TankStockingMolly (Common / Sailfin) Tank Mates
Mollies are big, active, peaceful livebearers that suit a roomy community with hard, slightly alkaline water.
They get along with most peaceful fish but are larger and messier than guppies, so they need more space and stronger filtration. The engine clears the usual community crowd; plan for breeding and for their preference for harder water (some keepers add a little salt, which limits invertebrate tankmates).
Molly (Common / Sailfin) key facts
The sourced figures the engine uses to judge Molly (Common / Sailfin) pairings.
| Adult size | 12 cm |
|---|---|
| Minimum tank | 20 US gal |
| Minimum group | 3+ (pair/group) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Temperature range | 24–28°C |
| pH range | 7.5–8.5 |
| Bioload | High |
| Swim level | All levels |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
Sources & confidence (11 species)
These back the Molly (Common / Sailfin) figures and the recommended tank mates above. Each figure is read from the TankStocking species database (v2026.06); below is the care reference behind it and how confident we are in that data. Confidence reflects the source quality, not whether any pairing is safe. Full source list and the welfare model are on the methodology page.
- Molly (Common / Sailfin) Poecilia sphenops / Poecilia latipinna — Aquarium Co-Op molly care guide / FishBase Poecilia latipinna high confidence
- Bamboo Shrimp (Wood/Fan Shrimp) Atyopsis moluccensis — Aquariadise (aquariadise.com/caresheet-bamboo-shrimp-atyopsis-moluccensis) high confidence
- Bleeding Heart Tetra Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma — Seriously Fish (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) high confidence
- Boesemani Rainbowfish Melanotaenia boesemani — Seriously Fish; Aquarium Co-Op Boesemani guide high confidence
- Bolivian Ram Mikrogeophagus altispinosus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/mikrogeophagus-altispinosus) high confidence
- Brilliant Rasbora Rasbora einthovenii — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/rasbora-einthovenii) high confidence
- Bristlenose Pleco Ancistrus sp. — Aquarium Source / aqua-fish.net Ancistrus care guides high confidence
- Clown Pleco Panaqolus maccus — Fish Laboratory (fishlaboratory.com/fish/clown-pleco); AquariumStoreDepot high confidence
- Congo Tetra Phenacogrammus interruptus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/phenacogrammus-interruptus) high confidence
- Croaking Gourami Trichopsis vittata — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/trichopsis-vittata) high confidence
- Dwarf Chain Loach Ambastaia sidthimunki — Loaches Online (loaches.com); Aquarium Co-Op high confidence
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Verdict
Top Molly (Common / Sailfin) tank mates
A ranked shortlist: the species the engine clears with Molly (Common / Sailfin) and that suit its size and temperament best — tap any to load the exact pairing in the planner.
| Species | Adult size | Temp range | Min group | Swim level | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo Shrimp (Wood/Fan Shrimp) | 10 cm | 20–27°C | 1 | All levels | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra | 6 cm | 21–28°C | 8+ (shoal) | Midwater | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Boesemani Rainbowfish | 10 cm | 24–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bolivian Ram | 8 cm | 24–27°C | 2+ (pair/group) | Bottom | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Brilliant Rasbora | 9 cm | 22–26°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bristlenose Pleco | 13 cm | 23–27°C | 1 | Bottom | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Clown Pleco | 9 cm | 23–28°C | 1 | Bottom | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Congo Tetra | 8 cm | 23–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Croaking Gourami | 7 cm | 22–28°C | 1 | All levels | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Dwarf Chain Loach | 6 cm | 24–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | All levels | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
Other engine-cleared options (not necessarily ideal)
These clear TankStocking's hard welfare checks with Molly (Common / Sailfin), but are larger, bolder, or otherwise less ideal than the shortlist above — read up before committing.
Anabantoids (Bettas/Gouramis)
Invertebrates
Livebearers
Oddball
Plecos & Catfish
Rainbowfish
Rasboras
Possible with care
These can work, but the engine flags something to watch — read the reason before you commit.
- Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) — Territorial
- Paradise Fish — Aggression
- Five-banded Barb — Heavily stocked
- Gold Barb — Heavily stocked
- Odessa Barb — Heavily stocked
- Tiger Barb — Heavily stocked
- Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apisto Cacatuoides) — Territorial
- Convict Cichlid — Aggression
- Firemouth Cichlid — Territorial
- Jewel Cichlid — Aggression
- Kribensis (Rainbow Krib) — Territorial
- Oscar — Aggression
- Bronze Corydoras — Heavily stocked
- Sterbai Corydoras — Heavily stocked
- Pearl Danio — Heavily stocked
- Golden Wonder Killifish (Striped Panchax) — Aggression
Best avoided
A hard welfare check fires for each of these — don't mix them with Molly (Common / Sailfin).
- Chocolate Gourami — Species-only fish
- Licorice Gourami — Species-only fish
- Rosy Barb — Temperature clash
- Tinfoil Barb — Predation risk
- Discus — Temperature clash
- Green Severum — Predation risk
- Multifasciatus Shell-Dweller — Territorial, Species-only fish
- Common Goldfish — Temperature clash, Coldwater + tropical
- Fancy Goldfish — Temperature clash, Coldwater + tropical
- Gold White Cloud Mountain Minnow — Temperature clash, Coldwater + tropical
- Rosy Red Minnow (Fathead Minnow) — Temperature clash, Coldwater + tropical, Heavily stocked
- White Cloud Mountain Minnow — Temperature clash, Coldwater + tropical
- Peppered Corydoras — Temperature clash, Heavily stocked
- Dwarf Emerald Rasbora — Temperature clash
Molly (Common / Sailfin) community ideas
Each build is scored by the same engine as the planner — tap one to load it.
Molly + platy community
✓ Good starter plan4× Molly (Common / Sailfin), 4× Platy
Two hardy livebearers that share water preferences — a colourful, active 29-gallon community.
Load this build in the planner ↑Molly + cory
✓ Good starter plan4× Molly (Common / Sailfin), 6× Bronze Corydoras
A livebearer group with a bottom shoal; strong filtration keeps the molly bio-load in check.
Load this build in the planner ↑Common questions
What fish can live with mollies?
Other peaceful community fish that tolerate harder water: platies, swordtails, guppies, corydoras and peaceful tetras. Mollies are large and active, so avoid tiny, timid tankmates they can out-compete.
How big a tank do mollies need?
At least 20 gallons for common mollies and 30-plus for sailfin types, which reach a hefty 12 cm. They produce a lot of waste, so do not crowd them.
Do mollies need salt?
No — mollies do not require salt in freshwater, though they appreciate hard, alkaline water. If you do add salt, skip salt-sensitive tankmates such as shrimp and many catfish.
More on Molly (Common / Sailfin)
Related guides on TankStocking — each scored by the same welfare engine as the planner.
Can Molly (Common / Sailfin) live with…?
Molly (Common / Sailfin) stocking by tank size
Compatibility is a planning estimate: individual temperament, tank layout, and group sizes all matter. Cycle the tank, add fish gradually, and watch how they behave. See the methodology or browse the full freshwater fish list.