How to Prepare Vegetables for Your Molly

Molly fish in the wild feed on scraps and floating bits of food, but in an aquarium, they can thrive on a mix of nutritious fish flakes and vegetables. While a molly fish's diet should mainly consist of fish flakes, they also enjoy vegetables as a treat. It's important to prepare veggies correctly, as some can be tough for a molly fish to eat.

Offer blanched zucchini or squash. Wash and chop a whole zucchini or squash into 1⁄4 in (0.64 cm) slices. Boil a pot of water and drop the slices in for 1 minute. This will soften the skin, making it easier for your molly fish to eat. Cool the slices before feeding. Use multiple slices for a group of molly fish, and freeze the rest for later use.

Give your fish small pieces of cucumber. Wash and remove the outer skin of a cucumber, then slice it into thin 1⁄8 in (0.32 cm) slices. Drop the slices into the tank.

See if your molly likes unshelled peas. Microwave regular green peas for just over 1 minute to soften the shell. Peel off the shell and drop the peas into the aquarium.

Chop fresh spinach and drop it in the tank. Spread chopped fresh spinach around the tank as you would with regular fish flakes. You can boil the spinach to make it easier for your molly fish to chew, but it's not necessary as fresh spinach is soft enough already.

Provide diced and blanched broccoli stalks. Cut broccoli stalks into small, fish-sized pieces and boil them for 1 minute. Remove and allow to cool before spreading around the tank for your mollies to eat.

Offer veggies at least once a week. Molly fish should only be given veggies as occasional treats to ensure they continue to eat their fish flakes.

Give your fish as many veggies as they can eat in 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the veggies after this time or when the fish loses interest, and avoid overfeeding.

Spread veggies around the tank to make your fish work for its treats. Distribute the veggies in different locations to stimulate your molly fish and prevent boredom.

The first time you feed your fish these foods, you may want to add a little bit of their regular fish food to get them in the feeding mood. Continuously watch your molly's feeding habits and remove the veggies from the tank if it seems to be eating too much. Offer fewer veggies next time you give them a treat.