Sailfin molly care
Poecilia latipinna · Fresh and brackish coastal waters from North Carolina to Texas and the Yucatán Peninsula
Sailfin mollies are the mollies with a tall, sail-like dorsal fin on the males; many fancy mollies in shops descend from them.
- Tank size
- 30 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 3 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 5.9 in (the largest recorded, with the tail; at a year old most are under 3 in without it)
- pH
- 7.5 to 8.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 12 to 25 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore with a big appetite for algae and vegetables
- Care level
- Easy
In a 30 gallon
36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outsideHow to keep sailfin mollies
Sailfin mollies are the mollies with a tall, sail-like dorsal fin on the males; many fancy mollies in shops descend from them. They come from coastal marshes and estuaries, so they want hard, alkaline water, and a little salt does no harm. Keep three or more, with more females than males, in a 30 gallon or larger tank with room to swim.
Diet: Omnivore with a big appetite for algae and vegetables: flakes with spirulina, pellets, blanched greens. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Sailfin molly tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Firemouth cichlid
6 in · 40+ gal · 75–84 °F
Vampire shrimp
6 in · 29+ gal · 74–84 °F
Convict julie
5.1 in · 30+ gal · 75–80 °F
Petricola catfish
4.5 in · 30+ gal · 73–79 °F
Banded gourami
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–82 °F
Paradise fish
3.5 in · 20+ gal · 61–79 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as sailfin mollies.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as sailfin mollies.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as sailfin mollies.
Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as sailfin mollies.
Auratus cichlid: Auratus cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as sailfin mollies.
What a sailfin molly tank needs
A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon sailfin molly tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon sailfin molly tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Fluval E100
Sailfin mollies need 72 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding sailfin mollies.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 82 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common sailfin molly problems
- Soft, acidic water brings on the shimmies (fish rocking in place); keep the water hard.
- Males chase females constantly; two or three females per male spread it out.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Poecilia latipinna. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Sailfin molly Nick Tobler (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Firemouth cichlid H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Vampire shrimp Ray eye, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict julie Regani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Petricola catfish Nerezza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Banded gourami Sandipan Das, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise fish André Karwath; edited by Muhammad, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red zebra cichlid Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Auratus cichlid Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Endler's livebearer Dgrummon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Molly LPA74, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Platy Monika Korzeniec, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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