Black molly is a popular fish with short fins

Aquarium enthusiasts love black mollies because of their sleek, dark appearance and vivacious nature. These fish create a dramatic visual contrast in any tank, making them ideal for both novice and seasoned hobbyists.

In addition to being different from other molly varieties in appearance, black mollies are distinguished by their short, rounded fins. They are an excellent option for people who want to add some elegance to their aquarium without having to deal with a lot of maintenance because they are also reasonably easy to maintain.

Black mollies can be a great addition to any aquarium, regardless of experience level. They get along well with other species because of their peaceful nature, and their lively swimming patterns are entertaining to observe.

Characteristics	Details
Size	Up to 3 inches (7.5 cm)
Water Temperature	72-82°F (22-28°C)
pH Level	7.0-8.5
Diet	Omnivore, prefers algae-based foods
Tank Mates	Peaceful fish, avoid aggressive species
Breeding	Livebearer, easy to breed
Lifespan	3-5 years
Special Care	Needs clean water, sensitive to ammonia levels

Description

Prized for its sociability, unique coloring, and capacity to procreate in a shared aquarium.

Appearance

Extended, elliptical body. compressed laterally. big mouth that faces up. Black velvety color on the body and fins. Light patches are regarded by aquarists as a flaw.

The most recent accomplishment of breeders is the black molly’s tail fin, which resembles the letter "Ω" rotated. The tips are sharp. Some species have an extended dorsal fin that points toward the tail.

Men can reach 50–60 mm in length, while women can reach 60–80 mm.

Lifestyle

Playful and movable throughout the aquarium. Men are more active than women. They are hostile to their relatives in an overcrowded tank and when there aren’t enough females, they defend their territory. Maintain a ratio of two females to one male.

An analogous circumstance arises in the event of insufficient food. Aggression is a trait only seen in women.

Fish are schooling fish in the natural world. The education is less strong in captivity.

Life expectancy

Black molybdae have a 3-3.5-year lifespan.

Although black molly is regarded as an unassuming fish, it has higher standards for its living conditions than other pecilia species. temperamentally sensitive. favors pure, hard water. While filtration is required, air blowing is preferred.

In the middle of the tank, create a swimming area with lighting. Provide cover in the shape of grottoes, plants, stones, or snags.

Molly must not be left alone. One male for three females is the best scenario. lessens male hostility.

Aquarium size

Give each couple access to a large aquarium, starting at 15 liters for the shared tank. from 50 liters when maintaining a school of three people apart. Environments that are too acidic are intolerable to mollies.

Water parameters

• Water temperature: 23-28 ° When the temperature drops below 21 °C, they are less active and do not grow. The color fades.
• Hardness: 5–20 °Ж.
• Acidity: pH 7.5–8.5.

If deemed suitable for other occupants, incorporate 2-4 grams of sea salt per liter (2–4‰). There are 10 g in a heaped teaspoon and 7 g in an empty one. The salinity will not sit well with other residents.

Weekly changes of 1/4 of the water volume are required to maintain standards for acidity. Acidity is added to old water.

Plants

Soft plant foliage is typically consumed by moles. Choose leafy greens with a rough texture.

• Vallisneria can withstand salinity up to 20‰.
• Sagittaria.
• Java moss is a ready-made shelter for fry.
• Riccia grows faster than it is eaten.
• Elodea floats in the water column or is fixed. They won’t have time to eat it: it will grow back, you will have to trim it.
• Indian fern (water fern) cabbage).

During spawning, females and fry hide in thickets.

Soil

Not important. But against a light background, black mollies look good.

Decorative elements

Fish use driftwood and rocks as hiding places. Behind them, away from the males’ activity, are females resting.

Handle driftwood carefully. The pH is lowered by improperly prepared ones.

Additional equipment

• Compressor with a sprayer. Air blowing is needed in an overcrowded aquarium and with a lack of plants. Aeration capacity – from 0.8 liters of air per hour per 1 liter of water.
• An internal filter is suitable for a tank up to 150 liters. With a connection to a compressor. Otherwise – an external one. Pumping capacity is required from 8 volumes per hour. The created current is familiar to mollies.
• Siphon for cleaning the bottom from food residues and waste products.
• A heater equipped with a thermostat. A submersible horizontal ground heater is convenient for large aquariums. Does not need to be turned off when changing the water.
• Thermometer.
• Scraper for removing algae from the front glass. There is no need to clean the back and side surfaces if there are no decorations. Black mollies happily eat green growths.
• Scoop with a frame from 4”.

Lighting

Luminous flux of 80–100 lumens per liter, bright lighting. Select fluorescent and LED lighting sources that have a 5000 K color temperature. Lighting saves energy. The aquarium should not be heated.

Daylight hours are 11–13.

Aquarists advise two to three hours of natural sunlight per day. Nothing supports the claims made about "tanning’s" advantages. However, an algal infestation is a given. Partially, mollies will consume parasites. However, not all unwanted plant species are unable to withstand the weeds’ quick growth.

UV rays and the presence of ammonia and nitrites in the water cause active algal growth.

Feeding

Fish that eats everything: black molly. In the wild, relatives eat more plants. Aquarium hybrids require diverse diets.

Feed once or twice a day. in addition to the day when fasting is required.

Live food

Both tubifex and bloodworms are high in calories and packed with vitamins and minerals. They lead to obesity if consumed frequently. At the bottom of still bodies of water, they are mined. Fish poisoning could result from the introduction of parasites and infections.

Since corethra feeds and lives in the water column, it is not as dangerous. less nourishing.

At home, brine shrimp, gammarus, and daphnia are raised. Expert aquarists thereby resolve the issue of live food safety. Fry are fed brine shrimp larvae, or nouplii.

• Live food contains nutrients and useful substances in a form accessible to fish.
• Uneaten, does not spoil the water.
• Mined in dirty water bodies is dangerous.

Frozen food

Safe with regard to parasites and infections. Even reputable manufacturers’ products contain poison fish. There is an unacceptably high chance of defrosting during delivery and storage.

• Contains the same ingredients as live food.
• It is necessary to siphon off the remains.
• Threatens poisoning.

Dry food

Manufactured as tablets, flakes, and powders. The meal has vitamins, macro- and microelements, and is well-balanced. Producers:

• Hikari;
• Zoomir;
• Tropical;
• Aller Aqua;
• TETRA;
• SERA;
• JBL.

Install an automatic feeder with a timer if you are going to be gone.

• Does not require preparation.
• Contains the necessary ingredients.
• Safe.
• The owner"s presence is not necessary.
• Residues must be removed.

Plant food

• Black mollies need plant fiber. Plant food makes up 30% of the diet.
• Spirulina tablets and flakes. Spirulina is something between a bacterium and an algae. This is why the composition is specific. There is not enough fiber (9-11%). The vitamins, micro- and macroelements contained will strengthen the immune system.
  Fallated vegetables – cucumber, zucchini, cabbage. Spinach and greens are suitable. Dried nettle is rich in vitamins.
• Crushed and blanched oatmeal ("Hercules"), semolina.

Supplementary feeding

Utilized to vary the diet. Serve the yolk of a hard-boiled chicken egg. chopped liver and boiled meat. chopped fish from the sea. River fish that is raw should not be given because it contains infections and parasites.

General recommendations

• None of the listed foods are suitable for constant feeding. Diversify the diet.
• A lack of plant food in the diet will affect the condition of the plants. Black mollies will eat algae and start eating grass.
• Overfeeding threatens gastrointestinal disorders, obesity. Don"t forget about fasting days.
• Remove uneaten food. Spoils water, provokes algae growth.

Aquarium enthusiasts love Black Molly for her striking appearance and laid-back personality. Its short fins and sleek black color give elegance to any tank, and it’s tough enough for beginners. This fish is a great option for both inexperienced and seasoned aquarium owners looking for a gorgeous yet low-maintenance addition. Its beauty is matched with its adaptability.

Compatibility

A wide range of neighbors get along with black mollies. Catfish, large predators, were contraindicated. Mucus is produced by mollies with scales and fins and covers the skin of goldfish. Men spar with tiger snarls.

Restoring them with other pecilia is not advised. as a result of cross-infection.

They coexist peacefully with all fish that are viviparous.

Reproduction

Occurs under the suggested circumstances, without stimulation. Fish named Molly is viviparous. Black molly fry are active from birth and run away from adults. Reproduction is allowed in a standard aquarium. Reacting and in good health will endure.

Pregnant mollies are kept in a separate container or an internal spawning tank for breeding.

How to distinguish a male from a female

The anal fin of females is triangular, and they are larger than males. The gonopodium, a slender tube used to fertilize eggs in the female’s abdomen, is the male’s form of fin.

Sex change

Mollies shift their sex. both prior to and following childbirth. Age is irrelevant. We don’t know why. Standard operating procedure for platies.

Spawning

In mollies, happens all the time. The male actively moves the gonopodium in pursuit of females. The enlarged abdomen indicates pregnancy. 30 to 40 days pass during the first pregnancy.

The abdomen "squares" two to three days before delivery. Place the fish in a container full of plants when it’s ready to be marked. The fry will find cover from the greenery and moss. Right after birth, females consume fries.

First-born fry can number up to fifty. Up to 200 fish can be born to an adult. The female is put back into the main aquarium after giving birth.

The sperm of the male is kept intact. It is possible to have a few births without a male. A breeder’s worst fear.

Fry should not be kept in a small internal spawning tank. They grow poorly and have no fear of big fish.

3–4 times a week, replace one-third of the water.

Feed nauplii, or "live dust," to the fry. Pet stores sell powdered food for fries. Mashed dry food for adults is appropriate. Food made from vegetables: ground oats and phytoplankton. You will obtain phytoplankton by placing a jar of water in the sun for a few days. Add it to the vessel containing the fry once it has bloomed. Egg powder is fed along with yolk and rubbed through a fine-mesh net.

Keep the males and females apart as soon as the first signs of sexual activity appear. It is harmful to get pregnant young. Sexual maturity occurs in 9–11 months for men and 4.5–5.5 months for women. When males reach a size of 15 mm, they are moved to a regular aquarium.

Suggestions. Fry with pale spots should be discarded in order to protect the breed.

Diseases

Illnesses are common in black mollies. Perform tests and verify the water parameters prior to initiating treatment. Keep an eye on the levels of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites.

Contagious diseases

Ichthyophthirius, also known as "manka," appears as white growths or spots on the scales and fins. brought on by infusoria parasitica. Handled:

• Super ICK Cure from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
• Faunomor from Aquarium Munster.
• Sera Costapur.
• Ichthyophore from "Zoomir" (in difficult cases).

Observe the guidelines in the attachment.

Similar to semolina, but with golden spots, is oodinium, also known as "gold dust." parasitic skin infection. treated in accordance with the guidelines using JBL Oodinol.

Fungal and parasitic diseases can be treated with potassium permanganate-infused salt baths. Ichthyophthirius is not going to recover.

1. Prepare 2 separate containers with a solution of potassium permanganate ("potassium permanganate"). Color – pink. Container – from 5 l.
2. Add salt to the first at a rate of 30 g / l, to the second – 60 g / l. Stir and equalize the temperature with the aquarium.
3. Transplant the fish for 15 minutes in the first container.
4. Rinse in the second container in a net for about 1 minute to remove parasites.
5. Place the molly in the aquarium. Repeat the procedure daily for 3 days.

Cold

Happens when the water abruptly cools. Anorexia, inactivity, and floating close to the surface are symptoms.

Return to the suggested temperature range.

Poisoning

Excess oxygen content is known as oxygen poisoning. occurs as a result of a planted aquarium’s excessive air ventilation and replacement with unsettled water. Symptoms include darkening of the gills and restless behavior.

When unsettled chlorinated water is substituted, chlorine poisoning happens. Symptoms include attempts to jump out and rotation around the longitudinal axis. Treatment involves placing the ill person in settled water and giving the ship a thorough air ventilation system.

Poisoning from ammonia. Causes: organic material contaminating the filter or the bottom. Convulsions and active, inappropriate behavior are symptoms. lying on the ground, gills and mouth open. Treatment: transfer to another aquarium in a container with settled water. Replace the water and get rid of impurities.

Reviews

Black molly is prized by aquarists for its outward friendliness. Capacity to generate progeny within an ordinary aquarium. doesn’t need a separate meal.

Are not content with consuming plants. I’m not happy with how it looks: gloomy. Unexpected aggression has been documented in certain cases.

Price

Black Molly	From 120₽
Black Lyretail Molly	From 130₽
Black High-fin Molly	From 270₽

Photo gallery

Any aquarium enthusiast would be wise to choose black molly fish. Both novice and seasoned aquarists will find them to be a pleasing addition due to their remarkable appearance and serene disposition.

Black mollies are easy to care for, but they thrive in clear, stable water tanks that are kept clean and well-maintained. They will remain healthy and lively if they eat a balanced diet and pay attention to their surroundings.

Black mollies with short fins are a great choice if you want to give your aquarium a dash of style and vibrancy. Their distinct charm and laid-back demeanor will fill your tank with happiness for many years to come.

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