Mollies make excellent fish for home aquarium hobbyists. They are a hardy species that are incredibly easy to care for, which also makes them a favorite for newbies that want to raise fish.
If you’re interested in owning mollies, you may be wondering which food is the best to feed them.
Good news – you’re in the right place!
There are many different types of food you can feed your mollies. These categories of food typically include (*):
- Live
- Frozen
- Freeze-Dried
Molly owners wanting to provide a well-rounded diet normally provide a combination of these foods to their tank. Below, we’ll talk about which of these foods are the best to give your molly and how much they need. (*)
Read on to learn more!
About Feeding Mollies
Mollies are active little fish that love to eat. That’s why you need to think carefully about a feeding routine for your new school.
In the wild, mollies are omnivores. This means they eat a combination of invertebrates and plants like algae. (*)
Because they have such a wide diet in the wild, they need a variety of nutrients in captivity as well. You’ll have to replicate that the best you can in your tank at home!
That’s why it’s best to have a combination of live, frozen, and dried animal and plant matter available for your mollies.
You also need to remember not to overfeed your mollies.
Mollies are gluttons, to say the least. This species will continue to eat until the food is gone no matter how much food there is, so you’ll have to limit their portions to keep them from getting sick! (*)
On average, your mollies should be given enough food to eat for around two minutes twice per day. Anything beyond that and you’re probably overfeeding them.
No molly wants a tummy ache!
What Kind of Food Do Mollies Eat?
Mollies have quite a variety of foods to pick from between live, frozen, and dried options. The primary foods we’ll discuss below include:
- Blood worms
- Daphnia
- Brine shrimp
- Krill
- Fish flakes
- Vegetables
- Veggie tablets
- Beef heart paste
While some of those certainly sound more appetizing than others (what is beef heart paste, anyways?), your mollies will likely take a liking to all of them. Read on to learn more about the best options for feeding your mollies.
1. Blood Worms
Blood worms are one of the best foods you can give your mollies, especially if they’re picky eaters. Mollies love the flavor of blood worms as well as how meaty they are.
You could probably consider blood worms like your mollies’ favorite steak.
One thing to consider when it comes to blood worms is feeding them live versus frozen or freeze-dried. Typically freeze-dried foods are much easier to feed as they have a longer shelf life and won’t make your tank water disgusting.
Plus, sometimes live foods can introduce parasites and other diseases into your tank. While your mollies may enjoy live food at first, they may not like it later if they become ill.
Frozen foods are a bit safer because freezing tends to kill most parasites and bacteria, though there is still a small risk of illness with them.
Freeze-dried foods, on the other hand, are a great way to keep giving your mollies the foods they love without putting them at risk for illness! Freeze-drying ensures all bacteria and parasites are killed before feeding blood worms to your fish.
However, blood worms cannot be used as the only food you give your mollies. Though they are full of nutrients and promote healthy digestion, immunity, and coloration, they don’t have everything your mollies need to survive.
We recommend to consider blood worms as an appetizer for your mollies, rather than a five-star meal.
2. Daphnia
Ever heard of daphnia? They’re not as popular as other crustaceans, so we’ll be nice and explain what they are.
Daphnias are also called “common water fleas,” as they are extremely tiny crustaceans. They are so small they’re considered “planktonic,” and are a fan favorite of mollies everywhere!
Daphnias are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, just like the other aquatic animals on this list. However, they are also much smaller than the others on this list, which can make feeding a little difficult.
We recommend getting freeze-dried daphnia to eliminate the chance of parasites and to have a container with a built-in dispenser. Trust us, it’ll make your life easier in the long run.
3. Brine Shrimp
Brine shrimp make an excellent addition to your mollies’ diet. Brine shrimp are often full of:
- Protein
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Absorbable pigments
In addition to these, brine shrimp are great because they come in many forms. The easiest way to feed your mollies brine shrimp is by getting them freeze-dried, though you also have the option of feeding them live to your mollies.
Keep in mind that if you choose to feed live, you do run the risk of introducing accidental parasites or other diseases to your tank. This issue makes freeze-dried brine shrimp the go-to for many careful molly owners.
However, frozen is an option too! Frozen fish foods often retain more nutrients than freeze-dried, but are safer than live feeding.
This treat helps your mollies digest their food and can even keep their colors bright, as many freeze-dried brine shrimp have pigments for your mollies to absorb.
Though brine shrimp are great, you should note that they aren’t a primary food source. Brine shrimp don’t have all the nutrients your mollies need to thrive (though they have many that will help!), so they should really only be used as a supplement or treat.
4. Krill
You may be looking at krill and thinking, “How are these at all different from brine shrimp?” The real answer is that there really isn’t much of a difference to us, but there may be a difference for your mollies!
Krill, like brine shrimp, are full of protein and other great nutrients like calcium. They’re known to support healthy growth because of their higher protein content compared to other foods.
Because krill tend to be a little larger than brine shrimp, freeze-dried is the suggested way to feed them. This also keeps them safe from those nasty parasites we mentioned above.
Like brine shrimp, krill are unfortunately not enough to be used as a primary food source. Though it is highly recommended you add them to your mollies’ diet, you’ll need additional food(s) to give them all the nutrients they need to survive.
5. Fish Flakes
At this point, you may be wondering just what foods are considered a primary food source for mollies. The good news is you’ve made it – the answer is fish flakes!
Fish flakes for mollies are well-balanced and provide all the nutrients your fish need to live long, happy, healthy lives. You should make sure you get slow-sinking flakes, as these are often preferred by mollies.
While live or freeze-dried foods that we’ve discussed previously make great snacks for mollies, fish flakes should be their regular food. Then, any treats you add with them can give your mollies extra nutrients.
Make sure the fish flakes you get are for omnivores like mollies, as they should contain both animal and plant products. Keep in mind that adding too much food to your water could make it cloudy or dirty, so you should only add just enough for your fish to eat in a few minutes!
6. Vegetables and Veggie Tablets
Because mollies are omnivores, they’ll also enjoy eating plant matter such as vegetables! Some of mollies’ favorite vegetables include:
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Squash
- Broccoli
You’ll have to blanch these vegetables before feeding to soften them up and also kill any bacteria that may be on them from the grocery store.
If you’re not particularly fond of having to cook veggies for your fish, you can always get some veggie tablets! These tablets will provide freeze-dried vegetables to your fish without having to put in any of the work. Phew!
7. Beef Heart Paste
We’ve finally reached beef heart paste. In case you’re confused, it’s essentially what it sounds like.
That’s right, it’s a paste made of beef heart. Gross.
Not to mollies, though! Mollies absolutely love beef heart paste, and it is a great supplement in their diet.
Beef heart paste is full of hearty (get it?) nutrients and is chock-full of protein for your mollies. By adding beef heart paste to their diet, they will be sure to grow big and strong.
To make beef heart paste, simply combine beef heart (with the fat removed), shrimp, veggies such as spinach and carrots, and spirulina powder in a blender. You can always add additional ingredients such as krill, fish flakes, or other vitamin supplements, though it is not necessary.
Remember that beef heart paste is still higher in fat than other foods, so cannot be used regularly. However, it is a great supplement or occasional treat for your mollies.
FAQs
Ready to Feed
Now that you know what types of food are perfect for your mollies, you can feed them the best foods possible! This will keep them healthy and strong in the long run, giving you many years of companionship with your tank.
If you use any of these best molly fish food, let us know below which are your favorites. Feel free to ask us any other aquarium-related questions below as well, as we may pick your question to write on next!
Happy time!
