Converting Mollies to Saltwater (Final Acclimation)

[blecki]

I can tell you that they do not eat grape caulerpa, cheato, or hair algae.

 

[MissMolly]

I was told I would have to work to stop these things breeding but they just won't do it. I have them in 1.026 and in fresh - nothing. What's the secret here?

Mmm are you sure they don’t breed and fry just gets eaten right away or sucked up?

 

[MissMolly]

I can tell you that they do not eat grape caulerpa, cheato, or hair algae.

 

[MissMolly]

Wondering do mollies eat macro algea along with other types? I was thinking about adding mollies to my refugium.

They don’t eat healthy macro. If something dies off they do.

 

[MissMolly]

I have tried to acclimate using several methods. Honestly, I can't say that any one method worked better than another. None of them was immediately lethal but I never had long-term success either. Flow was likely an issue in their demise. It may have been helpful to keep them in freshwater for several week, feed them and ensure good health, then try to acclimate. I just bought them and then started acclimation to saltwater right away. So I can't say that mine were in good health, despite them looking healthy.

I have kept and bred mollies in saltwater for a long time now. They need to be fed A LOT with a wide variety of foods. Especially algae based foods since that is their natural diet. Also you need healthy specimens from the beginning. Many are SUPER inbred and in poor health. Sailfins are the most robust, and in the silver/white color. And if you can get a pair from two different families or species and put them together you can make some SUPER robust fry yourself. I’m selling my mollies locally (have sold about 100 now) and they do super well in all kinds of tanks, high flow as well. None of mine are inbred. Only one male per tank so I can keep track.
But bear in mind that mollies can never be added to a smaller tanks with anemones. They will seek cover here and die from the burns.

 

[MissMolly]

I have kept and bred mollies in saltwater for a long time now. They need to be fed A LOT with a wide variety of foods. Especially algae based foods since that is their natural diet. Also you need healthy specimens from the beginning. Many are SUPER inbred and in poor health. Sailfins are the most robust, and in the silver/white color. And if you can get a pair from two different families or species and put them together you can make some SUPER robust fry yourself. I’m selling my mollies locally (have sold about 100 now) and they do super well in all kinds of tanks, high flow as well. None of mine are inbred. Only one male per tank so I can keep track.
But bear in mind that mollies can never be added to a smaller tanks with anemones. They will seek cover here and die from the burns.

I’m in continuous contact w the buyers of my fish to keep track of them and know what works and what don’t. Several are on waiting lists for more since they are an extremely great addition to the CUC. Some of mine even eat fish poop so it’s really amazing what they can do for a tank. Reports from buyers also say that they are also extremely great at cleaning between polyps in SPS tanks.

 

[MissMolly]

I did this and brought them up to match the tank over a couple days, got them into the tank and my hippo tang mauled them all in like 20 mins

Why didn’t you take them out?

 

[blecki]

Mmm are you sure they don’t breed and fry just gets eaten right away or sucked up?

I'm not. But, nothing is in the tank but mollies and IME the few times they have bred (twice maybe) they do not eat their own young. Plus there's plenty of macro for them to hide in.

You mention feeding them a lot but how much is a lot? They all have quite large bellies. I do assume I'm missing something they need because in the 6 months or so the only fry I've got left has been alive it has barely grown.

 

[MissMolly]

I'm not. But, nothing is in the tank but mollies and IME the few times they have bred (twice maybe) they do not eat their own young. Plus there's plenty of macro for them to hide in.

You mention feeding them a lot but how much is a lot? They all have quite large bellies. I do assume I'm missing something they need because in the 6 months or so the only fry I've got left has been alive it has barely grown.

Aha. What exactly are you feeding the fry?

 

[blecki]

Same flakes as the parents. Maybe I'll give them some of the big fish food and see what happens.

 

[MissMolly]

Same flakes as the parents. Maybe I'll give them some of the big fish food and see what happens.

You can't raise fry on big flakes and pellets. they need somthing like Hikari First Bite or you need to ground up your flaskes into powder.

 

[Doctorgori]

To whomever is thinking about mollies; good luck finding fat robust fish…Typically as I look in LFS tanks I see thin flat bellied fish with the shimmies….

The shimmy might go away in saltwater, but good luck fattening them up … I’ve lost quite a few in the process ..

…mollies do eat saltwater algae; to a point…. but I’ve never see; them touch any macros or any of the stringy tougher stuff

 

[WvAquatics]

I was planning to look on aquabid for some home bred mollies. If not I'll add them to a freshwater aquarium for a month and fatten them up. Just not my Jack Dempsey tank. Wouldn't turn out well.
Hiding in his spot waiting for food! About halfway through adult transition!

 

[MissMolly]

Same flakes as the parents. Maybe I'll give them some of the big fish food and see what happens.

To whomever is thinking about mollies; good luck finding fat robust fish…Typically as I look in LFS tanks I see thin flat bellied fish with the shimmies….

The shimmy might go away in saltwater, but good luck fattening them up … I’ve lost quite a few in the process ..

…mollies do eat saltwater algae; to a point…. but I’ve never see; them touch any macros or any of the stringy tougher stuff

Agreed. The fresh water mollies in the LFS are in very poor condition and most def underfed. I think you are better off buying mollies from private sales. Also I have always chosen young ones, preferably around 3 months just before they get sexually mature. They seem stronger at this age.

 

[MissMolly]

I was planning to look on aquabid for some home bred mollies. If not I'll add them to a freshwater aquarium for a month and fatten them up. Just not my Jack Dempsey tank. Wouldn't turn out well.
Hiding in his spot waiting for food! About halfway through adult transition!

Hahahah he looks about ready to eat a bunch of mollies

 

[WvAquatics]

Hahahah he looks about ready to eat a bunch of mollies

Oh he would definitely eat some mollies. I feed him around 10 live fish a month just for a treat usually cardinal or neon tetras. He wasnt a fan of the minnows last time. Plus mysis, flakes, and shrimp pellets.

 

[Sarcasm Included]

Look under the Aquabid US Native fish category to find an 8 pack of wild for sale for 24.99.
I have bought from this vendor before but it was so long ago that I can't remember if there were any issues.

 

[GARRIGA]

If you live in sub tropical or tropical states one could catch their own in FW tributaries and brackish.

 

[blecki]

You can't raise fry on big flakes and pellets. they need somthing like Hikari First Bite or you need to ground up your flaskes into powder.

It eats them fine. It's been eating them since it was born. The point of flakes is they nibble off the edges. They've all gone nuts for the reef frenzy though. Should have been feeding them this all along...

 

[MissMolly]

It eats them fine. It's been eating them since it was born. The point of flakes is they nibble off the edges. They've all gone nuts for the reef frenzy though. Should have been feeding them this all along...

As fry they don’t get enough to eat by just nipping edges sorry