Mollies

[sterling18]

Yea, you heard right.

What's the story, can you acclimate them for SW? As I've heard, they go nuts for cyano. I figured they would just breed like crazy and feed my tank, lol.

 

[clsanchez77]

This has been discussed a lot on this forum. Yes they do acclimate to SW as they naturally occur in highly brackish water. They eat algae and do go mad for it; not sure about cyano though. They do breed frequently but would likeley feed your fish more than your corals.

Here are some links:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=965490&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=958581&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=955193&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=958286&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=946533&highlight=mollies

And these were just in the last month.

Chris

 

[Jeffrey Porter]

mine didn't work out. found 1 dead and never saw the other 3 again after 2 days.

 

[cham]

I would imagine if you buy them and they have any disease the SW you put them into would cure that? Kinda like a FW dip does for our salites?

I want to try this but I am a bit concerned about a .25 cent fish nuking hundreds in livestock.

 

[clsanchez77]

I would think that only applies if it is parasitic in nature. Anything internal I would think is not subjected to the salinity change.

 

[sterling18]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8482107#post8482107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clsanchez77
This has been discussed a lot on this forum. Yes they do acclimate to SW as they naturally occur in highly brackish water. They eat algae and do go mad for it; not sure about cyano though. They do breed frequently but would likeley feed your fish more than your corals.

Here are some links:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=965490&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=958581&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=955193&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=958286&highlight=mollies
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=946533&highlight=mollies

And these were just in the last month.

Chris

Cool,

Thanks for answering a question that has been asked a million times.

Happy Sunday.

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8484077#post8484077 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clsanchez77
I would think that only applies if it is parasitic in nature. Anything internal I would think is not subjected to the salinity change.

So these fish have a really good chance of nuking my tank? I just picked three up and my QT is nowhere near ready.

Hmmmm.

 

[clsanchez77]

Not neccessarily. Parasites and external infections would dfineilty be killed by the change in salinity. Anything internal, such as bacterial disease, I doubt would be able to transfer to another fish in a saline environment, assuming it was picked up in a freshwater environment, but I dont think changing the molly itself from one salinity to another is going to kill off any internal infections, just external ones.

I certainly would not advise against adding mollies to a saltwater tank. They are truly herbivore and will reproduce in the tank. I just dont think they will be any better than snails, which eat algae and reproduce in a tank.

It would definitly be up on the cool factor though.

Chris

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8484648#post8484648 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clsanchez77
Not neccessarily. Parasites and external infections would dfineilty be killed by the change in salinity. Anything internal, such as bacterial disease, I doubt would be able to transfer to another fish in a saline environment, assuming it was picked up in a freshwater environment, but I dont think changing the molly itself from one salinity to another is going to kill off any internal infections, just external ones.

I certainly would not advise against adding mollies to a saltwater tank. They are truly herbivore and will reproduce in the tank. I just dont think they will be any better than snails, which eat algae and reproduce in a tank.

It would definitly be up on the cool factor though.

Chris

I got three black ones in a bucket now. Ones already preggo, the LFS let me cherry pick.

Question is do I acclimate for 4 or 5 hours and put them in tonight or do a full 24 hours? Bah, for a buck and a half each I will toss em in tonight.

 

[clsanchez77]

Bah, for a buck and a half each I will toss em in tonight.

Thats the spirit! 4 hours probably ok.

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8485116#post8485116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clsanchez77
Thats the spirit! 4 hours probably ok.

I hear ya, if these guys natural enviroment is in and around coastal waterways they dont likely get 4 hours to acclimate.

I will take some pictures and post them in a little bit.

 

[cham]

Phase I

 

[cham]

Heres a good article http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/zoo/mollies.htm

 

[lessthanlights]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8484902#post8484902 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cham
Bah, for a buck and a half each I will toss em in tonight.

Does the cost of a creature have any bearing on it's value as a living creature?

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8485297#post8485297 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lessthanlights
Does the cost of a creature have any bearing on it's value as a living creature?

Yes

 

[lessthanlights]

Then you should find another hobby!

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8485340#post8485340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lessthanlights
Then you should find another hobby!

Just messing around man, lighten up. If you truely were concerned with the lives of these fish you shouldn't be in the hobby at all. If everyone gets out of the hobby no one will capture, kill and cage these poor animals.

Anywho, I posted the link on how to correctly acclimate them to SW. I've done the reading and am taking the proper steps. I don't want them dead anymore than anyone else.

 

[cham]

 

[Sparkss]

Thanks for the info Cham... for a buck a pop I think I will give em a shot, and yes, $$ does matter. If they were $20 each, then I would likely wait and buy some that were raised in SW, or actually take the full week to acclimate them (versus the 3 hours that the article noted). At that point it is weighing what my time is worth against the fishes... and guess which one will win ?

 

[cham]

We'll see if they make it for a night or two.