What are black and white, grow rapidly, reproduce nonstop, eat and eliminate constantly, and do not solve algae problems like advertised? Mollies of course.
I was given two adults last fall and they have not stopped reproducing since. I stupidly kept the juvvies long enough to impregnate their mothers. (I know female mollies can hold fertilized eggs for a long time but I also know fish sex when I see it too!)
I make regular monthly trips to the LFS to drop off more juvvies. After the last trip I came home to find 15 more fry jauntily swimming around! I feed my fish once a day and never feed the molly fry but that doesn't stop them from growing. As far as I can tell, every baby lives to maturity. Nothing stops these fish from growing up to be mommy and daddy mollies. (BTW, I have never added salt to my 75g like most books suggest. So much for mollies needing added salt for health).
My 75g planted tank has been doing beautifully for almost two years but since the mollies came on board algae has gotten out of hand. I admit it could be a coincidence but I am blaming the mollies. Sure they eat algae but they also eliminate constantly which produces more food for the algae. I once read 'do not feed mollies or they will not eat algae'. What a laugh. Mollies are the goats of the fish world. I feed my fish (tetras, bolivian rams, and clown loaches) sparingly while holding the mollies at bay using a net. They manage to escape the net every time and virtually suck up most of the food before I can contain them again. After eating everyone else's food they happily go back to chomping on algae and producing more babies
I'm not asking for advice. I will continue to make my monthly trips to the LFS with the offspring. The proprietor welcomes free fish she can turn around and sell for pure profit to other unsuspecting hobbyists.
I am curious to see if there are any other frustrated molly people out there though....
I was given two adults last fall and they have not stopped reproducing since. I stupidly kept the juvvies long enough to impregnate their mothers. (I know female mollies can hold fertilized eggs for a long time but I also know fish sex when I see it too!)
I make regular monthly trips to the LFS to drop off more juvvies. After the last trip I came home to find 15 more fry jauntily swimming around! I feed my fish once a day and never feed the molly fry but that doesn't stop them from growing. As far as I can tell, every baby lives to maturity. Nothing stops these fish from growing up to be mommy and daddy mollies. (BTW, I have never added salt to my 75g like most books suggest. So much for mollies needing added salt for health).
My 75g planted tank has been doing beautifully for almost two years but since the mollies came on board algae has gotten out of hand. I admit it could be a coincidence but I am blaming the mollies. Sure they eat algae but they also eliminate constantly which produces more food for the algae. I once read 'do not feed mollies or they will not eat algae'. What a laugh. Mollies are the goats of the fish world. I feed my fish (tetras, bolivian rams, and clown loaches) sparingly while holding the mollies at bay using a net. They manage to escape the net every time and virtually suck up most of the food before I can contain them again. After eating everyone else's food they happily go back to chomping on algae and producing more babies
I'm not asking for advice. I will continue to make my monthly trips to the LFS with the offspring. The proprietor welcomes free fish she can turn around and sell for pure profit to other unsuspecting hobbyists.
I am curious to see if there are any other frustrated molly people out there though....