" and 3" in size. Out of all the aquarium catfish, Corydoras or cory catfish are by far the most popular. They are the coolest catfish ever.
-
Keeping and Breeding Platys
-
A Platy (Xiphophorus Maculatus) is an extreamly popular live bearing fish found in the aquarium hobby. Platys come in a wide range of colors and shapes. Their bright colors and ease of keeping have made them a very popular freshwater aquarium fish fo...
-
Keeping and Breeding Dwarf Gouramis
-
The Dwarf Gourami (Colisa Lalia) is the most popular of all gouramis found in the hobby today. Their bright colors and peaceful temperment make them an attractive addition to a community tank. They are bubble nest builders and build nests of bubbles...
-
Keeping and Breeding Fancy Tail Guppies
-
The Fancy Guppy (Poecilia Reticulata) is one of the most popular fresh water fish and the most popular live bearing fish in the hobby. They can be found in a wide range of ornamental shapes and color varieties. Guppies are low maintenance and fun to...
Aquarium Supplies on eBay
eBay offers a great way to save money on aquarium equipment and supplies. You can often find fish tanks heaters and filters for much less than the cost of buying them at the local pet store.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Molly vids on YouTube
Short Finned Molly on Wikipedia
Poecilia sphenops is a species of fish, of the genus Poecilia, known under the common name Molly. They inhabit fresh water streams, coastal brackish and marine waters of Mexico. The wild-type fish are a dull silvery color, often sprinkled black all over.
Contrary to popular belief that these fish are a brackish water species that prefers some salt in their tank, this species of fish is actually a freshwater species spending little time in brackish water before swimming back to their freshwater bio-type. However, fish of the same species have been found in coastal sea waters, brackish swamps and freshwater streams happy and breeding. It appears Mollies are a hardy and highly adaptable species (this has been diluted over years of inter-breeding in tank-bred specimens).
This species is one of the ancestors of the black mollies, a number of melanistic breeds which are black all over. It is one of the most well-known aquarium fishes and nearly as easy to keep and prolific as guppies (for optimal health and breeding success, they demand fresh vegetable food like algae). There are several other popular breeds, like the golden molly nicknamed "24 karat", or the balloon molly, which however has a deformed spine and a decreased lifespan due to the associated health problems. Also, breeds with altered caudal fin structures like lyretails exist. The wild form is in fact quite rarely kept, as it has a rather plain silvery coloration suffused with brown and green hues. If given good care with ample sunlight, high water temperatures and fresh vegetables, they will, however, prove charming fish who make up for their somewhat plain coloration with their lively behavior.
The common molly can produce fertile hybrids with many Poecilia species, most importantly the sailfin molly. In the case of black hybrids, they are called midnight molly. These are very popular due to their impressive dorsal fins, but require a bit more attention and have a somewhat decreased lifespan - though certainly not as much as the deformed breeds.
The male black mollies generally tend to be mildly aggressive. Although they are compatible tankmates with fish like the tiger barbs, they will chase them.
Mollies rank as one of the most popular feeder fish due to high growth rate, birth size, and brood number.
Fish News From ScienceDaily
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byReader Feedback
Give us your feedback.
Please post any comments or questions you have here. All your ideas and suggestions will be taken into consideration. Don't forget to add this lens to your favorites, give a rating and even lensroll it.
|
Couch-Covers-Melanie
Great lens! I love animals but i admit i didn't know much about Black Mollies. So i appreciate all the informations and for the great video you have here! Posted September 21, 2008 |
|
Nancy-Swigart
Hi, Very interesting lens!!! I have given you 5*s. If you have time please take a look at my lens Sponsor A Horse... Posted September 06, 2008 |
|
Sazzy
Good lens. Posted August 14, 2008 |
|
Intercambio
Another great and informative lens. Posted July 27, 2008 |
|
ANDRI
great lenses Posted June 06, 2008 |
|
Great lens, very informative, I really appreciate your effort. Posted May 23, 2008 |
|
Elaine-Tan
I leave my footprints here. Nice lens. 5 stars of course. Posted May 18, 2008 |
|
CleanFace
Nice pictures and useful information. thanks! 5 stars. Posted May 17, 2008 |
|
CapeMan
I really like your lens. I've had aquariums on and off since my childhood. Bred all of the livebearers, even had a small dam outside for breeding! Your lens has made me nostalgic, as I don't have an aquarium right now! Wish I did! Posted April 18, 2008 |
|
|
EliteClubs
This lens is great, very informative, thank you. Posted April 17, 2008 |
|
eccles1
Great lens!cold water or warm water I need to check this out maybe next time my fish won't die! Posted April 10, 2008 |
|
bdkz
A really informative lens. I've given you 5 Stars and a Squid Angel Blessing! Posted March 31, 2008 |
|
ArtByLinda
Your lens is very well done. I have Molly's and have learned a lot here. Thank you for sharing your expertise! (5 stars to you and a lensroll) Posted March 28, 2008 |
|
dual-shock-3
Thanks for the great information ,really cool lens. Posted March 21, 2008 |
|
StephenC
Good fish lens. Enjoyed the visit. Posted March 18, 2008 |
|
RyanRE
Nice Lens! I keep and have bred angel fish, so I am feeling you on this one :) I particularly like you hybrid molly photo. That is one good looking fish. Posted February 15, 2008 |
|
ollan
I love black mollies. When I was a little boy, I bought a pair of them. They sure do breed quickly! Within a few months, I had thousands of mollies! They seem to thrive well in warm, green water with plenty of algae. Posted February 07, 2008 |
|
WebGazelle
The difference between Goldfish and Mollies is that Goldfish are cold water fish and Mollies are warm water fish. Posted February 06, 2008 |
|
thomasz
Nice lens. Great info. Are mollies like goldfishes? Posted February 06, 2008 |
|
Margaret_Schaut
Featuring your page on Squidoo-It-All! Posted January 23, 2008 |
Del.icio.us Links
Look who made this lens!
WebGazelle
What's here
- Baby Black Mollies
- Vote For Your Favorite Live Bearing Fish
- A Healthy Black Molly
- Tips For Black Molly Breeding
- More...
Save and Share
Report this lens as spam or adult
This lens belongs to
Tags
Stats
LensRank #1,810
Updated yesterday
Rated G.
You control which lenses you see
