Aquarists love keeping mollies because of their easygoing nature and non-fussy eating behavior.
But what do mollies eat?
What Can You Feed Mollies in Aquariums?
Mollies are omnivorous and will happily eat plant matter and meat-based food.
These fish are known to consume everything you feed them.
However, it’s your responsibility to feed them a well-balanced and nutritious diet that can keep them active and healthy.
Given below is a list of food items that you can feed your mollies in captivity.
1. Flakes
Flakes are the most common food that you can feed your mollies.
They are designed to provide your mollies with a protein-rich diet.
Treat your mollies to the best nutrition by choosing flakes made of natural ingredients.
2. Pellets and Tablets
Veggie pellets are rich in vitamins and minerals. They contain algae, spirulina, and plankton that your mollies will enjoy.
Spirulina tablets help to enhance the coloration of mollies and protect them from skin, fin, and tail infections.
Mollies prefer to forage for food on the surface and mid-level of the tank. So, floating pellets are more suitable for them.
Uneaten floating pellets also don’t dirty the aquarium water and can be removed easily.
3. Freeze-Dried Food
Freeze-dried food items are incredibly nutritious and readily available in pet stores.
Freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, shrimp, and krill are excellent choices for mollies.
Feed your mollies freeze-dried food once or twice a week. Offer them small quantities that they can eat in a couple of minutes.
4. Live Food
Live food items are a highly protein-rich option for your pet mollies.
Live food like brine shrimp, daphnia, micro worms, and vinegar eels can be grown at home or purchased from pet stores.
However, when these foods are grown in unacceptable conditions, they are highly likely to contain parasites.
Freeze-dried food eliminates bacteria and parasites, making them a safer alternative to live food.
They are also cheaper than live food.
5. Veggies
Fresh or frozen vegetables must be part of mollies’ diet.
You can blend fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, cucumber, broccoli, and zucchini.
Vegetables will help complete the mollies’ diet and improve their overall health.
6. Egg Yolk
Mollies shouldn’t be fed large amounts of egg yolk due to its high-fat content.
However, it can be offered as an occasional snack to your pet mollies.
To begin with, boil an egg, remove the yolk, mash it into a paste, and feed a small quantity to your mollies.
However, be careful because a large amount of egg yolk can make the tank water murky.
What Do Mollies Eat in The Wild?
Mollies are omnivores that feed on both plant and animal matter in their natural habitat.
These fish are also scavengers. So will typically consume anything that they come across.
In the wild, their diet mainly consists of small invertebrates, including worms, small crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, and small fish.
Mollies will also consume plant matter, such as algae, fallen fruits, and aquatic vegetation.
They can be seen grazing on the surfaces of plants and rocks in the wild since they have an instinctual need to forage for food.
How Often Should You Feed Your Mollies?
Feeding your mollies in moderation is the key. You must feed them a small amount of food once or twice a day.
Mollies have an insatiable appetite. So you need to regulate their diet carefully.
While feeding mollies, consider variety and moderation. Don’t overfeed them.
Providing mollies with a balanced diet is essential for their well-being in captivity.
What Do Molly Fry Eat?
You must feed a variety of protein-rich food with high nutritional value to your molly fry. This will stimulate faster growth.
These young ones have a relatively short digestion cycle. So they must be fed frequently to satiate their hunger.
Ensure that they are fed five times per day at regular intervals to satisfy their dietary requirements.
Small fry can be fed flakes that are high in protein and specifically designed to promote rapid growth.
Live food such as baby brine shrimp, vinegar eels, daphnia, and micro worms can also be an excellent choice for molly fry.
In the absence of live food, you can feed frozen or freeze-dried food to the fry.
Molly fry have a small mouth opening. So the food you provide needs to be of appropriate size.
It’s also essential to prevent overfeeding and remove uneaten food to maintain water quality.
Takeaway
Mollies are omnivores that eat tiny crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, and small fish in the wild. In captivity, feed them a well-balanced diet that includes flakes, pellets, live and freeze-dried food, veggies, and egg yolk to satiate their dietary requirements and stimulate growth.
