L.T. Mini Molly Red Calico 3.5cm

L.T. Mini Molly Red Calico

Mini Molly is are incredibly overlooked fish as they often get overshadowed by the larger common mollies. These adorable little fish are, in fact, naturally occurring in the wild and are not a short body or genetic anomaly, which is the most surprising thing! The only change in these fish, though, is the lyretail gene present, which enhances their fins with a crescent-like flowing tail.

Mini mollies come in an assortment of colours; however, the Red Calico is by far one of the most eye-catching. These fish display a vibrant blend of red, orange, and black blotches that create a mottled or marbled pattern across their body. Each fish can be slightly different, with the calico spotting creating a natural, wild aesthetic. Combined with their elegant lyretail extensions, these fish resemble floating embers in the water, which is absolutely stunning against dark backgrounds or lush green plants. Mini mollies are one of the larger growing livebearer fish, meaning they give birth to live young and are closely related to guppies and platies.

Mini 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 that they can live in full fresh, brackish, and saltwater, which just shows how hardy they are. The wild habitat of the mini molly is widespread from South America to Mexico.

Tank Recommendations for your L.T. Mini Molly Red Calico

Being a fish that grows to only 5 cm and remaining very easy to care for, the lyre tail mini molly can be kept in a fairly small aquarium with a minimum being 40 litres. 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 as they spend most of their time exclusively at the top of the aquarium. However, because mini mollies like alkaline or high pH environments, crushed coral or aragonite sand would be optimal. They will also enjoy plants in the aquarium with great options being ferns, Anubias, pogostemon, and vallesneria, as these are large and denser growing plants and allow for great natural breeding grounds and places for fry to grow. As mentioned, the mini mollies are in fact considered to be a 'hard water fish meaning they prefer the water to have an elevated PH 7. This still means they can be kept with tetras and most other community fish, but the PH should not go lower than this.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Lyre tail Red Calico Mini 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 slower-moving fish should be avoided as mini mollies may outcompete them.

Usually Compatible

Rainbow fish, 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 that would prey on the mollies, such as oscars and very slow-moving fish like discus or borneo suckers.

Feeding your L.T. Mini Molly Red Calico

The L.T. Mini Molly is very easy to feed once it is settled into the aquarium. It will readily eat a wide range of molly food but would prefer to have a high-floating nano pellet or flake due to its top-dwelling behaviour. Giving them a nutritional food with good protein will ensure optimal health.