Blue Mexican Mollies

: Hi Fish Friends,

I have a picture of what the mollies look like. Has anyone raised or bred this type. I have them arriving in a few days. I want to make sure that the conditions for the tank are correct.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

kitty2234:

 

They should require the same conditions as any other mollie.

 

Hi 2in10,

The parents of my fish were wild caught. My mollies are not on any salt. I am thinking that wild caught might need some salt.

I also received these rare 4-spot Livebears in the mail today. I was hoping that the mollies, the 4-spot, and some baby swordtails might be willing to share a tank.

kitty2234

 

+1

All Mollies come from the coastal regions of the southern US, Central, and South Americas. They're typically a brackish fish, but can also be found in the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, as well as in freshwater rivers and streams.

Mollies are transitional- I've personally acclimated Black Sailfins from freshwater to salt and placed them in a reef tank with no problems. Whether or not you add salt should be determined by your preferred tankmates, plants, etc. IOW, if you add salt, you'll need to ensure that plants and other fish are brackish or saltwater, depending on the exact salinity; many freshwater species cannot tolerate any salt. If you want freshwater plants and fish, your Mollies will be just fine in freshwater regardless of their origin.

Here's a good read on Mollies. One note I found interesting is that the Mexican Sailfin is more difficult to breed in captivity, and tend to lose their fancy finnage.

Mollies, Short-finned Mollies, Sailfin Mollies, Mexican Sailfin Mollies

Good Luck!