The Care of Marble Mollies

Mable mollies (Poecilia sphenops) are attractive, hardy fish for tropical freshwater aquariums. Adult mollies can grow up to five inches long and females usually have a more stout, rounded body shape than males. Marble mollies have attractive coloration with a mottled, marbled pattern with black and white colors. Marble mollies are easy to care for in home aquariums and readily feed on a variety of foods. Healthy populations will even breed in home aquariums and give birth to live young.

Things You'll Need

  • 30-gallon aquarium
  • Water chemistry testing kit
  • Salt
  • Aquatic plants
  • Branches
  • Blanket
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Algae flake food
  • Tube worms
  • Blood worms
  • Brine shrimp
  • Floating aquatic plants
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up a 30-gallon aquarium and use a water chemistry testing kit to ensure that the environmental parameters are stable before introducing fish to the aquarium. Marble mollies require water temperatures between 68 and 77 degrees and a pH range between 7.0 and 8.0

    • 2

      Add a tablespoon of salt to the aquarium once it is setup and established. Marble mollies live in brackish waters in the wild and will benefit from a small amount of salt in the aquarium.

    • 3

      Place several aquatic plants and branches or other structures in the tank to create plenty of hiding places for marble mollies. The fish are native to slow-moving waters of Central and South America and will feel more at home in aquariums with lots of cover.

    • 4

      Introduce marble mollies to your aquarium and place a blanket over the aquarium to allow the fish to slowly adjust to their new environment. Ensure you keep two females for every male to prevent fighting between the fish. Mollies are generally peaceful fish that will school together in home aquariums.

    • 5

      Feed marble mollies a well-balanced diet consisting of both plant and animal foods. Mollies will readily eat pieces of fresh spinach and zucchini when offered, but can also be fed algae-based flake food along with tube worms, blood worms and brine shrimp.

    • 6

      Place floating plants in your aquarium when you notice female mollies with a swollen belly. Mollies will rear their fish in the suspended roots of floating plants in the aquarium. Healthy females can give birth to as many as 60 young every 60 to 70 days.