Mollies for frag tank algae - failed experiment

[LobsterOfJustice]

I bought 4 black Mollies for algae control in my frag tank. Acclimated them to saltwater over a few weeks over the course of normal QT. Plopped them in the frag tank... within 5 minutes one was rode the overflow to the refugium. 20 minutes later two are in the refugium. 12 hours later, one is in the fuge, two are in the sump (frag tank drains to fuge, fuge drains to sump) and one is somehow in the display (sucked up by pump and shot 70 feet through my crawl space from my garage to the living room).

At 24h I added a strainer to the frag tank drain and netted the two I could find (one in DT, one in sump) back to frag tank. A week later one of those is missing. So out of 4, I’ve lost 3 somewhere in my system and have one unhappily in the frag tank (just stressed hiding in the corner).

Failed experiment.

 

[Mike N]

That's unfortunate. I was seriously considering getting a couple for my own frag tank.

 

[Johniejumbo]

That’s a shame. I had considered a few of them myself.

 

[Paul Sands]

Snails and hermits are great for algae control in frag tanks. Snails also don’t harbor fish diseases that can then be transferred to your (or other people’s) display tank via the frags.

 

[Dsnakes]

That’s a bummer, however, I was laughing at the thought of the poor fish flying through a pipe.

Maybe try fixing some netting across to keep the from taking the swim. It might allow more flow through depending on what strainer you’re using.

 

[KrisReef]

According to my readings you should have started with 16 and a strainer to begin with?

I’ve thought about adding Molly’s because I like live bearers but I think I would add an urchin or dorabella?-slug first for algae controls, and maybe a fox face or a small temporary tang that I’d return after it got too large eating Alfaro. (I’m pretty certain I typed algae and not Alfaro?) edit-

Grateful for your write up on your molly trials

 

[EMeyer]

When I tried this a while back, I also failed. Mine didnt go down the pipes or anything, they just never had a taste for any of the many different kinds of algae in my tank. They'd eat pellets but not algae. Eventually they withered away and died. Wish I knew how people keep them alive long term in SW!