Breeding Mollies
- Thread starter Mikro
- Start date
Mollies would work fine as a fish food. You would want to control your breeding operation so that you only have the cleanest and healthiest of specimens so you don't introduce disease. Once you getg it going, mollies breed like crazy. I put mollies and platies into this planted tank to keep algae in check. I cleaned out the tank every few months and took over 200 fish to the pet store.
The key to raising mollies is, they are mainly vegetarian, give them lots of vegetable matter in their diet and they like temps around 80 degrees.
Some think they need salt in the water to stay healthy, but these two things are more important. I raised mollies in soft acidic water due to the plants and they multiplied and grew like crazy with no disease.
Mike
The key to raising mollies is, they are mainly vegetarian, give them lots of vegetable matter in their diet and they like temps around 80 degrees.
Some think they need salt in the water to stay healthy, but these two things are more important. I raised mollies in soft acidic water due to the plants and they multiplied and grew like crazy with no disease.
Mike
Agu
Premium Member
Mollies do fine in a saltwater tank and will breed often. As suggested the fry become food if there are the appropriate predators in the tank. Mollies are also easy to sex so getting a breeding pair is pretty easy.
It's also been suggested that because mollies are herbivores they will eat nuisance algae but I have no experience with that.
It's also been suggested that because mollies are herbivores they will eat nuisance algae but I have no experience with that.
Snowboarda42
New member
Marine fishes eat seafood, not brackish water foods. Brine shrimp come from brackish water and although mollies do too, they do not contain the balanced nutrition found in sea foods.
DeadlyMuffin
Member
I've been looking for information on this. Do you have a source?
shabreeson
New member
" quote:Originally posted by Snowboarda42
Marine fishes eat seafood, not brackish water foods. Brine shrimp come from brackish water and although mollies do too, they do not contain the balanced nutrition found in sea foods.
I've been looking for information on this. Do you have a source?"
I have the same question. what does it actually effect?coloration?activity? immunities? lifespan? and in what way?
All I have heard at most is that you shouldn't do it.
besides, do the factors change when mollies are raised in salt water?
Marine fishes eat seafood, not brackish water foods. Brine shrimp come from brackish water and although mollies do too, they do not contain the balanced nutrition found in sea foods.
I've been looking for information on this. Do you have a source?"
I have the same question. what does it actually effect?coloration?activity? immunities? lifespan? and in what way?
All I have heard at most is that you shouldn't do it.
besides, do the factors change when mollies are raised in salt water?
Icefire
Seasoned reefer
I would say it's non sense, the Mysis you feed your fish are FRESHWATER species.. a fish is a fish, it contain certain thing for food but we are giving Balanced diet (flake/frozen/etc).
Put a few molly in your refugium/sump and you'll get free food for you fish once in a while. I had baby survive in the return area and got put back in the display tank, still alive today and well
Put a few molly in your refugium/sump and you'll get free food for you fish once in a while. I had baby survive in the return area and got put back in the display tank, still alive today and well
Snowboarda42
New member
Directly, no. Most of my information comes from experience, reading Lee Birch's articles on feeding fish correctly, listening to different lectures on fish feeding, and of course, these types of forums.
Here's a quick quote that I found though
"...feeding saltwater fish freshwater food can cause premature liver failure and the early demise of your fish."
While I'm not saying you should never ever feed them, think of FW fish as a really fatty, greasey, cholesterol filled cheeseburger. You can eat one once in a while as a "treat" but don't rely soley on it for nutritional value; feed sparingly.
Lee Birch says:
"No freshwater feeder fish (e.g., Goldfish, Guppies, etc.)
No brackish water feeder fish.
No feeder fish that are both freshwater and saltwater (e.g. Monos, Mollies, etc.)"
shabreeson
New member
usually mysis is recommended by reefcentral members rather than brine shrimp. but they are a freshwater organism as apposed to the brackish brine shrimp. the reason your quick quote does not satisfy is because it neglects to mention fw and sw inverts and if they are talking about strictly fw diet or partial. the subject we are talking about in this thread is implying once in a while fw food. there is just too little info here to say "no mollies ever."
The whole debate in this thread is based on experience?.....the actual science behind the f/w - s/w food source distinction boils down to fatty acid content and composition, as well as physiology. Marine fish lack the ability to elongate and desaturate short-chain saturated fatty acids into the essential long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA's). In fact most predatory fish (regardless of salinity) lack this ability. This makes sense, because they eat fish that have the ability and therefore supply the predator with the essential fatty acids (EFA- n-3 and n-6).
Knowing this, combined with the fact that the fatty acid composition of aquatic organisms (especially fish) is easily changed through diet (this is half of my master's thesis work) - their body composition will closely mimic that of the diet. So, if you just acclimate mollies to saltwater, feed them a s/w flake diet (high in n-3 and n-6 fatty acids), then they will be perfectly useful as food for marine predatory fish. I feed mollies to my fish, but also feed several frozen feeds as well (balance is key).
If you have any further questions, or want more details, I would be happy to help.
Knowing this, combined with the fact that the fatty acid composition of aquatic organisms (especially fish) is easily changed through diet (this is half of my master's thesis work) - their body composition will closely mimic that of the diet. So, if you just acclimate mollies to saltwater, feed them a s/w flake diet (high in n-3 and n-6 fatty acids), then they will be perfectly useful as food for marine predatory fish. I feed mollies to my fish, but also feed several frozen feeds as well (balance is key).
If you have any further questions, or want more details, I would be happy to help.
shabreeson
New member
YAY!!! good info MThompson.
I am not discounting experience.....it can and does go a long way. And 'tinkering' is responsible for many innovations in this hobby - I am a die-hard diy-er!
But, when it comes to things that would cost too much money, or be to difficult for a hobbyist - such as nutrition research - science is the only way to figure it out. Most of the science isn't even on marine ornamentals, but is directly applicable. The flake food you buy was formulated based on scientific research of the nutrient requirements of marine fish....but that is only one example.
Anyway, a sound knowledge of science can sure aid in one's 'experience gaining' years. It opens our eyes to what is really going on in our tanks. But, this comes from a man who loves science.....
If you want more of the science-side, I am always here and willing to help.
Happy reefing,
But, when it comes to things that would cost too much money, or be to difficult for a hobbyist - such as nutrition research - science is the only way to figure it out. Most of the science isn't even on marine ornamentals, but is directly applicable. The flake food you buy was formulated based on scientific research of the nutrient requirements of marine fish....but that is only one example.
Anyway, a sound knowledge of science can sure aid in one's 'experience gaining' years. It opens our eyes to what is really going on in our tanks. But, this comes from a man who loves science.....
If you want more of the science-side, I am always here and willing to help.
Happy reefing,
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