Are you keeping molly fish in your tank or pond? Do you know how much food to feed molly fish?
Which foods are the best for mollies?
This article contains everything you need to know about molly fish and what they eat.
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How Much Food to Feed Molly Fish
You should feed a pinch of crushed flakes two times in a day to 6 molly fish.
Molly fish are not heavy consumers when it comes to food. They have a small-sized stomach of the same size as their eyes.
It is highly recommended to feed your mollies something like Teramin plus tropical flakes (Available on Amazon) as this will give your fish a well balanced diet.
How Often Should You Feed Molly Fish?
Mollies are light eaters and will only feed on a small quantity of food.
- You can feed them two times a day with a small amount of food.
- You have to make sure you do not overfeed the fish to prevent further complications.
Molly fish are omnivorous and will feed on a large variety of food. Although they have a wide range of food to eat, they do not feed much on them. Overfeeding can cause problems for the fish and also reduce the water quality.
You have to make sure you feed your molly fish the right amount of food. You also have to be sure you are giving the molly a healthy and safe food. If you can give your fish proper food, your molly will experience good health.
How Do I Know If I Am Feeding my Molly fish enough?
It is quite easy to know if you are feeding your molly fish. When your molly fish gets filled, you will notice they will stop taking the food.
- You can even see them spitting out the excess food they consumed, which will cause waste in the tank.
- You can feed 5 to 7 mollies with a pinch of crushed fish flake two times in a day, showing how little they feed.
- After eating to their fill, molly fish will also move away from the spot of feeding.
- You can also feed them two times a day and three times on rare occasions.
Knowing the size of your molly’s stomach will help you determine the amount of your food to feed them. This way, you can tell if you are feeding them enough. Moderation in feeding is also as important as feeding them to their full capacity.
The Molly Eyes Rule
You can make a rough estimate of the food you give them by checking the size of their eyes. The eyes of a molly fish are of the same size as its stomach.
Best Food to Feed Molly Fish
As an aquarist, you have to know the type of food you can feed your molly fish. You cannot just feed them any random food that comes your way. Here are a few of the foods you can feed your molly fish:
- Fish Flakes
- Freeze-Dried Foods
- Pellets and Tablets
- Live Foods
- Meaty Food
1. Fish Flakes
Flakes are one of the most common food feed to mollies. You can get several types of fish flakes for your molly fish. Fish flakes are a good source of protein for your mollies.
Fish flakes are convenient and efficient for meeting your fish’s nutritional needs. You can feed your molly fish with fish flakes once a day.
You might also have to crush the fish flakes to a fine texture, depending on the size of your molly fish. You can also try to choose a fish flake that is as natural as possible.
2. Freeze-Dried Foods
Freeze-dried foods are an excellent source of protein for your molly fish. Freeze-dried foods can range from:
- tubifex
- blood worms
- brine shrimp
They will provide your fish with the needed nutritional benefits.
You can give your mollies freeze-dried foods once or two times a week. You can give them in small quantities, divided into multiple doses. Freeze-dried foods are good, safe, and better alternatives for live foods.
The freeze-drying process will kill the bacteria, parasites, and other disease-causing organisms, making it a safe food choice.
3. Pellets and Tablets
Molly fish have a wide variety of food they eat. They are omnivorous, meaning they can be both plant-eating and flesh-eating fish. It makes only meaty food not enough to meet their nutritional needs.
Veggie pellets and tablets are suitable for fitting the missing nutritional need in your molly fish. They contain:
- plankton
- algae
- spirulina
These are nutritional greens for your mollies. These pellets and tablets are healthy snacks that help complement their diet.
Veggie pellets and tablets will perform a good job in enhancing the color of your molly fish. It will also help protect their skin and tails and fins from infections.
4. Live Foods
Live foods are a great source of protein and other essential nutrients for your molly fish. Most fish prefer live foods, as they will love to have the predator-prey feeling when they can. Your mollies will also be able to get the taste of fresh meals once more.
Although live foods are a good choice of food for your mollies, they can also be the worst food for them. They have a high risk of carrying parasites and other disease-causing organisms.
Live foods can include small fish life minnows, daphnia, and even fry mollies. It can also include small-sized insects and worms. You can also give your molly fish brine shrimps, blood worms, etc.
5. Meaty Food
You can also satisfy your molly’s appetite and cravings by feeding it with meaty foods. Meaty foods are also nutritious and protein-rich. You can cut meat into small pieces for your molly fish.
You can also provide them with some reptiles like tadpoles. Frog tadpoles will make tasty meaty food for your molly fish. Worms will also make a good meaty meal for your mollies.
What Vegetables Can I Feed Molly Fish?
Vegetables play an essential role in the wellbeing of fish, with mollies inclusive. It won’t be a bad idea to offer them some as a treat if not all the time. Below are vegetables you can feed to your mollies;
1. Spinach
Spinach is also one of the favorite vegetables of mollies. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, ensuring your molly fish get their needed nutrients. Spinach contains vitamin K, which helps with bone mineralization and blood coagulation.
When feeding spinach to your mollies, you should make the treatment once or twice a week. Feed the fish with the main meal and use spinach as a compliment. Giving spinach to your molly fish will ensure their good health and development.
2. Peas
Peas are beneficial vegetables to feed your molly fish. They are suitable for your molly fish as they contain a small amount of protein compared to fish flakes and pellets. Peas are also rich in minerals and vitamins, which will help prevent your fish’s conditions.
Peas can serve as an alternative feed for your mollies if you are low on food. You can also feed them to your molly fish once in a while as a treat. The nutritional values of peas make them the right choice for your molly fish.
3. Zucchini
Zucchinis will also make a good vegetable for your molly fish. Zucchinis contain several nutrients that include fiber, protein, fat, etc. Molly fish will also pick interest in zucchinis and eat them whenever you feed it to them.
It also contains vitamin A, which helps keep essential features in the fish intact. Zucchinis are good in treating skin problems, ensuring your molly fish maintain colorful skin. Constant feeding of zucchinis to your fish will ensure your fish is healthy and active.
4. Lettuce
Lettuces are also one of the favorite vegetables of mollies. They will softly nip on it till they finish it up. Lettuces are rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein, making them a good choice for your molly fish.
Lettuces also contain fiber, iron, and vitamin C, beneficial to molly fish. Although lettuce is low in fiber, it is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, etc. They will make a good choice of vegetables for your molly fish.
What Food to Feed Molly Fry
It is essential to feed your molly fry quality as they are in their early stage. At this stage, they need nothing but care, attention, and good food. Some of the foods to feed molly fry include;
1. Baby brine shrimps
Baby brine shrimps are a good protein source and other necessary nutrients for your molly fry. Molly fry will eat brine shrimps as long as they can fit into its mouth. They will also enjoy having live foods at their disposal.
2. Fish flake
Fish flakes will also serve as a good source of food for your molly fry. You have to make sure you get high-quality flake foods with high nutritional benefits. You will also have to crush the flake to a fine texture for your molly fry to eat them easily.
3. Veggies
Veggies will also make a good treat for your molly fry. You have to ensure the veggie is edible for the small mollies. They can be soft greens, algae, etc.
You can feed the molly fry several times a day. But, you have to ensure you do not overfeed them. Overfeeding them can do a lot more harm than good.
Can you Tell If Molly Fish Are Hungry?
All fish appear hungry, even the one you just finished feeding. Except for a protruded stomach, you cannot tell the difference between a hungry fish and a well-fed one unless you throw the food into the water.
However, you can track your molly’s feeding by knowing how much it can eat and when next to feed it.
- You can feed your molly fish twice a day.
- Mollies can have their fill within a minute of eating, so you can tell they are okay after this duration.
During this period till the next feeding time, you should know they are not hungry.When you exceed this feeding range, you can be sure they are hungry and want to eat.
Why Won’t My Mollies Eat?
Mollies will not eat when they are new in their tank. They get nervous and might require time to get accustomed to their new environment.
Mollies will also not eat when they have physical or health complications. When under stress, molly fish typically don’t eat. Inappropriate water conditions, such as pH, temperature, and ammonia, may be secondary to that.
However, some mollies will refuse to feed if they are constipated or if they have an infection or an illness like dropsy, swim bladder disease, or dropsy.
What Kind of Food Do Dalmation Mollies Eat?
Dalmation mollies are omnivorous and will feed on varieties of food. They are not picky eaters.
The choice is yours for howm uch you wish to spend on high quality foods ranging from packaged, live and freeze-dried foods.
They also require algae to thrive in their environment. They will eat tubifex, blood worms, and brine shrimps.
Conclusion
You can feed your molly fish as much as you can to get them full. You should not overfeed them more than twice a day. Ensure you feed them the right amount and quality of food for their health and secure well-being.
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