Does anyone else use salt water mollies?

[Jvalle]

I used 4 fresh water mollies (2 orange lyretail and 2 whites) to cycle my tank. I thought that I would take them to my LFS after the cycle. However, they are so cute and they keep my rocks and sand clean so I changed my mind and kept them. After 3 months, all 4 are still alive and healthy. They are able to tolerate good flow in the tank since my tank is mixed but sps dominant. I bought them at Petco as fresh water fish.

People always comment on them when they see them in my DT with 16 other bigger salt water fish. I have a 120 gallon tank.

Cool I had some for a while too in my 180 reef. Now I have some moonys that I converted to salt over a few months. They are really cool too.

 

[code4]

I started with 3. I now have around 60 in my 140. I bought them originally to make sure my tank was ich free. Then they kept multiplying in a 20 gallon. Finally decided to just put them in my largest display tank. Wish I had some orange ones! But at least I never see babies anymore!

Shelley

 

[The guppy guru]

I started with 3. I now have around 60 in my 140. I bought them originally to make sure my tank was ich free. Then they kept multiplying in a 20 gallon. Finally decided to just put them in my largest display tank. Wish I had some orange ones! But at least I never see babies anymore!

Shelley

Wow that sound awesome I am the brackish water guy here not very knowledgeable but enough to tell other people what to do and what not to do. I am very impressed by what you speak of maybe some day you can show us so e pictures. If so that would be wonderfull

 

[Fink]

I started with a few different kind of mollies (for cycling), but only the black and white dalmatian lyretails have survived for me. None of the colorful ones, baloon, or plain black mollies have ever lived more than a week. I ended up keeping all of my survivors because they are so useful.

I think mollies are great especially in nano tanks where your cleaning fish are limited by the lack of tangs.

 

[The guppy guru]

I started with a few different kind of mollies (for cycling), but only the black and white dalmatian lyretails have survived for me. None of the colorful ones, baloon, or plain black mollies have ever lived more than a week. I ended up keeping all of my survivors because they are so useful.

I think mollies are great especially in nano tanks where your cleaning fish are limited by the lack of tangs.

Balloon Mollyies in general don't live a good life and will die shortly after purchasing them and in saltwater this happens much faster. But it's good that you try, it's only natural to try at things that interest us, hopefully you will be more successful in teh future. Remember, Happy Reefing

 

[code4]

Wow that sound awesome I am the brackish water guy here not very knowledgeable but enough to tell other people what to do and what not to do. I am very impressed by what you speak of maybe some day you can show us so e pictures. If so that would be wonderfull

I will do that tonight. While I did use them to make sure my tank was parasite free I am personally not a fan of using fish during cycling. I had every intention of putting them back into fresh water if that did get any parasites.

 

[The guppy guru]

I will do that tonight. While I did use them to make sure my tank was parasite free I am personally not a fan of using fish during cycling. I had every intention of putting them back into fresh water if that did get any parasites.

Well I'm glad everything worked out and having that many mollies in saltwater is wonderfull keep being successful and curious, Happy Reefing.

 

[code4]

Well I'm glad everything worked out and having that many mollies in saltwater is wonderfull keep being successful and curious, Happy Reefing.

 

[code4]

Hopefully you can see them. I do not post many photos. They do group up at times. Mostly a peaceful tank. Enjoy

 

[Kyl]

They're the only thing I have found that eats GHA routinely. While acclimating my batch over a month or so, I would pull GHA from the sump and throw some in their tank, gone in minutes. An old LPS skeleton covered in GHA in the sump, cleaned to the bone in a couple of days.

 

[code4]

They're the only thing I have found that eats GHA routinely. While acclimating my batch over a month or so, I would pull GHA from the sump and throw some in their tank, gone in minutes. An old LPS skeleton covered in GHA in the sump, cleaned to the bone in a couple of days.

I can believe that. My mollies were in a 20 gallon tank for a long time. Nitrates were really high. But there was never any algae. The nitrates were the main reason I moved them. I drained the tank almost to the last inch of water every Saturday. Too many fish in that tank. And my husband loved to feed his "horde".

 

[Fink]

They're the only thing I have found that eats GHA routinely. While acclimating my batch over a month or so, I would pull GHA from the sump and throw some in their tank, gone in minutes. An old LPS skeleton covered in GHA in the sump, cleaned to the bone in a couple of days.

Same here, my "lawnmower" blenny barely touches the stuff. The only place my molly won't go is near my Acans, don't know why, but GHA can live over there and she won't touch it.

 

[FishGeist]

My male Anthias just about killed my sailfin mollie after he tried to mate him. I wish I had pics, poor boy had a bleeding fin from the retaliation. Needless to say I had to trade him into the fish store to save his live, lol. Fish store thought it was comical too.

 

[The guppy guru]

That is beautiful and I wish I. Ould have that but instead I have just three mollies all males. Hope you keep being successful and remember, Happy Reefing

 

[The guppy guru]

My male Anthias just about killed my sailfin mollie after he tried to mate him. I wish I had pics, poor boy had a bleeding fin from the retaliation. Needless to say I had to trade him into the fish store to save his live, lol. Fish store thought it was comical too.

My black molly tried mating with my coral beauty angel fish..... let's just say I had to separate them.

 

[The guppy guru]

Same here, my "lawnmower" blenny barely touches the stuff. The only place my molly won't go is near my Acans, don't know why, but GHA can live over there and she won't touch it.

With me it's been the opposite my mollies don't touch the stuff no algae will they eat.

 

[code4]

All the stories of the male mollies getting their butts kicked makes me glad I have females. I might want to go buy some more females since the population is a bit lop sided right now. Get a different color one. My males are not totally black. Their top fin has a thin upper line of gold. Rather pretty. I did change the salinity very slowly for them. Was in no rush. Cycled fresh water tank first. Then every water change I added some salt water until after a couple of weeks they were in the same gravity as my DT.

 

[The guppy guru]

All the stories of the male mollies getting their butts kicked makes me glad I have females. I might want to go buy some more females since the population is a bit lop sided right now. Get a different color one. My males are not totally black. Their top fin has a thin upper line of gold. Rather pretty. I did change the salinity very slowly for them. Was in no rush. Cycled fresh water tank first. Then every water change I added some salt water until after a couple of weeks they were in the same gravity as my DT.

What you could do is start a colony a molly colony stands as many femails and 1-4 males.

 

[code4]

I think my husband might question my "saltwater" tank if I put in more mollies. But they sure are fun to watch. ;Happy;Joyful

 

[The guppy guru]

I think my husband might question my "saltwater" tank if I put in more mollies. But they sure are fun to watch. ;Happy;Joyful

Very fun and if you can get the sailfin variety they are a show stopper.