Electric Molly (Poecilia latipinna) is a farm-bred sailfin molly line selected for an intense, metallic sheen — light catches across the scales and flashes electric blue-turquoise as the fish turns, making a group of them one of the most eye-catching livebearers in a well-lit tank. Sailfin mollies are native to the coastal fresh, brackish, and salt marshes of the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico, where they live in hard, mineral-rich, often slightly salty water; this domestic color line was farm-raised in Indonesia. As they mature, males develop the tall, flag-like dorsal fin the species is famous for.
⚠ Hard Water Required: Sailfin mollies do poorly in soft or acidic water. The "shimmy" (a slow side-to-side rocking in place) is almost always caused by water that is too soft or too acidic, not by disease. Keep GH at 15 dGH or higher and pH 7.5–8.5; a small amount of aquarium salt helps.
Keep at least one male to two or three females — a single male will relentlessly chase a lone female. Mollies are prolific livebearers: females drop well-formed fry every 4–6 weeks, and dense plants such as Java moss, floating plants, or Hornwort give the young a place to hide. Keep a tight-fitting lid; mollies are capable jumpers.
Peaceful and active, Electric Mollies do well with other hard-water-tolerant community fish such as platies, swordtails, rainbowfish, and larger livebearers. A larger tank with good swimming room lets males develop full sail fins — in cramped tanks the dorsal fin stays small or collapses.
Feeding & Care Tip: Mollies are true omnivores that need plant matter every day. Feed Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes as the daily staple alongside Hikari Mini Algae Wafers for the vegetable component they graze on in the wild. Add Hikari Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp or Hikari Frozen Daphnia 2–3 times a week — the carotenoids help hold that metallic color. They will also pick at soft algae on rock and glass.
| Difficulty | Easy (with hard water) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Adult Size | 3–4 in (8–10 cm) |
| Group Size | 1 male : 2–3 females, groups of 5+ |
| Minimum Tank Size | 29 gallons |
| Ideal Temperature | 75–80°F (24–27°C) |
| Ideal pH | 7.5–8.5 |
| Ideal GH | 15–25 dGH |
| Staple Food | Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes + Hikari Mini Algae Wafers |
| Treat / Supplement | Hikari Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, Frozen Daphnia |
| Origin | Farm-bred, Indonesia (species native to SE USA & NE Mexico) |
| Notes | Livebearer — fry every 4–6 weeks. Hard, alkaline water prevents "shimmy." Aquarium salt optional but beneficial. Tight lid — jumpers. |
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