|
| FAQs on the Molly
Compatibility Related Articles:
Mollies, & Poeciliids:
Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies
by Neale Monks, Livebearing Fishes
by Bob Fenner,
Related FAQs: Mollies 1,
Mollies 2,
Molly Identification FAQs,
Molly Behavior FAQs,
Molly Selection FAQs,
Molly System FAQs,
Molly Feeding FAQs,
Molly Disease FAQs,
Molly Reproduction FAQs,
Livebearers,
Guppies,
Platies, Swordtails,
|
|
With warm-water, soft-acidic condition livestock
With other hard-alkaline and brackish water livestock |
No.
Mostly yes. |
New owner of Dalmatian
mollies, comp., no data 3/23/09
Hi,
<Hello Saara>
I am in desperate need of an answer as to why my female Dalmatian molly
is constantly poking at the male molly? He just lays there at the bottom
of the tank and the female comes around every few seconds
and attacks it. Is this normal or am I going to lose a fish????
<It may be that this system is too small... mollies are social animals
that live in aggregations, spaces that allow them to interact and get
away from each other in mixed sexes settings... How big is this system,
of what water make up... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
and the linked files above should you have further questions
categorically.
Bob Fenner>
Aggressive female molly 8/07/08
Hi, we have had this molly for about 3 weeks now (I think she may be
pregnant) and she has suddenly became aggressive. I noticed this morning
that she is pecking at the other mollies and has practically killed one
of the other females. I just did a 50% water change today. Our pH level
was a little high when we had it checked yesterday (that’s why we did
the water change today). Is there something else I am missing? Could it
be over feeding?
<Hello, Merritt here today. First, I have a question for you, how big is
your tank? Mollies can become very aggressive towards one another if the
aquarium is not large enough. This means you may need to shop around for
a larger home for your mollies. Also, mollies are very sensitive to
water parameters, so get that pH in check. You could also increase the
size of the group with an addition of more females, if your tank is big
enough. Here is a helpful link that will aid in your molly care.
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/poeciliids.htm)>
Alicia Borton
<Good luck, Merritt A.>
Re: My female molly has became
aggressive 8/8/08
Reply to aggressive Molly
My tank is 10g,
<Too small for these active, aggressive fish...>
and I have had 3 of them die since I last emailed you.
<What's the water quality like? What's the water chemistry. Unless
you're keeping them in clean, warm brackish water -- that's your
problem, end of story. Aim for 26-28C, pH 7.5-8, hardness 20 degrees dH,
and a salinity between 6-9 grammes marine salt mix per litre (about SG
1.003-1.005).>
I noticed on one that it had this white mucusy substance hanging from
its fins and coating its sides.
<Standard reaction to Mollies being kept in poor/wrong water conditions.
Is this a brackish water tank or not? If not, these fish aren't going to
magically get better and stay better, even if you treat with an
appropriate medication such as Maracyn or eSHa 2000.>
I looked this up on the net and it said it is a bacterial infection.
<Covers a lot of ground! Gangrene and TB are both bacterial
infections!!! So, we need to be a bit more specific here. What you've go
going on is something like Finrot and/or Fungus. Mollies are EXTREMELY
prone to this when kept too cold, in too acidic conditions, in poor
water quality, and in freshwater conditions (rather than brackish or
marine).>
My finance went and bought "Quick Cure" and this will be the third and
final day of treatment.
<Not familiar with this medication. Wouldn't recommend it on that basis,
but if it treats what I'm talking about, OK. Do of course use as
instructed, above all remembering to remove carbon from the filter. None
of these medications will work unless underlying conditions are
improved.>
The remaining two that are left are doing better but not back to normal,
my male is hanging around the bottom a lot and only coming up for food
(he still can't make it all the way to the top).
<Very sick.>
The website said something about swimmers bladder, and that they would
be dead in 12 hours or less, but we have made it 48 hours since we
started treatment.
<What web site is this? All sounds pretty dubious to be honest.>
Any other suggestions?
<Yep, lots. Please start here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
>
"Kites fly, and so should you"
<Should I? Not wild about sitting in thin steel tubes hurtling through
the sky at huge velocities.>
Alicia
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My female molly has became
aggressive 8/8/08
I am not sure of the websites now.
<OK.>
It looks like our local pet store has informed us wrong on buying
mollies...
<Not uncommon.>
We were told that they can live in freshwater condition, no salt.
<And 50% of the time Mollies do fine in hard, alkaline, clean, warm
freshwater. But if you want 100% success, keep them in brackish. A
brackish water system for Mollies isn't difficult: add 6-9 grammes of
MARINE AQUARIUM salt mix (e.g., Instant Ocean) to each litre (0.8-1.2 oz
per US gal) of water before you add it to the aquarium. Stir well so the
salt dissolves. Top up any evaporation with water from the tap, not with
salty water. That's it! Not difficult.>
We have basically bought the fish tank for our 2 year old that loves
them, is there any suggestions you can give us on what type of fish that
are low maintenance and pretty easy to take care of?
<In a nutshell, you shouldn't be buying fish (or any pet) FOR a two-year
old. Buy pets for yourself, and introduce your offspring to the
pleasures AND responsibilities that come with caring for an animal. But
if you want something low maintenance, get a Furby or something. As/when
the child gets bored you can give the thing away, no harm done. Even an
easy fish species -- like Platies -- will want 25-50% water changed per
week, a tank at least 20 gallons in size, a properly maintained filter,
a varied diet, the right water chemistry and the right temperature. I'd
consider Platies low maintenance, but if that sounds like too much work
for you -- then fishkeeping isn't sensible. And before you ask, Goldfish
are EVEN more hard work; the vast majority of Goldfish are kept in grim
conditions and die pretty quickly. Bowls are death traps, so don't even
think about them. What fishkeeping isn't about is teaching children that
animals have no worth and can be replaced whenever they die. Instead
teach children that animals are wonderful companions, but if you want to
keep animals, there's some work that comes with it.>
I really like the Mollie but it seems that we are in over our heads, and
that is not what we are wanting.
<I've written something about selecting species, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlivestk.htm
Have a read, and once you've got some ideas about the size of the tank,
your local water chemistry, and so on we can discuss some of the options
in depth.>
Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.
Alicia
<We're more than happy to help. Cheers, Neale.> |
Can I mix mollies with tilapia
7/23/08
Sent from my CrackBerry® wireless device available from BTC.
<Not really, no. Sent by Neale from a shiny silver computer available from
Apple.>
Molly attacking Goldfish
4/7/08
Hi WWM!
<Hello>
I have a 10 gallon tank with one butterfly goldfish, one creamsicle Molly and 2
Mickey Mouse Mollies.
<Too much and incompatible life in this tank.>
I didn't know until now that mollies are not supposed to be in the same tank as
goldfish because I've never owned fish before.
<Read before you purchase livestock next time.>
They seemed to be getting along for a couple of months, however, for the past
month or so, the creamsicle Molly has been attacking the goldfish by constantly
"biting" or "nipping" its back fins causing them to become frayed.
<Common behavior for a molly.>
The goldfish seems very upset and unhappy and tries to hide from the Molly but
can't escape it. Can the goldfish die from this?
<Can contribute to its demise.>
What should I do?
<Separate the fish, provide a more appropriate habitat for them.>
Thanks,
Antoinette
<Welcome>
<Chris>
Sick Molly... env., mis-mixed
with goldfish 12/07/2007
First I would like to thank all of you. Any time I have a question some one
always answers me. So thanks. Now onward. I have a 10 gallon tank. I have 3
mollies and 4 goldfish. Now I know they like different water situations and
found this out after the fish were bought and put together (need to do my
homework, I know). However, every fish was doing fine but now ALL my mollies
have what appears to be fluffy white spots on them. Not sure if it's a bacteria
or a growth...what can I do? Also is the water contaminated now to, so if
something does end up happening to my molly's will it contaminate the next fish?
Thanks so much.
Laura
<Hello Laura. The Mollies have Finrot and/or fungus and need to be treated with
a combination Finrot/fungus medication. This is extremely common when Mollies
are kept in freshwater. In addition, Mollies are acutely sensitive to Nitrate,
and Goldfish are veritable Nitrate factories! So you WILL need to separate them.
Please do read our article on Mollies and act accordingly:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
Hope this helps, Neale.>
Question about Mollies & Tetras
9/7/07
Hello,
<Ave,>
I have a 30 gal. tank with only 6 fish in it. There is a Blackskirt tetra, a
silver sail fin molly, a plecostomus and two platies.
<Not a good selection. The Blackskirt tetra (by which I assume you mean
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) is [a] a schooling fish and [b] a notorious fin-nipper
given that wild fish feed partially on the scales and fins of slow-moving fish.
Plecs (in your case, likely Pterygoplichthys sp. rather than Hypostomus sp.) are
massive fish that easily reach 45 cm in captivity and consequently need an
aquarium around twice the size of yours to be kept safely. Finally, mollies are
just plain easier to keep in brackish water, which your other fish don't want.>
All of them are male, I think, but I had two females (one a platy and one a
molly) that I had to give to a friend because they were constantly breeding.
<Absolutely no way you can sex the tetra or the catfish.>
Recently, the silver molly started chasing the tetra around the tank, getting in
front of him and displaying his upper fin in his face, kind of like a screen.
<Mollies are aggressive, and in the wild, adult males dominate patches of water,
driving off other, weaker males and monopolising access to the females in the
area. In short, yours is doing what comes natural. It is entirely normal for
them to chase other species. I've seen this myself between mollies and
rainbowfish, for example.>
It's gotten so bad that the tetra doesn't seem to want to eat. So, I went to
PetSmart and asked what to do. They told me to add another Blackskirt tetra
because the molly is displaying his 'dominance' as the tank king.
<Garbage advice. As a rule of thumb, anything quoted by a big-chain pet store is
more likely to be wrong than right. They tend to employ casual rather than
expert staff, don't train them beyond selling and customer service, and have no
investment in anything other than you coming back to buy more fish. There are
exceptions I'm sure, but on the average if the person you talked to looks like a
student working a Saturday job, best avoid.>
So, I added a new tetra, and now the molly is going crazy chasing both!!!!
<Quelle surprise.>
What should I do?
<Up to you. If it was me, I'd decide on what sort of aquarium I wanted. Do you
want a school (i.e., 6) Blackskirt tetras? Do you want a school (i.e., 6)
platies. Do you want to keep mollies? The catfish has to go, I'm afraid, keeping
it would be wrong. Me, I like mollies, and I'd go buy 2-3 more females to go
with the male. I'd then convert the tank to a brackish system by adding a small
amount of marine aquarium salt mix (not aquarium or tonic salt) with each water
change (3-5 grammes per litre will do). I'd then add some gobies or flounders to
the bottom of the tank. The mollies will ignore these completely, and they'd
make for a fun, quirky aquarium. You could keep the platies in this tank, too,
as they do fine in slightly brackish water. The tetras, though, would have to be
removed.>
I really do not want to add any females because I do not have that much room for
the fry. And the last time they were breeding, I had to isolate all the fry
(because I didn't want them to be eaten!) and it was just a huge mess!
<Just let them get eaten then. If you kept a couple of knight gobies
(Stigmatogobius spp.) believe me, they'd get eaten! Otherwise, remember that you
can always sell on young fish. That's what I do. If you have lots of
real/plastic plants in the aquarium, at least some baby fish will survive.
Having a separate tank to rear them in works well, and means that you cut down
costs on things like food by trading in baby fish each time you visit the pet
store.>
Any advice would really be appreciated!
Thank you,
Crystal
<Cheers, Neale>
Re: Question about Mollies & Tetras
9/7/07
Hello Neale,
<Hello Crystal,>
Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate it. The two tetras are
sticking together and it seems that molly is leaving them alone, he displays his
fin once in a while, but it seems the two tetras are ignoring it more and the
older guy ate last night! :)
<Very good.>
I plan on getting a larger tank, I have been saving up for one, so I could keep
the baby Plec ( a friend told me they grow fast) the one I'm looking at is a 50
to 60 gal, do you think that might work?
<Sounds great.>
I plan to keep the smaller tank in another part of the house, do you think I can
convert it for a brackish system? I was wondering what other fish normally get
along with mollies (+they would have to live in the brackish system) and is it
okay to keep them all male too?
<Converting to a low-end brackish tank would be easy. Lots of fish would work
well here with the mollies -- bumblebee gobies, glassfish, wrestling halfbeaks,
knight gobies, crazy fish, orange Chromides, flatfish... Have a read around the
Brackish section here at WWM and see what's small and tickles your fancy. A
brackish tank isn't any more difficult to run than a freshwater one, and in some
ways easier because the marine salt mix tends to make disease less of an issue
and buffers against water chemistry changes. You only need to add 3-5 grammes of
salt mix per litre of water, so it isn't expensive, either.>
And what other fish get along with the tetras, since I plan to get more of a
variety of color for the larger tank.
<Blackskirt tetras are best mixed with tetras, barbs, and rainbowfish in the
middle of the tank as well as active bottom dwellers like catfish and loaches.
The things to avoid is anything slow or with long, trailing fins. Bettas,
angels, fancy guppies, gouramis, etc would all be bad choices. So it's really
not difficult to mix them with other fish, you just need to be a little more
picky than normal.>
Your advice is much appreciated, the only pet store near me is a PetSmart and I
do agree-it seems like I'm constantly buying something there and they never
really answer my questions!
<I'm sure they mean well, but a store is a store, and largely interested in
making a sale. My grandfather used to say about doctors that they had no vested
interest in making you healthy, since healthy people don't need doctors. They
just didn't want you to die because then they lost a customer! A lot of pet
stores are run the same way... so long as you keep coming back to buy
replacement fish and new bottles of medication, they're happy.>
Thank you, Crystal
<Good luck, Neale>
Compatibility with Mollies
– 08/08/07
Hello,
We have an 80 gallon tank with 4 tiger barbs, 6 Mickey platy’s, 3 dwarf
gourami's and 4 Dalmatian molly’s. Are all these fish truly compatible with
types of water and conditions? Since we have 80 gal we would like to add more
fish, what would you suggest adding to the tank more of what we already have or
additional breeds)?
Heather Joubran
>>>Greetings Heather, Jim here.
Those fish are fine, and there are too many other options to name! Look at the
various tetra species for starters, as well as the dwarf cichlids of the genus
Apistogramma. There are also the Cory catfish, other types of gouramis, on and
on.
Feel free to write back with any specific questions!
Cheers
Jim<<<
Re: Compatibility with Mollies 2
8/9/07
Hi Jim,
I do have a medical question and it's probably hard for you to answer because I
do not know any of the water settings.
We have had a tank for about a month. We got everything setup and let it sit for
a week, then introduced 5 fish the mollies and gourami's. The following week
introduced the rest.
One Dalmatian molly I believe is ill. We have 4 in total from what I can tell 2
males, 1 female and the one that is ill I believe to be a female.
Here's the issue. A few days ago this molly started sitting at the bottom of the
tank and was in a some what bent position. Tail fin scrunched together.
I thought it was dead but went to scoop it and is swam off.
It has been hanging out on the ground. It appears to shimmy or what I would call
it attempt to swim but isn’t getting anywhere. From time to time it will attempt
to swim towards the top of the tank.
Not sure what to do with the fish, yesterday we had a blue dwarf Gourami hang
out at the bottom. Last night I noticed it looked like it's dorsal fin was bit
and maybe a bit on it's side. This morning it was dead. I removed it from the
tank and didn’t notice anything else wrong with it. Last night we also do a 30%
water change first since we have had the tank.
Everyone else is doing great and really happy in the tank. What are your
suggestions and what do we do with the one molly?
Heather Joubran
>>>Heather, look again and see if you see any more evidence, patches, spots,
etc. Then use these links...http://www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/disease.htm
http://www.klsnet.com/files/fishchart.htm
This is easier then me trying to figure it out based in the information given.
It could be one of a few things, but those links are easy to use and should help
you narrow it down. Feel free to write back!
Cheers
Jim<<<
Molly aggression 4/23/07
Hi,
<<Hi, Diane. Tom here.>>
I have a question about my Mollies.
<<Okay.>>
I have a black lyre tail (M), a grey/black (?) and a white/black (F) Dalmatian
lyre tails, and a “creamsicle” (?) lyre tail molly (4 total) in a 10 gallon tank
with 2 snails, a Cory catfish and an African dwarf frog.
<<A lot going on in a ten-gallon tank, Diane. Too much, in fact. You need larger
quarters for these fish.>>
The Grey/black molly is being bullied by the other 3 mollies to the point of
swimming around tail down in a submissive type posture the past few days. When
the others come anywhere nearby, it quickly retreats, especially when feeding,
or the others will nip at it. I have seen them in a “head over tailfin tussle”
on a few occasions mostly with the black one.
<<A couple of thoughts here, Diane. If the “question mark” fish are females,
they might be sorting out a “pecking order”, which could explain some of the
bullying on the parts of the other females. The male would be a “case” unto
himself. My other thought is that fish seem to have a “sense” about other fish.
For reasons not readily apparent to us, they’ll single out another of the group
that doesn’t fit in. The fish might be sick, weak, too submissive. In short,
unable to fit into the scheme that they’ve laid out.
Hate to be redundant, but these fish are in small quarters. Do you need to spend
mega-bucks for a huge tank? Nope. We’re hobbyists just like you. (And, none of
us has won the Lottery that I know of. I sure haven’t!) You can upgrade, given
the space, without “spending an arm and a leg”. Doubling the size to 20 gallons
(tripling it to 30 would be better) would take care of a “world” of potential
issues, including, I believe, the one you have.>>
The snails, frog and catfish are unbothered.
<<They won’t be. This is a fish-on-fish issue, Diane.>>
I feel sorry for this fish and I’m not sure what to do, any suggestions?
<<Aside from what I’ve already given you, isolate her with a tank divider, if
possible. This will exacerbate the “space” problem but keep her out of harm’s
way. With one “goofy” fish, there are steps we can take outside of this but,
three-on-one calls for more dramatic steps.>>
Thanks,
Diane
<<If you would, Diane, I’d like your feedback…no matter how things go. There are
some “givens” in the hobby and, other times, we have to fly by the seat of our
pants. Best of luck. Tom>>
Re: Molly aggression (follow-up) 4/23/07
Thanks Tom, I appreciate your feedback so quickly.
<<No problem, Diane.>>
This 10 gallon tank is a relatively new upgrade from a 3 gallon tank. Real
estate in my home is a prime so I hesitate to go any bigger if I can help it. I
do however still have my 3-gallon tank that my frog had been happy in for the
past year and a half. Would it be helpful to move the frog and possibly the grey
molly back into the smaller tank to help create more elbow room?
<<As a “stop gap” measure, I think this would be appropriate, Diane. I don’t
think this is a long-term solution but, working with what we have, I think it
the best way to go right now. Thanks for getting back. Tom>>
Mollies & Dwarf frogs compatible? 3/8/07
The African Dwarf frogs are cute. Before I consider a purchase, just a quick
question - I have about 20 mollies and noticed they enjoy chasing & playing with
each other. I am concerned wondering if mollies (and a few bottom feeders as
Corydoras in the tank) will be nice to the frogs, e.g.. will not nip their
little webbed feet when floating on the top?
I want to make sure I never mix any incompatible species and wondering what your
opinions are.
Thank you so very much for your time!
SK
<Generally these three groups/species do get along fine... though I would like
to state that neither Corydoras genus catfishes nor ADFs "like" salt/s in their
water... and many folks use such with Mollienesia species. Bob Fenner>
Re: Mollies & Dwarf frogs compatible? – 03/09/07
I may try a couple of the dwarf frogs. In my tank I have never added salts.
<Good>
All but two of the Mollienesia fish I have were born in that very tank.
<Ahh, the best means of acquisition>
No salts added, though the dip stick reads as me having very hard water - I use
the aqua safe dechlorinating products. Does hard water, aqua salts, and a
brackish environment correlate in any way?
<Yes... the harder the water, the more total dissolved solids... many of which
are salts (ionic combinations of metals and non-metals...)... so much
concentration of these solids in a given volume of water is what brackish is.
Bob Fenner>
Molly Mobsters? Overcrowded, mixed with Goldfish... 8/11/06
Hi,
<Hello there>
I started off with 20 fish in a 45 litre tank,
<Likely too many for this volume...>
adding them gradually in case of sickness. Things were going fine until they
started dying one by one for what seems to be no apparent reason. There are no
visible signs of sickness and the only sign that something is wrong is that one
at a time, they start to hide out and not eat. It seems to be one fish a week. I
am now down to 6
mollies (4 black & 2 white), Balkie Plectocomous (my Plecostomus) and the two
new additions, (Marilyn and Monroe) my goldfish.
<... goldfish are not tropical... should not be mixed with...>
I have noticed that the mollies chase the other fish around the tank in what I
originally thought was "playing". As the fish have been dying off, I have
noticed that the fish dying are usually the one's being chased around. The
mollies seem to be relentless in their "pecking" of the other fish. Every
time I see the mollies doing this, my blood starts to boil, most especially
since the last to be bullied were my flame dwarf gourami's who took turns in
being the victim and eventually passed on. Now it seems that Marilyn the
goldfish is being bullied to such an extent that her swimming is wild when
any of the mollies come near her which seems almost constant. Monroe seems
unaffected as yet but I have my suspicions that his days will be numbered as
soon as Marilyn dies of a fishy heart attack. Is this normal molly behaviour and
is it possible that the mollies are actually causing all these deaths in
my tank? I am about ready to flush the little ******* down the toilet and start
over. I have had mollies before but never seen this type of behaviour in them.
Little Fish
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsetupindex.htm
re the species you keep, intend to keep, their Systems, Compatibility... Bob
Fenner>
Oh Golly Mollies, Salt, pH, etc. - 10/21/2005
Hello I am new to salty systems. I've always had freshwater aquariums which
I still run two. But I saw some Dalmatian Mollies and had to get some. I have
one male and three females. I do plan on adding maybe two or three more mollies
and an algae eater and that's all this tank will have in it. I don't want to
overcrowd them. I talked to three different fish stores to set up my system to
get it ready. (I wish I had found this site first.) So I set up a 29 gallon tank
with one teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons of water. Should more salt be added?
<Nah. Especially not if you plan on an animal for consuming algae. With salt in
the water, I would recommend using Caridina japonica, the "algae-eating" shrimp,
as these fare well in slightly salty conditions.>
I have an Aqua Tech 20-40 power filter at a flow rate of 160 Gph with bio fiber.
Is this ok or would a bio wheel be better?
<Mm, whatever you prefer. If you've already got the Aqua Tech, I see no reason
to buy something different.>
All the stores said a pH of 7.2 was right; mine's between 7.4 and 7.8.
<This is fine - BUT - please don't let it be *fluctuating* between these.... far
too much fluctuation between 7.4 and 7.8 to be safe. A steady pH is pretty
important.>
The temp is at 80 degrees. I see on you're site you recommend a high pH so
should I get some crushed coral sand to raise it, or is it okay at the level I
have?
<Constant, steady pH is better than precise pH. You'll be fine with what you've
got, I think.>
Also I do test the water with strips but this just shows a range of where it
should be. So should I get a better testing kit if so what do you recommend?
<I would. Look for a quality liquid-reagent test kit.... Kordon makes 'em, so
does Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.... You'll need pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate
most essentially.>
Thank you for your time. -David
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Not The Greatest Mix, and Maybe Velvet - 10/18/2005
Hi and thanks for a great site!
<Good morning, and thanks for the kind words!>
I have a screwy tank population and I need advice on how bad it really is and if
I can intro a livebearing species into it. I have a 29 gal long tank with an
AquaClear 200 filter and a heater. For livestock I have 2 Plecos, 1 banjo
catfish, 1 dwarf frog, 1 Kuhli loach (sp?),
<Kuhli>
1 Oranda,
<Does NOT belong in this tropical mix at all.>
6 tetras (maybe serpae or phantom) , 5 small mystery tetras-3/4 inch white with
2 red spots on fins, and 6 Cory cats. I had a school of black sailfin
mollies-about 9 as well.
<Too many fish, including the mollies. Mollies prefer harder, more alkaline
water than the tetras, banjo, loach, plec, Corys....>
I keep the tank at 78 degrees, I add 1tbsp of salt for every 5 gallons and I
test it every 2 days. I do a 10 gallon water change 2-3 times a week
<Slow down there, turbo, that's a bit too much changing of water! Kick back and
enjoy your tank a bit.>
and the ph is always around 7.8,
<Too high in my opinion for the most of your fish - BUT - a stable pH is what's
important, NOT a precise pH.... I would keep this as-is, if it's working well
for your fish.>
ammonia zero, nitrites and nitrates negligible.
<Mm, nitrites should not be "negligible", but zero.>
Half of the mollies were a new intro and I think they stressed out the original
mollies. After 2 days together I saw one male start to lose weight and move to
the bottom of the tank and start shimmying.
<Not a good sign, at all....>
He died. Another one became sick the next day and I took him to the pet store
for advice. They said he was going to die so I left him there.
<Could be salvageable - I have seen these symptoms in plenty of livebearing
fishes before; in my case(s), it was always Oodinium ("velvet") - a pretty
communicable parasitic complaint. Uhh, you really, really should start
employing a quarantine tank for new livestock....>
I came home and Moved the 5 new mollies out of my 29 and added a little more
salt. The new mollies are doing ok-1 fatality and all of my original mollies are
dead. Before they die they develop a faded cast on the back half of their body.
What went wrong?
<Yes, I imagine you saw some sort of protozoan parasitic disease.>
What should I do?
<In all honesty, I did have some great success treating exclusively with food
medicated with Metronidazole - but there are more effective methods of
treatment, to be sure.... just none I would comfortably use in the presence of
your scaleless catfishes and sensitive tetras. Oh, actually, I take that back -
elevated temperature and salt (perhaps bringing the specific gravity of the
water up to even 1.003) would likely bring about a cure, and though somewhat
irritating to the catfishes, is certainly better than dying.>
I lost my little girls pregnant molly in this mess and she's very upset-can we
get another livebearer?
<I would not, not in this system. Too differing in water preferences.... Why
not set up a small (say, 10g or so) tank for her for a few platies? If you have
the space, time, funds to do so, of course. I would keep such a tank salted a
bit more than your current tank, and perhaps even buffer the water with a little
bit of aragonite sand or crushed coral in a filter sock in the filter to keep
the pH a little high and stable.>
And if so-what do you suggest? Thanks so much! Any advice is appreciated.
Lynn Fish
<All the best, -Sabrina>
Platy Killers 10/2/05
Dear Team, <Catherine today>
I wonder if you can answer this, we have three Platies in our aquarium and they
have just killed three of our other fish. Can you give me any idea of why this
may have happened. <Not without a bit more information. What kind of
fish? How big is the tank? How old is the tank? Why do you assume the platies
killed the other fish?>
Stephen F. Ellis <Catherine>
Mollies and Tetras 7/15/05
My female molly just had her babies this Monday. I asked my friend if she
would like some of the babies next month, but there was a little flaw in this
idea I forgot to see before I asked her if Mollies get along with Tetra's... And
well that is the problem... Please help me!
From:
Maryjoe Frankruyter
<Depends on the species of tetras (Piranha are even tetras!), but most small
species do fine with mollies. Bob Fenner>
Re: Mollies and Tetras 7/16/05
I guess I never thought of kit that way really...but I was told that they
were about 3 or 4 cm in length and 3 or 4 cm in length is that the size of a
piranha!?
<Only when young>
Also the next email I ask If I do (most likely) Is there a place
you know of by Erin, Ontario were I could give or in other terms donate some
of the younger mollies to?
<Call the local tropical fish stores re>
Also I would like to thank you as I have tried to
contact many people and ask that but you were the only one to reply so
thanks for everything and If you want I can donate some videos of my fish
just chilling in the tank happily that you can use on your site!
Maryjoe Frankruyter
<Mmm, no video thanks. At this point we can't afford the bandwidth. Bob Fenner>
Molly fry with an algae eater?
Hello,
<Hi! Ananda here this morning...>
2 of my Balloon Mollies gave birth today so I now have a total of about 20
fry. I have the fry in a 10 gal tank set up just for them.
<Please do "over"-filter this tank with a sponge filter rated for at least
double the tank volume... frequent feedings = lots of waste.>
I was wondering if I could put a algae eater in this tank also or will it eat
the fry?
<I would be cautious in this regard. If you have algae, it's likely a sign of
high nitrates, and fry are more susceptible to poor water quality. You need to
change water pretty frequently in a fry tank (think 25% weekly, if not more
often, depending on how efficient your filtration is). Also, fry will nibble on
some algae. The other concern is the type of "algae eater" you're considering.
Some, like the fish commonly called the Chinese algae eater, are okay at eating
algae as juveniles, but prefer more meaty fare as adults -- and that meaty fare
might extend to sleeping fry. Also, several algae-eating fish will get too big
for a 10 gallon tank. IF your tank parameters are not conducive to algae --
nitrates less than 10, phosphates less than 1 -- I might consider something
small, IF you also have room too keep it when it has outgrown the tank.
Otherwise, manual removal coupled with frequent water changes is probably your
best route of action.>
Thanks,
Robyn
<Welcome to molly-world...where they make more...and more...and more.... Do come
and visit our freshwater forums at
http://wetwebfotos.com/talk
!! --Ananda>
Aggressive Molly
Hello! I have a question regarding the behavior of one of my mollies. I have
20 small community fish in a 50 gallon tank, among which are three pairs of
differing mollies (black, sunburst, marbled). I just added a beautiful pair of
Dalmatian mollies this afternoon to my display tank and I thought they would be
fine considering there were no problems with my other mollies. However, one of
my male sunburst mollies apparently has taken quite a dislike to both of the
newcomers. Is it at least possible that his aggression will subside?
<Yes>
Is it just due to the fact that the Dalmatians are the "new kids on the block"?
<Quite likely so>
Or, should I be afraid for their lives and return them? Any help you could
provide is appreciated!
Thanks,
Brody
<Well, this is a good-sized system, doesn't sound overcrowded... If it's easy
enough to do, I'd catch out the aggressive fish and let it "float" in a fish
net, breeding trap, plastic colander... at the surface for a few days...
sometimes this gives the other fish a rest, time to mix in with the new
dynamic... Bob Fenner>
Mollies and Snails
WWM Crew,
First, I must say your site has been very informative. I've learned so much! I
have read plenty about Mollies etc, but I have a couple concerns re: my mollies.
I currently have 3 of them. 1 silver molly (M), 1 silver lyretail (F), and black
molly (F). My concern is with the two silver mollies. I did read that it is not
uncommon for the male to chase around the female trying to breed. However my
male is NONSTOP harassing the other silver female (she's pregnant too), and
rarely messes with the black molly. Is there a special reasoning behind that?
<Mmm, no... or not really. Some males are just like this... having more females,
more "other" fishes, plants, other decor to break-up the physical environment...
helps>
I am worried that he will just wear her out, but I don't want to stock my tank
with more females as I am already taking care of 16 fry as it is. Any ideas on
the best way to handle this randy boy?? hahaha
<Isolate him... at least for a while... perhaps in a floating, plastic colander
if you don't have another tank>
Second question... When is it safe to put the fry back into the larger tank with
the adult mollies without the risk of them being eaten?
<When they're "big enough" to not be consumed>
I have 2 that are about a month old, but I don't want to take them out of the
net too prematurely. The others are only a day or two old. Do you judge based on
size? or age?
<Size>
And lastly (are you sick of me yet? haha), about a week and a half ago I noticed
a small snail in my tank. Have NO IDEA how it got there as I sure didn't buy one
from the store!! Then, when doing a water change the other, came across ANOTHER
one that was twice it's size. I'm assuming it was under gravel somewhere because
there's no way you could miss it otherwise! How do I know if it's ok to keep in
the tank and breeding of snails etc?? I do NOT want more snails!! I have looked
at the info on this site re: snails, and haven't come across one that looks like
mine. Is it better to wait till they're more grown to determine the type of
snail? And just out of curiosity... any ideas on how snails got in my tank?
<Come in... with fish purchases in the water, some live foods... can be
eliminated in a few ways, but not likely a problem... perhaps a help in keeping
your tank clean... Not harmful to your fishes>
Is it possible they hitched a ride on the fish as tiny lil thingies on them?
Sounds crazy but, I have no other clue as to their appearance!
Thank you so much in advance for any help you can give! I will continue to
research your site for more information. It's a great tool!!
Sarah
<Thank you for being part of it. Bob Fenner>
Molly chums? (1/15/04)
<Hi! Ananda here today...>
We've had a tank for years and years... a few weeks ago we got three
mollies....two males and a female.
<It's generally better to get multiple females per male, so that each female
gets a bit of a break from the males' attentions.>
One of the males is acting very "spazzy" (my son has named him Spaz!) He never
seems to sit still, he is always kind of jerking back and forth.
<My mollies are almost always moving, but the jerking back and forth isn't a
healthy thing. I occasionally see that in mollies that are in one of the
freshwater tanks. My usual way of dealing with that is moving the affected fish
into the light-brackish tank. If you are running these in a strictly freshwater
tank, you might consider adding just a bit of salt (on the order of 1 tablespoon
per 10 gallons).>
He is very chummy with the female molly....they are now hanging down in the
bottom back of the tank together.... I was wondering, is this some sort of
mating ritual???
<Not one that I've seen. "Anytime the lights are on, anyplace in the tank" seems
to be the motto of the males I've got. The one ritual I do see is that the males
will raise their sailfin and swim in circles around the female, as if to say
"Look at my pretty fin! I'm so gorgeous! You really do want to have my fry,
don't you?">
...or is something wrong with this guy?? ....desire or disease?? HA!
<Mollies really need hard water and a pH above 7.2, or a brackish system, if
they're going to thrive. (Even in my planted tank, my pH is around 7.8 and the
hardness is around 12.) If your water is too acidic or too soft, you might
consider a brackish tank for them.>
Thank you! ~Wendy and Levi
<You're welcome. --Ananda>
Re: Molly chums (01/15/04)
Thank you Ananda! Sometimes all it takes for a problem to fix itself is
address it....!
<Yup, seems like that's the way it works sometimes.>
This morning when we woke up, he was back to normal.....we've decided to still
call him Spaz though! Thanks for your fast response! Look forward to visiting
your site some more! ~Wen
<Cool. Check out the forums, too:
http://wetwebfotos.com/talk
... often, you can get a faster response on the forum, because we don't have to
wait for email transit time! --Ananda>
Companions For Mollies
Hi crew, We have a 10g freshwater tank set up with three live plants and
gravel, some granite rocks, heater (78 degrees usually), AquaClear filter etc.
Water quality consistently excellent after spiking after about one month. For
nearly three months we have had one female Dalmatian molly and two male guppies.
Everyone growing and healthy, and happy except at feeding time when the molly
chases the guppies away from the food.
My question is what and how many others could we add? We have five Molly fry
two weeks-old in the same tank but in a partitioned area, looking healthy (a
number were found dead and we have given away three). My kids would like to add
two aquatic frogs, a catfish, another male guppy and keep a few of the fry. Is
this realistic given the size of the tank? Do you have a recommendation re. a
catfish type that is compatible with mollies and molly conditions e.g.. warm
with some salt in the water)? We are looking for something quite different from
the other inhabitants that can have a role in cleaning the tank and (hopefully)
eating tiny snails (which I currently vacuum out with water changes). Thank you!
from Andrea, Carter and Elizabeth.
<<Hello. Congrats on the tank :) Sounds like things are going well. I do feel
the tank will be a bit overcrowded if you add the fish you are contemplating,
yes. The best way to know is to test for nitrates. A good nitrate test kit will
tell you if your bioload is too high. By regular testing and water changes, you
should be able to keep the level stable, say at around 40ppm (for example). If
you do a water change per week, but you can't keep the nitrates down at 40ppm,
then you have too many animals in the tank. Keep in mind the nitrates will get
higher as the fish grow...As for compatibility, some mollies can be aggressive.
If the guppies start to lose tail finnage, you can probably blame the mollies.
The mollies may also decide the frogs make good eating...and as to the frogs,
please make sure you buy the actual Dwarf frogs, not African Clawed frogs. They
are hard to tell apart when small, but the clawed frogs will have no webbing
between their front toes. Clawed frogs grow quite large, the size of your fist.
As for a compatible catfish...normally I would say Corydoras or Otocinclus for
such a small tank, but given the mollies and salt, it's a bit harder. I believe
you would be better off to add a lace catfish, (Synodontis nigriventris) if you
can find one at your LFS. They are quite pretty, grow to about 2-3 inches, and
swim upside down all the time. Interesting addition to a community tank. They
will "hover: beneath the leaves of your plants:
http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/s_nigriventris.htm My last bit of
advice to you is...save up for a bigger tank. You appear to be a true hobbyist!
:) -Gwen>>
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