Mollies are one of the most popular aquarium fish you can find at pet stores because they come in many colors, are active, and are easy to breed. Mollies are a good choice if you want a fish that is bigger than a platy but smaller than a swordtail and lives to have live young. Molly fish are pretty easy to take care of, but newbies can have trouble with them. Learn how to care for mollies and breed them successfully in your home.
Do Mollies Eat Shrimp? An In-Depth Look at Molly and Shrimp Compatibility
As an aquarium hobbyist you may be considering adding both mollies and shrimp to your freshwater tank. But an important question arises – do mollies eat shrimp?
With their lively personalities and vibrant colors, mollies and shrimp can each make fantastic additions to community aquariums. However, understanding their compatibility is crucial before placing them together.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the dietary habits of mollies and examine if and under what conditions they may consume shrimp tankmates. You’ll also learn expert tips to promote mollies and shrimp coexistence.
Let’s dive in!
An Introduction to Molly Fish
Mollies are a popular livebearer fish belonging to the Poecilia genus. Some of the most common molly species kept in home aquariums include:
- Sailfin mollies (P. latipinna)
- Black mollies (P. sphenops)
- Dalmatian mollies (P. latipinna)
These energetic, hardy fish thrive in freshwater tanks. Mollies are omnivorous, feeding on a combination of plant matter, algae, and small invertebrates.
While primarily herbivorous, they are opportunistic feeders. If small critters like shrimp make an easy meal, mollies will happily indulge!
Molly Fish Diet and Feeding Habits
Mollies are omnivores that enjoy a diverse diet. Their main staples include:
- Algae
- Aquatic plants
- Decomposing plant matter
- Floating fish flakes
- Algae wafers
- Sinking pellets
These provide bulk and plant nutrition. However, mollies also need supplemental protein from meaty foods. They will readily consume:
- Small worms and insect larvae
- Brine shrimp
- Mosquito larvae
- Copepods
- Daphnia
- Shrimp fry or juveniles
This combination of plant and animal material makes for a balanced molly diet.
While primarily grazing on algae and plant debris, mollies are opportunistic. Given the chance, they will hunt and consume small prey. This includes baby shrimp!
How Aggressive Are Mollies Toward Tankmates?
Mollies are generally peaceful community fish when provided with appropriate tank conditions. However, individual temperament varies. Some key points regarding molly aggression:
- Males may squabble over territory or females, but these skirmishes are usually harmless.
- Crowding, poor water quality, or insufficient food can cause heightened aggression.
- If very hungry, mollies become more likely to hunt tankmates.
- Certain species like sailfin mollies tend to be more temperamental.
- Individual mollies may show more hostile tendencies, regardless of species.
For the most part, mollies coexist well with small, peaceful fish as well as larger invertebrates. However, their predatory instincts remain intact.
Shrimp often become targets, as they are slow-moving and fit nicely into a molly’s mouth. This brings us to the crux of the matter…
Will Mollies Eat Shrimp?
The short answer? Yes, mollies will eat shrimp if given the opportunity.
However, shrimp-eating behavior depends on a few factors:
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Shrimp Size: Large adult shrimp are generally safe. But molly fish will consume smaller juveniles.
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Tank Setup: Planted aquariums with hiding spots help shrimp evade mollies.
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Hunger Levels: Well-fed mollies are less likely to hunt tankmates.
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Molly Temperament: Some mollies are simply more aggressive than others.
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Shrimp Health: Weak or dying shrimp are easy pickings for mollies.
Though mollies prefer plant material and algae, shrimp may become part of their diet, especially if small or vulnerable.
Molly and Shrimp Tank Setup Tips
If you wish to keep shrimp and mollies together, certain precautions are advised:
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Choose Larger Shrimp: Amano, bamboo, and vampire shrimp reach sizes that mollies can’t consume.
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Add Plenty of Plants: Dense foliage and structures offer shrimp shelter from mollies.
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Supplement Food: Keep mollies well-fed with protein-rich foods like bloodworms.
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Monitor Behavior: Watch for aggression or shrimp disappearing and separate if needed.
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Introduce Adults: Adding adult shrimp reduces likelihood of molly predation.
With planning and precaution, mollies and shrimp can cohabitate successfully!
Molly and Shrimp Compatibility: The Verdict
Can you keep mollies with shrimp? Yes, but close monitoring is required.
While mollies are peaceful community fish, their omnivorous diet and opportunistic feeding make shrimp vulnerable. However, proper tank setup and care measures can allow these popular aquarium residents to live in harmony.
When keeping mollies and shrimp, focus on the following:
- Select larger shrimp species
- Provide plenty of shelters
- Feed a high-quality, varied diet
- Maintain pristine water conditions
- Watch for aggressive behaviors
With attentive fishkeeping practices, both mollies and shrimp can thrive together in a healthy tank environment. But being prepared to separate them is wise.
The key is understanding the unique needs of mollies and shrimp, then tailoring your aquarium setup to cater to both species. This enables the fascinating behaviors of these active fish and inverts to shine through in a community tank.
So give mollies and shrimp a try! With the right approach, these colorful creatures can coexist happily in your freshwater aquarium. Just be sure to keep a close eye out and make adjustments as needed.
What are Molly Fish?
This fish has a lot of young and lives in freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater areas from the southern US to Columbia. They are longer than platies and have a smoother body. They can grow up to 4-5 inches (10-13 cm) long. Surprisingly, they clean aquariums very well. With their flat mouths, they are always looking for food scraps and pulling off hair algae.
In the aquarium trade, the most common species are Poecilia sphenops (short-fin molly) and Poecilia latipinna (sailfin molly). What are the different kinds of mollies? Hybrids have been selectively bred to make balloon, gold dust, marble, platinum, creamsicle, black, dalmatian, and other colors.
Mollies are very popular because they come in a multitude of colors, patterns, and shapes.
Do mollies need salt in their water? Many fancy mollies are raised in places outside of Australia where salt water is cheaper than fresh water. That’s why fish farms often keep them in salty water with a high pH and GH (or water hardness). When these mollies that were raised in brackish water are taken to wholesalers, fish stores, and home aquariums that only use fresh water, the change in water conditions can make their kidneys stop working. If your tap water is naturally hard, your mollies might not have any problems. But if your tap water is soft and lacks minerals, they could get ich (white spot disease), fungus, or livebearer disease. If your tap water is soft, you should add Wonder Shells or Seachem Equilibrium to the fish tank to raise the levels of calcium, magnesium, and other good minerals.
What do Molly Fish Eat?
Mollies won’t turn down anything you drop in the aquarium; they’ll eat it right away. You should give them a variety of high-quality flakes, pellets, frozen foods, and Repashy Soilent Green gel food because they eat both meat and plants. Mollies that often have long strings of normal-colored poop hanging from their bodies may be getting too much food and need to eat less. Also, if you notice that they are eating more than other fish, you might want to feed them fish food that you scatter around the tank so that other fish can get food too.
Since balloon mollies are bred to be rounder, look at how much waste they make to see if you are giving them too much food.
Can Red Cherry Shrimp Live With Mollies? WILL THIS COMBINATION WORK OR END IN DISATER???
Do Mollies eat shrimp?
Yes, Mollies will eat all shrimps that are kept with them, irrespective of their species. As long as the shrimps are small enough to be torn apart easily, the Mollies will eat them. Mollies will eat Amano Shrimps as long as they are inhabited together in the same aquarium.
Can a Molly eat a cherry shrimp?
Adults though, may be ok. Adult female Cherry shrimp are too big for a Molly to eat in one bite, though if the fish wanted to, it could tear the shrimp apart. Providing many hiding places, with rocks, wood and plenty of live plants, gives any shrimp the best chance to survive with fish, giving them places to hide and get away.
What do Mollies eat?
Mollies are classified as omnivores, meaning that they consume both plant and animal matter. In the wild, mollies will eat things like insects, shrimp, and even plants. Still, there are some things you might want to put in your Mollie’s tank that she can actually eat. Mollies can eat some human food, but it shouldn’t make up the bulk of their diet.
Can Mollies eat freeze-dried shrimp?
Your mollies will thrive on a diet of freeze-dried brine shrimp, tubifex, and blood worms. Freeze-dried meals can be given once or twice weekly, but only in very little amounts and spread out over several servings. They are a healthy substitute to fresh foods because harmful bacteria and parasites are eliminated during the freeze-drying process.