Black mollinsia - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Mollinesia is in demand among aquarists with experience and those who have recently begun to try themselves in this field. Beautiful black fish look favorably in the aquarium among other colored inhabitants. America is considered the birthplace of the family represented, it was there that in 1924 fish were brought. If you do not know what the contents of these aquarium pets include, we will help you figure it out.

Buying fish

Before considering the main aspects, it is necessary to say a few words about the acquisition of this species of fish. Previously, only guppies were considered the ideal breeding family. But over time, everything has changed, viviparous type fish began to be raised in Asian countries.

Depending on where the fish is planned to be delivered, their breeding and rearing is carried out taking into account a certain standard. Often, antibiotics, as well as hormones and other substances take a direct part in this. The pricing and immunity of individuals depends on the cultivation. Rapid extinction is offset by low cost.

If you plan to purchase mollies, then give preference to European breeders or make a purchase on the recommendation. Pet stores that are grown in the wild are not supplied (or supplied, but difficult to find). Therefore, all that you see in such aquariums is artificially bred mollies.

Content

1. Fish of this family love warm water, so you need to create all the conditions for their comfortable existence. Mollinesia does not tolerate temperature jumps, try to maintain indicators at around 26 degrees. Also install an internal or external filter.
2. The water in the tank should always be fresh and clean. To achieve this, 1/3 of the total volume is drained weekly, a new one is poured. So you can maintain the optimal biological balance of the aquatic environment, preventing the accumulation of nitrogenous substances in it. During the substitution process, carefully observe that the water is at the same temperature as in the aquarium.
3. Fishes, by their natural features, rarely descend into the lowlands. They prefer to live in the middle or upper parts of the body of water. For this reason, control the length of daylight hours (12 hours maximum). It is important that there are plants, stones and driftwood in the aquarium. This will provide shelter for the fish.
4. Mollinesia gets along well with its relatives. It is advisable to arrange the aquarium so that females prevail in the flock. Fish quickly make friends with neighbors of other families, the main thing is to choose roommates by size.
5. Inside a kind of molliesia friendly, skirmishes are extremely rare. To make the water dwelling look profitable, start fish of this species in schools. But the aquarium should not be cramped, because the males will fight. 10 l are allocated for one individual. water.

Feeding

1. Fish eat almost everything, but their diet should include a lot of food of plant origin. It is important to feed the representatives of the aquatic environment so that they have enough vitamins and minerals. This will help balanced feed created for mollies.
2. This species of fish is not indifferent to food, so do not be surprised if the fish will eat everything and ask for more. But you do not need to overfeed it so that obesity and digestive problems do not develop.
3. The menu for your pets should be designed to include frozen, dry and live food.The ratio of dry / frozen or live food should be 2 to 1. The main thing is that the composition contains plant elements and protein compounds.
4. Do not discount products that fish like. For example, while mollies develop in an aquarium, take 3 feeds. Give them to the fish one by one and watch what they like best. In the future, preference is given to the selected option.

Sexual differences and reproduction

1. Mollinesia is quite easily distinguished by gender. You will not have any problems with this, so you should not worry. Keep in mind that gonopodia, which forms the anal fins, is well distinguished in males.
2. If the fish are provided with the most comfortable conditions for keeping, then the female will be able to bring offspring every month. It is with the help of gonopodia that the male transfers the seminal fluid to the female. Also, the couple is tied to each other with a hook.
3. Thanks to this, the male holds the female better during fertilization. Thus, the chances of breeding further offspring are significantly increased. Individuals reach puberty at one year of age. Females become sexually mature even earlier.
4. An interesting fact is that pregnancy in fish lasts for a month and a half. Defining this is pretty simple. During pregnancy, a dark spot can be seen from the bottom of the abdomen in females. The abdomen also noticeably increases in size.
5. Over time, the female begins to look for a secluded and safe place in all corners of the aquarium. In this case, the fish is strongly recommended to put in a separate aquarium. At the same time, it is important to observe such water indicators that were in the total capacity.
6. Often, spawning in mollinesia occurs early in the morning. Large representatives of the species at a time can be born up to 100 fry. The number of young animals will directly depend on the size of the female and her age. It should be noted that fry are born already quite large in size.
7. Young animals are in no hurry to immediately rise from the bottom to the top of the aquarium. They will lie at the bottom in the leaves of plants. Keep in mind that fry are especially sensitive to water. Therefore, it must always be as clean as possible.
8. Try to change the water as often as possible. To strengthen immunity in growing individuals, it is recommended to slightly saline the liquid. To fry quickly grew, they should be fed a varied and balanced food.

Breeding Features

1. Once the female is successfully fertilized, it can be easily distinguished from the male. The individual that hatches the fry has visual differences from the male. The fertilized female has a dark spot on the abdomen near the anus. Also, the stomach will be quite large.
2. After a long pregnancy, a large number of fry will begin to appear (about a hundred). The largest individuals are able to bring up to 250 fry at a time. The undoubted advantage is that mollies do not need a special spawning.
3. It is worth noting that mollies do not belong to those species of fish that prey on their own offspring. You may notice that after giving birth the female may remain fat for some time. This can be explained by the fact that the individual does not give birth to all fry.

Mollinesia is an unusually beautiful aquarium fish. They are quite peaceful and not whimsical to care for. It is enough for such individuals to provide comfortable living conditions and high-quality, balanced food. It is recommended to start a fish for beginners.

Video: aquarium fish black molliesia