Saltwater Mollies

[jimsflies]

I've been kicking this around for awhile and decided to try it yesterday. I think mollies are pretty ugly fish...and finally decided on white ones since they look more "reefy" than other colors.

I drip acclimated them for about 5 hours. First I started slowly then gradually increased the drip rate. Once I had the specific gravity the same in the container, I added them to my reef.

So far so good...I noticed them picking at hair algae I have growing on the glass so hopefully they help with that problem. I'm not sure if I will keep the mollies long term...but for now they look a little like a chromis swimming around and seem to stick together pretty well.

I'd like to add some guppies or other small species that would school up. Guppies from what I have read take a week to acclimate over to saltwater.

[slapshot]

No only are they good for eating algae but their rabbit like breeding is free food.

[bluwc]

So what is the salinity at in the tank? Do you have keep it at like 1.010 or something and slowly increase it over time to accimate them as they are a freshwater fish?

[Tropical Buff]

Saw some really nice orange mollies at Moby dicks that were already aclimated to salt just the other day thought it was a great idea.

[MizTanks]

Way cool idea Jim Most don't know that I kept a brackish tank for many years before I got into SW.

Anyways just some info for you if your looking for easy, reef safe fish to acclimate. Look at the Indian Glass Fish, way cool small schooling fish. The figure 8 puffer is reef safe but do love to eat tiny snails. Mine ate tons of rams horns. Knight Gobys and Rhino Gobys. One of my favorites and the ones I kept the most of are the Celebes Rainbows. Most beautiful fish! Especially the males, which are very easy to sex.

I kept my sg at 1.015 with all the above fish and they did wonderfully! Didn't go higher due to some moss i was keeping.
I'll def be watching for updates as to how the Mollys do for you. Good luck and enjoy your new adventure

[iyachtuxivm]

I have been thinking of doing something like this also just for the free food idea for when I get an angler again. Molly breeding in the fuge would be pretty easy I think. In my planted tank they bred all the time. I couldnt get rid of them fast enough. I did have 8 females and 2 males though. And I had heard that they ate hair algae also. Very cool! I had also heard it was better to acclimate them to full salt over a weeks period or so. Keep us updated very interested in how this turns out.
Miz
Can the Celebes Rainbows be kept at full salt levels? Didnt find any info saying anything but freshwater.Those would be a sweet little salt water school.

[jimsflies]

So far so good...they are going strong and have a good appetite.

[jimsflies]

They go after the marine pellets I have been feeding as well. I haven't tried to many other foods yet, but I think they aren't very picky. They already have me pegged as the food source, when I walk into the room they are right there in the front looking for some chow.

Also it appears the female is expecting...belly is twice as big as a few days ago now.

[MizTanks]

I have been thinking of doing something like this also just for the free food idea for when I get an angler again. Molly breeding in the fuge would be pretty easy I think. In my planted tank they bred all the time. I couldnt get rid of them fast enough. I did have 8 females and 2 males though. And I had heard that they ate hair algae also. Very cool! I had also heard it was better to acclimate them to full salt over a weeks period or so. Keep us updated very interested in how this turns out.
Miz
Can the Celebes Rainbows be kept at full salt levels? Didnt find any info saying anything but freshwater.Those would be a sweet little salt water school.

I couldn't find anyone keeping them in full sw. I didn't want to try it either At 1.015 they did wonderful for me. I had 2 males and 5 females along with a figure 8 puffer, a Rhino goby, 3x Knight gobys, 3x Indian Glass Fish and 5 Orange chromide. Honestly I think they could do well in full sw. Most brackish water fishes IMO do. Here's a nice list of these fishes.

List of brackish aquarium fish species - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[phishcrazee]

Cool! I have one molly, but I think she's lonely......not as front and center as she was at the LFS where I got her. Watch out, they're great jumpers, at least ours is, has jumped out 3X's now, I think she actually waits until the lid is off I have seen mine eating diatoms, they are great algae eaters.