- 1). Place clean aquarium gravel in the bottom of the aquarium, then fill your tank with water. Your tank needs to be 15 gallons minimum; larger is better.
- 2). Prepare the water. Use your pH kit to test the water; mollies prefer a pH level of 7.5 to 8.5. Purchase a kit that includes chemicals that enable you to alter the pH of the water so that you can change the pH, if needed. These kits are designed to be simple to use and typically include a color-coded chart to read a pH test strip. Mollies prefer a water temperature between 70 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, so you may need to allow the water to warm or cool before introducing your fish. In addition, you may wish to add salt to the tank. Mollies can live in fresh water, but prefer slightly salty water. Add about a tsp. of aquarium salt per five gallons of water.
- 3). Introduce your molly to the tank. If you purchase a molly and it is put into a plastic bag, let the bag float in the water for a little while so that the molly can adjust to the temperature. Sudden changes in the water can be very harmful to fish.
- 4). Feed your molly daily. Mollies will eat a variety of food, including flakes, freeze-dried and fresh food. Freeze-dried and fresh foods are good for supplementing a molly's diet.
- 5). Change the water and clean the tank often. Mollies are hardy, but keeping the tank clean will help your molly be healthy. Remove the molly before cleaning the tank using a net, and put it in a container of water from the tank temporarily while you clean. Soap and water are suitable if you rinse the tank thoroughly, and you can use a colander to clean the tank gravel easily. When you change the water, either completely or partially, retest the pH level and change as needed, and add a small amount of aquarium salt.
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