molly pecking at rocks

[belmont0182]

so my molly is always pecking at my rocks and plants, is this a sign that i have an algae problem, or is that what mollies do?

[milenko]

i don't know if this means you have a prob or not i can just tell you mine do the same thing and they do eat some algae

[Slappy*McFish]

Mollies are vegetarian for the most part..they need veggies in their diet and are rather efficient algae-eaters. Rasping at rocks is perfectly normal molly behavior that I've seen in most livebearers.

[belmont0182]

so livebearers are natural algae eaters? I am planning on stocking my tank after thanksgiving with two swordtails, and another molly. that will mean that i will have two mollies and two swordtails. i was thinking about getting some type of algae eater, not a CAE but maybe a different one. would that be bad to put an algae eater in a livebearer tank?

[Slappy*McFish]

Not at all. Otos would make great tankmates with livebearers.

I would like to point out, however, if keeping male and female livebearers together, have more females than males..a "pair" is not generally a good idea..especailly for the female as the males are constantly trying to mate. Having more females displaces this sexual aggression giving the other females a "break." Or you could just opt for pairs of females only, though livebearers are capable of changing sex(females become males).

[belmont0182]

i read that those ottos arent very tough fish and that they are for more experienced people. What is the best sucker fish, by best i mean best looking, as well as best cleaning ability. I also do not want anything that would be aggressive at all, i hope to have a livebearer tank with the hope of babies.

[Slappy*McFish]

Otos aren't hard to keep at all. They're rather easy...just buy a group of them..and they stay small(which is a plus). Otos aren't aggressive one bit. They're good for keeping brown slime algae/diatoms under control. The mollies will eat the green algae.
Your other options would be Siamese Algae Eaters(not a sucker fish), and Bristlenose(not the most attractive).... I wouldn't keep them in 10 gallon tanks, however. That's why I recommended the Otos. You could even try amano shrimp.

[belmont0182]

ok ottos sound really good, i think that they are an attractive fish, what is a group? 2,3. i have a ten gallon, how many should i get, and can i introduce them at the same time that i buy 2 swordtaills and a molly?

[Slappy*McFish]

3-4 would be fine. I wouldn't add all those fish at once though. Maybe add the swordtails and molly one week, and the otos the next week. Wouldn't want to overload your biofilter causing an ammonia spike.

[TKOS]

Also be careful as many livebearers can interbreed. So if you have mollies and swordtails of male and female persuasion then it is possible to have odd little babies. It is more likely for platies and swordtails to breed, but even guppies have been known to get in on the deal.

And make sure to keep algae tabs on hand if there isn't enough food for the ottos.

[belmont0182]

ok thanks for the help guys

is that a bad thing for species to crossbread? i almost think that it would be kinda funny

[TKOS]

As long as you don't try and sell the offspring or pass it off as something it isn't.

[belmont0182]

umm i am in this for fun, not to make a profit. i wouldnt sell them or lie about them, the only thing that i would do is give them to my friends. if they would crossbread would i be able to tell pretty easily?

well i am going to be gone for a few days, cause i am going home for thanksgiving, so if i dont reply for awhile thats why!

[tricksterpup]

Belmont,
Mollies and swordtails are the larger of the livebearers and they tend to need more room than most fish. I keep my mollies and swordtails in a 55 gallon tank. They are very happy and love eating lots of alage. But in the long run, they would feel very crampt in a 10 gallon tank. Fish that would do better in here are guppies, endlers and platies. As for interbreeding, you may not have problems between the mollies and swords, it would happen more between swords and platies.
a site i recommmend is
http://tcoletti.tripod.com/thelivebearer.html


jim

[belmont0182]

ohh man, i thought that mollies and swords would be good for a 10 gallon. i already have a female molly, would she be lonely if i didnt get her a companion. I only want two swords, they would be cramped? oh man now i have to replan my whole tank up. i like platties, but i would much rather get a sword than a platty. i tried the guppy]ies out earlier and they died, prob cause my ammonia was to high though, i dont mind guppies but i would need assurance from you guys that they would be easy to take care of and that they wouldnt get ich like the last ones.

[belmont0182]

I guess what i should have asked is this "What should i put in my tank?" i have one molly already, and i want a peaceful livebearer tank. I plan to purchase three otos to control algae, what would you recomend getting, keeping in mind that i have an affection for swordtails, but am willing to put the swordtail dream away if they wouldnt be happy. I have thought about a dwarf gourami, but fear that it would be cramped.

[Slappy*McFish]

Well, you could always upgrade to a bigger tank:D ..

[belmont0182]

sorry im in college, a bigger tank is not an option right now. Maybe later when i get an appartment, but not for the next two years. Besides im trying to stock the tank that i have now.