Are you wondering if mollies are schooling fish? Since mollies are usually found in groups, does it make them schooling fish? In this article, we will discuss if mollies are schooling fish or not.
Are Mollies Schooling Fish? No, mollies are not schooling fish. Schooling fishes are the ones that need to be in groups to thrive. Moreover, schooling fishes show behaviours of coordinated swimming or swimming in the same direction.
Mollies are shoaling fishes that need to be in groups for social reasons such as feeling comfortable and avoiding getting bored.
Now that you know that mollies are not schooling fishes, you might think if mollies need to be in groups? Let’s find out!
Do Molly Fishes Need to be in Groups?
Yes, you should keep mollies in groups of 4 or 6. Although a molly can live alone, it’s not preferable as mollies are shoaling fish.
In other words, mollies love being in groups to keep themselves away from boredom and stress. Moreover, mollies do well when kept in groups.
Do They Like to be in Groups?
Yes, mollies love to be in groups. They are highly sociable fish that need to be surrounded by other fish to feel comfortable. Moreover, they feel happier when kept mollies and other compatible tank mates.
What Schooling Fishes are Compatible with Mollies?
Below is the list of schooling fishes that are compatible with mollies.
- Guppies
- Glowfish
- Goldfish
Guppies
Classified as both schooling and shoaling fish, guppies are compatible tank mates to mollies. Keeping guppies with mollies is less of an effort as they both require similar food and water conditions to sustain. Moreover, the peaceful temperament of guppies ensures a stress-free environment in the tank.
Glofish Tetras
Another type of schooling fish compatible with mollies is glofish tetras. Just like mollies, glofish teras are live-bearing fish that love being surrounded by other fishes. Moreover, they have similar temperament as mollies and require the same water conditions and pH levels as mollies to sustain.
Corydora Catfish: Corydora catfish is a small schooling fish with a peaceful temperament. You can easily keep them with mollies as they are not aggressive or demanding.
Endlers: Endlers are peaceful fish that are compatible with both guppies and mollies. Just like mollies, endlers require warmer water temperatures and similar pH levels to survive.
Take Note: Although the fishes mentioned are compatible with mollies, it’s always better to keep a regular check initially. The temperament of fishes may vary from individual fish to individual. Therefore, keeping a check on the initial days of keeping any tank mates with mollies will help you deal with any possible danger.
Can Mollies Live Alone?
Yes, mollies can live alone, but it’s not the ideal situation for them. You should always consider keeping mollies in groups as they are highly social and interactive fishes that love staying around their tank mates.
Try not to keep mollies alone if there is no need for the same. You can try keeping mollies alone in one of the below cases:
You are treating your molly in a separate tank.
Your molly is under quarantine as you have newly purchased it.
Your molly is prone to get bullied or is likely to bully other fish.
In the absence of all these reasons, you should get tank mates for your mollies.
How Many Mollies Should You Keep?
Ideally, mollies should be kept in small groups. Try keeping mollies in groups of 4 to 6. It’s always better to keep mollies in small groups instead of keeping them alone to make them feel comfortable and secure.
How Many Mollies Can I Keep in My Tank?
The number of mollies you can keep in your tank depends on the size of your tank and the size of mollies. Approximately each molly requires 3 gallons of water space to be comfortable. Therefore, you can keep around 4 to 6 mollies in a 20-gallon water tank.
In case your tank is smaller than 20 gallons, reduce the number of mollies accordingly. Keeping more mollies in a small water tank will suffocate them. It might also turn your mollies aggressive and violent. Therefore, always have a spacious water tank or keep fewer mollies in case of smaller tanks.
Alternatively, you might also consider keeping two female mollies together. If breeding is not a problem, you might keep mollies in pairs. The reason we have not recommended keeping two male mollies together is that male mollies are pretty aggressive, and they can fight with each other if kept by themselves.
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