• Welcome back Guest!

    MARSH is a private reefing group. Comments and suggestions are encouraged, but please keep them positive and constructive. Negative threads, posts, or attacks will be removed from view and reviewed by the staff. Continually disruptive, argumentative, or flagrant rule breakers may be suspended or banned.

Freshwater mollies in reef/salt water tank (1 Viewer)

Users who are viewing this thread

RR-MAN

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
Messages
5,690
Reaction score
1,222
Location
Pearland
After watching a reef builder video I decided to add a couple of freshwater mollies to the tank. I was amazed how well they graze on algae. My tank is pretty new/clean but have some diatom on the rock and back wall.


Any of you guys keep mollies in salt water tank?

b7b3ea337f57532df5c3a405b1b7561b.jpg
 

alex6528

Guest
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
60
Reaction score
12
Did you just toss them is from full fresh to full salt, or how did you acclimate? I’m willing to try them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP
RR-MAN

RR-MAN

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
Messages
5,690
Reaction score
1,222
Location
Pearland
Took two hours to acclimate-some people do it for way less time.

They swim and act normal [emoji23]
 

ITreefer

Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2017
Messages
1,007
Reaction score
1,025
Location
Houston/Cypress
Interesting timing. I was just reading about these guys for algae control. Do they have problems with strong flow?
 

Alex77619

Guest
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
138
Reaction score
92
I did too but seems like they don’t know what an anemone is and ends up all suicided


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

paraletho

Guest
Joined
Jul 30, 2008
Messages
597
Reaction score
119
Location
Sabine Pass TX
I have a Black Molly that I put in the 300 on the recommendation of Humblefish on R2R. Ina system that is coming out of fallow or an established system with longterm fish that possibly have built immunities to ich or other diseases he uses them as canaries in the coal mine. They transition from FW to SW very well and have no resistance to SW diseases. .The solid black variety make it quick and easy to spot white spots or slime coat abnormalities..
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Messages
871
Reaction score
361
Location
Tomball
The molly is one of the few fresh water aquarium fish that can be acclimated to salt water. If I remember correctly many live in fw streams that go open up into the sea and will oftentimes migrate to the brackish estuaries.

This article goes into detail about caring for fw molly's in a salt water tank.


Not a bad idea if you're looking to add some inexpensive and sometimes flashy livestock to your tank as many fancy molly's can have rather impressive coloring and large beta like fins.
 

alex6528

Guest
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
60
Reaction score
12
So I have like 10-12 nems in a 60 gal cube. I’m guessing mollies would not be a good idea with all those nems?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Tangs

Guest
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
2,009
Reaction score
425
Location
Sarnia, Ontario
I did it years ago... I acclimatised over a few days. They lasted around a year I think. It was a bit sad watching the other fish eat their babies but that is nature.
 

Jbecwar

Guest
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Conroe,tx
I ended up loosing a bunch of fish to ich, did the fallow thing and added the black molly that was quarantined and had worms. Dropped right in to saltwater with no issues at all. Made it two nights and then the nem doubled in size and I never saw the molly again. It did really good feeding on algae. I'm surprised its not more popular for a tang replacement in nano tanks.
 
OP
OP
RR-MAN

RR-MAN

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
Messages
5,690
Reaction score
1,222
Location
Pearland
I'm noticing one thing about my black mollies - mostly the stay close to surface. Only dive down when it comes to eating algae. Mine are doing very well so far.
 
OP
OP
RR-MAN

RR-MAN

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
Messages
5,690
Reaction score
1,222
Location
Pearland
Quick update:

Found a bunch of molly fry in sump and display. Even the tangs were devouring the fry [emoji15][emoji15][emoji15][emoji15]
 

steveb

Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Board Member
Build Thread Contributor
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Messages
11,953
Reaction score
2,856
Location
Spring
So let me get this straight no ick resistance in the mollies? I think this would be cool but having an ick magnet kinda scares me.

They aren't a magnet. They just have no natural resistance to saltwater parasites so will show symptoms when possibly saltwater fish have built an immunity.

The thing to keep in mind is once they are exposed to something in saltwater and assuming they are treated and survive, they are no longer good for the canary test.

 

karlmuth

Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2016
Messages
33
Reaction score
6
After watching a reef builder video I decided to add a couple of freshwater mollies to the tank. I was amazed how well they graze on algae. My tank is pretty new/clean but have some diatom on the rock and back wall.


Any of you guys keep mollies in salt water tank?

b7b3ea337f57532df5c3a405b1b7561b.jpg
Do you still have any mollies left? And
long term how did they work out?
 
OP
OP
RR-MAN

RR-MAN

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
Messages
5,690
Reaction score
1,222
Location
Pearland
^^^i sold the tank to get a bigger tank. The mollies went to another reef tank. I think my buddy still has them.
 
Top