What Do Molly Fish Eat? A Complete Guide to Feeding Mollies

Molly fish are a popular freshwater species loved by aquarium hobbyists for their beautiful colors and peaceful temperament. As omnivores mollies enjoy a varied diet in the wild consisting of algae plant matter and small invertebrates. When keeping mollies in an aquarium, it’s important to feed them a nutritious and balanced diet to keep them healthy and vibrant.

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at what mollies eat, how often to feed them, and the best foods to provide in captivity. Whether you’re a beginner just setting up your first molly tank or a seasoned aquarist looking to optimize their diet, you’ll find all the information you need here.

What Do Mollies Eat in the Wild?

Mollies are naturally adapted to eat a wide variety of foods. In their natural habitat, they consume:

• Algae – Mollies graze on algae growing on rocks, plants and other surfaces. This provides an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

• Plant matter – Decaying leaves, stems and other vegetation are eagerly consumed. The fiber supports good digestion.

• Insects – Small insects that fall into the water, such as mosquito larvae, water fleas and worms provide essential protein.

• Crustaceans – Mollies will eat tiny shrimp, copepods and other planktonic crustaceans to round out their diet.

Their diverse palate allows mollies to thrive in freshwater environments from North America down through Central America. Understanding their natural diet is key to feeding them properly in the home aquarium.

What Do Mollies Eat in an Aquarium?

The main staple of a molly’s diet should be a high quality flake or pellet food designed for tropical omnivorous fish. This provides balanced nutrition with protein, plant matter, vitamins and minerals.

Supplement their main diet with a variety of treats

• Algae-based foods like spirulina wafers or tablets provide essential greens.

• Meaty frozen or freeze-dried foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp or daphnia satisfy their insectivorous cravings.

• Blanched vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, squash and shelled peas offer fiber and variety.

• Live foods including blackworms, daphnia and brine shrimp are excellent for conditioning fish for breeding.

Avoid overfeeding with protein-rich foods, as mollies are prone to obesity. Vary their diet and include plant-based foods daily.

How Often Should You Feed Mollies?

Most aquarists feed their mollies once or twice per day. Provide only as much food as they can consume within a few minutes at each feeding. Uneaten food will quickly foul the water.

Signs of overfeeding include sluggishness, disinterest in food and spit up food collecting at the bottom of the tank. If this occurs, cut back to feeding once daily or every other day until their appetite regulates.

Baby mollies should be fed 3-5 small meals per day. Their high metabolism requires more frequent feedings of powdered fry food, micro worms or infusoria.

Best Foods for Mollies

Now let’s look at the top foods to feed mollies to support optimal health:

• Flakes – Tropical omnivore flakes provide balanced daily nutrition. Choose a reputable brand and feed just enough that it is fully consumed within 2-3 minutes.

• Pellets – Sinking omnivore pellets work well for mollies too. The longer lasting pellets allow them to graze throughout the day.

• Algae wafers – Spirulina-based wafers are an excellent source of plant matter. Scatter a half wafer daily for supplemental grazing.

• Blanched veggies – Mollies relish bites of zucchini, cucumber, peas and shelled squash. Chop into small pieces and blanch for 1-2 minutes before feeding.

• Frozen foods – Meaty frozen foods like bloodworms, daphnia and brine shrimp make excellent supplemental feedings 2-3 times per week.

• Live foods – Live blackworms, daphnia and brine shrimp encourage breeding behavior. Feed sparingly 1-2 times per week.

By feeding a diverse diet, you’ll keep your mollies active, colorful and healthy. Adjust amounts based on their appetite and activity level.

Best Foods for Baby Mollies

Young mollies have different dietary needs than adults. Feed fry 5-6 small meals daily for the first 2-3 weeks. Good starter foods include:

• Powdered fry food – Finely crushed flake food works great initially. Choose a protein-rich formula and feed several small meals per day.

• Infusoria – These tiny microorganisms are ideal first foods. Harvest infusoria from a mature tank or buy cultures to seed the fry tank.

• Newly hatched brine shrimp – After 3-4 days, baby brine shrimp make an excellent transitional food. Continue feeding 2-3 times daily.

• Microworms – Live microworm cultures are easily maintained to provide continual harvests to feed young mollies

As the fry grow, gradually introduce fine flake foods, crushed pellets and frozen foods into their diet.

Feeding Mollies While on Vacation

Going out of town doesn’t have to spell disaster for your mollies. With a little preparation, they can weather a week or more without daily feedings. Here are some tips:

• Ask a friend to feed them – The easiest option! Give detailed instructions on amounts and frequency.

• Use vacation feeders – These slow-release blocks stick to the tank and slowly disperse food.

• Overfeed a bit before leaving – This isn’t ideal, but topping off their stomachs can hold them over.

• Install an automatic fish feeder – Battery operated feeders can be programmed to drop precise amounts of food.

• Skip a few days of feeding – Healthy adult mollies can go 7-14 days without food as a last resort.

With planning, you can relax and enjoy your trip without worrying about your mollies back home!

FAQ about Feeding Mollies

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about feeding mollies:

Can mollies eat goldfish food?

While not ideal as a staple diet, mollies can subsist on goldfish flakes for short periods of time. The protein content is lower than tropical fish foods, however, so switch to a molly-specific formula when possible.

How long can mollies go without food?

Healthy, adult mollies can go 7-14 days without food if necessary. This can happen when aquarists go on vacation. They use up stored energy reserves in their bodies during this time.

What human foods can mollies eat?

Mollies will nibble on bites of shelled peas, zucchini, cucumber and cooked spinach from the tank’s surface. Only offer human foods occasionally and remove any uneaten portions promptly.

Do black mollies have different dietary needs?

Black mollies have the same omnivorous requirements as other color morphs. Feed them a varied diet with plant and animal matter for good health.

What do molly fry eat?

Baby mollies need frequent small feedings of powdered fry food, infusoria, microworms or newly hatched brine shrimp. Gradually introduce flake foods and pellets as they grow.

Recap: Feeding Your Mollies

To summarize, here are the key tips for feeding molly fish:

• Mollies are omnivores requiring both plant and animal matter.

• Feed them an omnivore flake or pellet as their staple diet.

• Supplement with vegetables, algae wafers and meaty frozen or live foods.

• Most adult mollies do well with 1-2 small feedings per day.

• Molly fry should get 5-6 tiny meals daily for the first 2-3 weeks.

• Avoid overfeeding and clean up uneaten food promptly.

• With planning, mollies can be left for short vacations of 7-14 days.

By mimicking their diverse natural diet, you’ll keep your mollies active, colorful and healthy for years to come! Let us know if you have any other questions about feeding these fantastic fish.