Poecilia sphenops (Molly)

(sorry for the bad picture ill try to get a better up close one soon


Scientific Name : Poecilia sphenops
Common Names : Molly
Care Level : Easy, very good for freshwater beginners. If keeping both sex could have problems with over breeding and population.
Size : 2 to 4 inches (5 - 10 cm) depending on the species
pH : 7.5 - 8.5
Temperature : 70°F - 82°F (21°C - 28°C)
Water Hardness : 10° to 25° dH,
Origin / Habitat : Central America
Life Span : 3 years
Temperament / Behavior : Peaceful
Breeding: Mollys are livebearers which means their babies come out swimming! If you have a male and a female then you will eventually have a pregnant female. The gestation period for livebearers is usually 28 days but can range from 20 to 40 days. You are probably asking, how can I tell when the female is pregnant? When a female molly is pregnant she will develop a dark triangular shaped gravid spot near her anal vent. This will get larger and darker as the pregnancy progresses. You will also notice your fish getting fatter like they swallowed a small ping pong ball. Mollys will eat their babies so you will need a heavily planted tank with lots of mosses and floating plants or put your molly in a breeder box a day before she is due. If you put her in to early she might get stressed so if your not seeing any babies withen two days let her back out for a couple more days then try again.
Molly fry care: Keep their tank clean. Try doing a 25% water change once a week in your fry tank. Feed them newly hatched brine shrimp or you can buy frozen baby brine shrimp at most LFS. Finely crushed flakes work as well.

Sources: myself and http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Mollies.htm

Great article