Are MOLLY FISH a Good Addition to Your Aquarium?

Female Gold Molly. It's a female fish as you can see cause it has no Gonopodium.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Molly fish is usually included in the list of fish which are ideal for the beginners. Their needs are minimal, they are hardy and they are grateful. However, if you keep them in the aquarium with other species of fish around, they are a bit naughty.

They will try to nip the fins of other fish and cause stress among the fish community. Fish with large fins will be able to fend for themselves but small ones may develop stress and feel harassed. Sometimes they may get infections due to the wounds and may even die.

There are some other issues also with Molly fish. They are born aggressive and their body shows the same features. They have powerful jaws with sharp teeth with which they can easily cut and eat algae from the aquarium. They have a digestive tract which is long enough to digest even the hardest algae. They are capable of destroying many other plants from your aquarium.

Another issue with the mollies is they are not freshwater fish in the real sense. They can live in the freshwater environment but they will still need some marine salt in the water. It will provide an ideal chemistry of water for them.

So after considering all these issues, an obvious question comes ahead - are they really suitable for your aquarium? These requirements are no doubt demanding than any other species of fish. They need absolutely clean water and they cannot tolerate any amount of nitrate in the water. But they need somewhat warm water in contrast with most of the other species which are comfortable with cold water. Mollies can successfully live in colder water but it is bad for them in the long run. If you are going to add some marine salt to the aquarium, they will be comfortable but the other species of fish may find it a bit tough to survive.

So you may conclude that they are incompatible in the community of tropical fish. To some extent it is true. Species like the tetras and Corydoras will not be able to live with Molly fish in the same aquarium. However, there is a number of other species which are fine with them. Species like glassfish as well as wrestling halfbeaks will be comfortable with the Molly fish. All the livebearers of the New World will enjoy their company as they can easily tolerate some salt in the aquarium waters. Other varieties like bumblebee gobies will also be able to live with them. If you make a small research on the Internet and speak to the local pet shop staff, you can get many tips about their compatibility with the other species.

Mollies are sometimes misunderstood but they are wonderful additions to your aquarium. Their actions are fascinating and graceful and it is a pleasure to watch them swimming in the aquarium. My advice is - know them well before you bring them home and you will be certainly proud of them.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

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