Do Molly fish need heater, filter, air pump or lights ?

Do Molly fish need an aquarium heater, filter, air pump and air stone (bubbler) or lights?

Mollies are popular freshwater fish because they are beautiful, & hardy. Molly fish are peaceful & they are one of the most popular fish for aquariums. They need low care so they are recommended for beginners.

How to setup an aquarium for Molly fish?

How to setup an aquarium for Mollies?

Mollies like the abundance of live plants in their aquarium. They can adjust themselves to almost any water conditions that make them beginners friendly. They are peaceful & can live with other small peaceful species. Molly fish need at least a 10-gallon aquarium.

If you are a beginner & need help in setting up an aquarium for Molly fish, then you can find what you are looking for. You might have the following questions in your mind:

• Do Molly fish need an aquarium heater?
• Can Mollies survive without an air pump and air stone (bubbler)?
• Do Mollies need an aquarium filter?
• Can Molly fish live without aquarium lights?

Do Molly fish need an aquarium heater?

Molly fish need a heater in their aquarium because they are tropical fish. Tropical fish need warm water for survival. If you are living in a region where water remains warm, then you can avoid a heater. Otherwise, you will need a heater to keep Molly fish in the ideal temperature range. The ideal temperature range for Molly fish is between 21 to 29 C.

Can Mollies survive without an air pump and air stone (bubbler)?

Molly fish need a water pump or an air pump & air stone for aeration. Water pump or air pump disturbs the water surface & causes surface agitation that removes CO2 from the water & adds oxygen.

Adding a water pump or using an air stone in your fish tank will add abundance of oxygen in the water & remove CO2.

If you are keeping Mollies in a small fish tank, then an air pump is a good choice but for larger tanks, you will need a water pump for adding heaps of oxygen because they offer more surface agitation than bubbles produced by an air stone.

Keeping aquatic plants is another good choice for adding oxygen in the water. Live plants remove ammonia byproducts & CO2 in the presence of light, & release oxygen during photosynthesis. Toxic chemicals fertilize the plants so they do not need extra CO2 & fertilizers if you are keeping fish that make waste & release CO2. Molly fish like abundance of live plants in their aquarium. Live plants offer hiding spots for the fish.

Do Mollies need an aquarium filter?

Aquarists use water pump or air pump or live plants to oxygenate water but there is another popular option to add heaps of oxygen in the water via an aquarium filter.

A filter removes dangerous chemicals from the water that are released from fish poop & other impurities.

A filter consists of mechanical & biological filtration media. They trap fish waste, uneaten food, & other detritus that would otherwise rot & release ammonia. Bio media of the filter offers space for colonizing useful bacteria. Useful bacteria wipes out ammonia from the water.

Molly fish are small but they eat a lot. Therefore, they create lots of poop in aquariums. In addition, the remaining food overtime releases ammonia. Hence, they need a filter for cleaning their aquarium where they can live a healthy & happy life.

Submersible filter is a good choice for Molly fish tanks. It traps the fish poop, removes dangerous chemicals, & assists in surface agitation for aerating water.

Mollies like little turbulence in the water, & in the wild, they live in slow current water. Make sure the filter has an adjustable water flow. Otherwise, water current from the filter will stress your Molly fish.

Can Molly fish live without aquarium lights?

Molly fish do not need artificial lights if your aquarium is installed in a room that gets natural sunlight. Do not keep your aquarium in direct sunlight because it will cause abrupt growth of algae in your aquarium. Make sure your aquarium is located in a room lit by sunlight so that Molly fish stay active & healthy in the presence of light. However, Molly fish like heavy planted aquariums, therefore plants might have higher demand for lighting. If your plants can survive in natural daylight, then you can skip aquarium lights but if they demand bright lights, then you can consider spending money on artificial lights.

Other advantages of aquarium lights is that you can monitor your fish & plants for signs of disease, & you can really enjoy watching the beautiful colours of your fish if tank lights are installed.