Balloon Molly

They have a rotund little body and are very peaceful livebearers. These mollies come with lyre tails or standard caudal fins. All mollies are livebearers, and these fish will naturally breed and bear young in the aquarium. Small fry will be eaten unless there are plenty of plastic or natural plants for them to hide in.

Mollies are hardy and can handle beginner freshwater aquariums and advanced brackish fish tanks.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Give them hard, alkaline water with plants and gentle filtration, since balloon mollies are slower swimmers than other mollies. Aquarium salt is optional; they also do well in brackish tanks.

Feeding: Feed small amounts of a quality flake that includes vegetable matter once or twice a day. They also enjoy algae wafers. Avoid overfeeding, since balloon mollies are prone to bloating.

Tankmates: Mollies get along with most peaceful community fish that like similar hard water, such as platies, swordtails, guppies, danios, rainbowfish, corydoras and plecos. Avoid fin-nippers and soft-water specialists. Keeping more females than males keeps any one female from being harassed.

Good to know: The balloon shape comes from a shortened, curved spine bred into this strain, so they swim more slowly. Feed them where they can reach food easily and don't house them with fast, pushy eaters.