Mollies

Azurel · Jan 11, 2007

I know some of you here have done the acclimating trick for mollies to get at your algea. I was thinking of doing the same thing, I just want to know is How have they done? Can you see a dent in your algea? How have they acted towards your other fish?......Let me know I might go get a male/female pair tomorrow. One of the LFS here in town have a sweet bright orange Sailfin molly male/female pair for $9. The ones I was looking at the female is 2 1/2 inchs or so and very beautiful. Let me know.....Aslo Can this be done with all mollies? I don't want toget them and find out that Sailfins can't do it....That would suck for the fish.

James

Looks like this one here....http://www.fishdeals.com/livebearers/mollies/sailfin_mollies/

minibowmatt · Jan 11, 2007

hmmm interesting. What exactly is the acclimating procedure for mollies? do they go after bubble algae?

Azurel · Jan 11, 2007

I'm not sure about bubble algae but they are supposed to eat HA and filamentous algae, cyano etc......I know a few here have done it....From what I understand is they acclimated them for about 2 hrs or so and then released them.

nb2 · Jan 11, 2007

We did it with a few black mollies in the store I worked at and they lived for a long time, I'm not sure if they ended up dead or we sold them. I never really paid any attention to the amount of algae in the tank though sorry.

twon8 · Jan 11, 2007

guy in my local reef club did this, seems to have good results
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=992144

ficklefins · Jan 11, 2007

I've had them for 2 weeks now and I think that there are positives and negative for them.

Positives:

They will eat algae off the glass, rocks, sand, power heads, and some have said that they will eat hair algae. I think the best thing about these guys is their ability to skim the sand all day!! They will pull in and filter the top layer of sound all day. I'm not sure what they are eating but I guess it makes them happy.

They will also adapt very quickly to eating fish food and anything you may put into the tank. Every time I put my arm in the tank they start to pick at me as if my arm has some type of algae for them? I guess they are opportunistic feeders.

Negatives.

Since they easily switch over to other fish food they may out compete your slower or shy reef fish for food. They also seem to eat more than any other reef fish I have so they are always chasing after food.

Would I get them again?

Yes, but I would place them in a fuge only because I do not like how much food they take up from my current livestock.

If you have a new tank then these will be an excellent choice for your first fish because they will eat most of the 1-6month algeas that are common before the first year.

BTW. I got the silver sailfin molly.

Stixbaraca · Jan 11, 2007

Wait a sec...they eat cyano????

ficklefins · Jan 11, 2007

I do not have cyano on my sand bed so I will throw out an idea for you. They will filter the top layer of sand no matter what is there, be it cyano, fish food, or other types of algae. I think that people who report that they eat cyano overlook the fact that actually skim the top layer of your and bed for all types of algae and the fact that they eat cyano may just be an issue of oppurtunity.

ficklefins · Jan 11, 2007

In the end for $2-$3 a pop they are worth the risk.

msman825 · Jan 11, 2007

ficklefins said:
I do not have cyano on my sand bed so I will throw out an idea for you. They will filter the top layer of sand no matter what is there, be it cyano, fish food, or other types of algae. I think that people who report that they eat cyano overlook the fact that actually skim the top layer of your and bed for all types of algae and the fact that they eat cyano may just be an issue of oppurtunity.

I agree totally. I had them for around 6 months. I never saw them eat bubble algae never had but a few. I started with 6--5 females, 1 male. I had 18 when i gave them back to my LFS. They were hog's I only fead them twice a week. They kept tank clean, and sand. I had a few hermits and snails after the first couple months .

Azurel · Jan 12, 2007

Good to know thanks for the response guy's.....I think I will jump on board today and go get that pair.....Will post afterwards. I don't really have shy fish per se, so I think they will be fine.

ficklefins · Jan 12, 2007

BTW,

I have read somewhere that the silver sailfin mollies do better than other types. That's what I got so I can not dispute this claim.

Azurel · Jan 12, 2007

Yea? I saw the orange ones and they look just like the silver ones just differant color.....Don't know if the come from the ame region or not assume so....I am going toget them here in a little bit will up date this thread later today.....

twon8 · Jan 12, 2007

ficklefins said:
BTW,

I have read somewhere that the silver sailfin mollies do better than other types. That's what I got so I can not dispute this claim.

the guy in the local reef club said that same thing, the sailfin do better than the black mollies

Azurel · Jan 12, 2007

Well I got them and they have been acclimated and are swimming in unison, anywhere she goes he goes and vise verse....She is much bigger then I thought probably more like 3 inches. Very beautiful fish and both for only $8.99. Once my dang camera gets charged back up I will take pictures, as soon as I was about to shoot my first shot the battery died....ERRR. Don't think the clowns are to fond at the moment though, they are hiding and darting in and out of the rock work like sissies.

Azurel · Jan 12, 2007

Yea they are super sweet hopefully I can get the iridescent colors in her fins to show up. There like blues and reds and greens.....Very cool. Hopefully they will get at some of this algae, I wanted a tang but the tank is to small really and I have had bad luck with tangs and these clown fish.....

msman825 · Jan 12, 2007

coralnutz said:
Do you think Mollies could go in a little 14 Gallon nano? I don't have any algae problems and hope I don't. But this seems like a good route if you don't have tank space for tangs.

Dr foster's has some tangs you can put in a 14 g.

I got a 1/2- 3/4 inch hippo from there , He is tiny. Azurel how long did you Acclimate them

Azurel · Jan 12, 2007

I acclimated them for about a 1 1/2 hrs.....Till the water in the bowl was at the same specific gravity as the tank.....They are doing great and have actually started making the clowns come out a bit more, kinda like dither fish. I would say depending on what type you get a 14g would be perfect for them.

That's what I figured a perfect alternative to a tang or other herbivores that need large room.

msman825 · Jan 12, 2007

coralnutz said:
Can you imagine how fast the tang police would be on that. :lol:

I really don't like the idea of putting even that small of a tang in a tank of that size. I guess I feel like just because they are that small and can turn around freely, they still seem like they would need like 4' of swimming room so they can cruise around and be happy.

JMO

That was a joke, you know that

that tiny hippo is in my 90 and i only see it while i'm feeding, It loves mysis, and cyclop-eeze. So it should start growing soon