Mollies/killifish with algae?

[ClamIAm]

Since my macro/plant tank is going to have mainly caribbean plants and the only fish I've got in it right now comes from the caribbean, I got to thinking of some natural fish that occur in seagrass beds like wild-type mollies or killifish like Fundulus grandis. Has anyone ever kept anything like these fish with macroalgae and/or seagrass? Do they eat them or do they just stick with microalgae? Where would I even get these kinds of fish from? Lots of questions, hopefully someone can help out with some answers

 

[Samala]

Clam I think you'll really appreciate The_Nexis_One's Tank Photos thread.

John is, as far as I know, still maintaining this tank with mollies and such in the system. He reported before that they did a very nice job of grazing down epiphytic algaes from the blades of the seagrass and surfaces of the LR and such. I cant remember if he noted that they actively ate macroalgae as well.

John actually converted sailfin mollies to saltwater over the course of a few weeks/months. Many other people on Reefcentral have done the same. There are mollies native to brackish water systems and I have found them in the lagoon here.. even up to full strength seawater areas. They are most common in mangrove pools that are in the backwater areas as adults. I find lots of babies during late summer in the seagrass beds, but they are hard to find the rest of the year.

I see several species of killifish in seagrass beds, here and elsewhere. You might have luck tracking down brackish water killies by checking with the killifish clubs that are online, or attempting to go through a collector.

Its funny you mentioned this, since I'm planning to introduce saltwater mollies into an education tank I'm building. The same one that I hope to have those fake mangrove roots in. Perhaps you and I can trade notes on how they fare in a macroalgae system.

>Sarah

 

[ClamIAm]

I thought I had seen photos of someone with mollies in a seagrass aquarium. Sounds like something I should definitely try. Now I just need to track some down...if only I didn't live several states away from the ocean

 

[GTR]

I have about a 50% success rate in taking mollies from the LFS and converting them to SW. Not sure why it's so low but I suppose the original stock just might not always be healthy.

I keep them as grazers for frag tanks but I don't keep macro algae.

SteveU

 

[ClamIAm]

I'd like to try using wild-caught mollies from higher salinity areas and see if they would take to marine conditions better. I'm guessing the kinds that pet stores get have lived their whole lives in freshwater

 

[ChrisB]

I carefully picked out five of the heathiest looking mollies at a LFS(petco). They didn't have closed fins, they were active and fat.
I got one male and three females. The male was a black sailfin, the females were solid black, and salt and pepper.

I drip-acclimated them for about 4 hours and they all made it. A couple went through the "closed fin shimmy" for a day and one or two had some exaggerated breathing for a brief time, but quickly recovered and all are doing fantastic.

But the thing with mollies is before long you will be overun with mollies unless you have something that eats the babies. They are breeding machines.

My system isn't complete as of yet but I plan on my mollies providing a percentage of the food once up and running. I am also considering raising silversides and sheepshead minnows just to add diversity.

My mollies haven't bothered any of my macro, I see them pecking away at the sides of the tank and on some rocks.

 

[jrhupp]

I had two mollies I collected in the Keys. They went to prepared foods quickly and were excellent grazers of microalges. However, it turns out they are jumpers; not suitable for a shallow open top tank.

Jay

 

[ClamIAm]

Sounds like everyone has found them to be safe with macroalgae. I'll be sure to post some new updates on my tank when I get back this weekend and when I track down some fish. I'd still like to get the wild-type fish to look natural over the dalmation and balloon and whatever other mollies are out there.

 

[ChrisB]

What color are the wild-type?

 

[billsreef]

I've kept several species of Fundulus over the years, and none were ever a problem to macro algaes.

Mollies are good too, the Green Mollies are the closest to the original wild type that are found in modern pet shop supplies. BTW most pet shop mollies will fare far better in SW than in the FW they are typically sold for.

 

[Samala]

The wild type tend to be a very beautiful irridescent green with tinges of blue, red, orange and yellow throughout the fins.

The red coloration in the males on the caudal fin, along with orange coloration on the heads, seems to intensify as you head down the Florida coast towards the Keys. The sailfin mollies in the Keys are nothing short of gorgeous. You can easily find them poking through macroalgae like Caulerpa and seagrass beds right up against the mangrove line.

Some of the wild type mollies out of the everglades lean towards a purple green irridescence, and lack the red/orange patterning. There is a higher rate of melanism in that population too.. or at least it seems so just from my sampling. Still beautiful.

>Sarah

 

[ClamIAm]

I'm sure that they would do much better in SW in FW but I've never been a fan of all the hybridization/selective breeding in FW fish. I like natural looking setups and I know that those bright orange and speckled mollies you see in pet stores would never be found in a natural habitat. Billsreef, any chance you're collecting either of these in the near future? I've still had a hard time finding them for sale anywhere

 

[billsreef]

No mollies in my area, but plenty of Fundulus. From Sarah's descriptions, we should just jump on a plane and go collecting mollies with her

 

[GTR]

Back in the 60's I waded through the mud filled inlets of the Salton Sea in California with DIY nets. Collected 100's of them. They would do fine with some salt in the water but always needed 80° temperatures to do well. At the time all my tanks had stainless steel frames so adding a lot of salt was not an option. I was acclimating them to freshwater to sell/trade to the fish stores to buy things I needed for the 10+ tanks I had at 12 years old. :lol:

SteveU

 

[Samala]

I was acclimating them to freshwater to sell/trade to the fish stores to buy things I needed for the 10+ tanks I had at 12 years old.

Now that sounds like a happy childhood!

I really do need to get some photos of these mythical mollies I have mentioned here at least a half dozen times. I have a new education system starting up that will be mangrove prop/oyster reef together, and the mollies are definitely going in (in place of the super delicate bay anchovy..). So, maybe someday soon I'll get some decent photos!

>Sarah

 

[GTR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9953694#post9953694 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Samala
Now that sounds like a happy childhood!

I so wish I had a picture of it. My bedroom was about 12" x 26" and one of the short walls had three tiers of cinder block and 2 X 6's all lined up with tanks. Biggest was a 20g and it even had an UGF instead the corner box filter. :lol: Just a replacement diaphragm was a big ticket item for me at the time. My Dad was always kind enough to haul me around to yard/garage sales and to respond to ads in the Green Sheet full of used stuff.

I even attended a fish geek club for several years before I could drive and found girls. Seems I've gone full circle now. :lol:


SteveU

 

[ClamIAm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9952538#post9952538 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
No mollies in my area, but plenty of Fundulus. From Sarah's descriptions, we should just jump on a plane and go collecting mollies with her

Are the fundulus in your area tropicals or would they be temperate species? If I had the money/time I would be all over going down to Florida to collect some stuff for my tank

 

[ChrisB]

Sarah,

Sounds like you have talked yourself into gathering a few mollies!
GREAT! I can't wait to see them!

Would it be legal for me to come down to Florida and catch some?

My wife attends seminars(goofs off) in Florida usually twice a year. Maybe I can pass the time catching mollies?

BTW, are there any mollies on the Gulf side? Say around Destin?

 

[billsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9956269#post9956269 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ClamIAm
Are the fundulus in your area tropicals or would they be temperate species?

They are temperate. Years ago I moved and had to consolidate tanks, at that point I had common killie (Fundulus heteroclitoris) that I'd had for several years. Not wanting to return him to the wild at that point, I placed him in my reef tank where he lived another 3 or 4 years quite happily

 

[ClamIAm]

I've actually found a guy who may be able to get some of the tropical/subtropical species so I am pretty excited. That's awesome to hear that you've had success with them before, I hope I can as well.