Dalmation Molly 5cm

Dalmation Molly

Quite possibly one of the best entry-level fish for aquarists would be mollies simply because of how versatile and colourful they come. With quite literally hundreds of colour variations mollies make a downright fantastic fish add to a community aquarium or a species only aquarium as they are filled with activity, personality and look stunning. Of the plethora of colours available one of the most popular colours is the simple yet mesmerising Dalmation Molly which gets its name due to the striking colour resemblance to the Dalmatian dog breed.

A diamond white base colour that shimmers and shines under aquarium lights accompanied by a speckling of jet black spots makes this fish a true eye-catcher. Mollies are one of the larger growing livebearer fish meaning they give birth to live young and are closely related to guppies and platies. The Dalmatian Molly can be expected to reach around 10 cm which makes them a great larger peaceful fish to add to community aquariums.

Mollies are also a great fish to add to planted aquariums as they make for surprisingly good hair algae eaters, they constantly peck at plant leaves and almost scrub plants and rocks clean with their mouth but are overall just a great fish for both beginners and well-seasoned aquarists to enjoy and experience. One other amazing fact about these fish is they mollies can live in full fresh, brackish and saltwater which just shows how hardy they are. The wild habitat of the Molly is widespread from South America to Mexico.

Tank Recommendations for your Dalmation Molly

Being fish that grows to around 10 cm bur remaining relatively easy to care for fish, the Dalmatian Molly can be kept in an aquarium with the minimum being 75 Liters (20 gallons). However, a larger size is always recommended for these fish due to their size and active nature. A sand or gravel substrate would be fine for these fish as well however because mollies like alkaline or high ph environments a crushed coral or aragonite sand would be optimal. They will also enjoy plants in the aquarium with great options being ferns, Anubias, Pogostemon and Vallisneria as these are large and denser growing plants and allow for great natural breeding grounds and placed for fry to grow. As mentioned mollies are in fact considered to be a ‘hard water fish meaning they prefer the water to have an elevated PH and are not like a tetra. This higher PH of 7 - 8 can be achieved with a PH buffer or African cichlid lake conditioning salts.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Dalmation Molly is a very peaceful aquarium fish that can get along with a wide range of tank mates both in fresh and saltwater conditions. They are great with a wide range of community aquarium fish however slower moving fish should be avoided as mollies may outcompete them. 

Usually Compatible

Rainbowfish, mudskippers, platies, danios, loaches and a lot of other common aquarium fish.

Sometimes Compatible

Smaller sized fish such as neon or cardinal tetras, bottom-dwelling fish such as Corydoras and certain slower-moving species like Apistogramma or angelfish

Rarely Compatible

Large and aggressive species would prey on the mollies such as Oscars and very slow-moving fish like discus or Borneo suckers. 

Feeding your Dalmation Molly

The Dalmation Molly is very easy to feed once it is settled into the aquarium. It will readily eat a wide range of foods but would prefer to have high a floating nano pellet or flake due to its top dwelling behaviour. Giving them nutritional food with good protein will ensure optimal health. Feeding should happen once during the day during lighting hours.