Advice on which of my fish would be suitable/not-suitable to salt

L

lsanderson93

Registered Member
Oct 10, 2013
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Hey guys,

I have had a few freshwater aquariums (nothing over 40gal). I currently have a 37gal and will be getting a second 37gal in November or December. And this weekend I will be getting a small 2.5gal for the below issue.

In a 10gal at my parents house (transferring into one of my tanks over Thanksgiving) I have a 4" rainbow shark (red-tipped) and a pleco (generic pleco, fish shop didn't specify species) that is about 5-7" I believe and 1 neon tetra left. In my current 37gal I have 1 dalmation lyretail molly, 1 orange sunshine guppy, 1 teeny tiny light blue guppy, 2 long fin white clouds, and 6 neon tetras. I am also looking to get a freshwater angelfish, 1 black lyretail molly, an Indian Dwarf Puffer.

The molly is suffering, due to no salt in the aquarium. That is why I am getting the 2.5gal - to transfer (temporarily) the tetras into because they can't tolerate salt. I am going to set up the second 37gal aquarium for freshwater + minimal salt (to maintain the mollies), and leave my current 37gal freshwater only.

This was my thought:
FRESHWATER: pleco, tetras, puffer, long fin white clouds
FRESHWATER + SALT: shark, angelfish, mollies, guppies, and a salt-tolerant bottom feeder (maybe a hillstream loach or some type of goby or cory or a crab?)

Any thoughts or suggestions on the fish I have/want and how they tolerate low levels of salt and how I should split them up?? Thanks!
 
What makes you think the mollies are suffering? If it's a lack of salt, both lyretails would be suffering. Mollies are one of the few species of fish that are able to be housed in fresh, brackish *or* salt water, as long as they're properly acclimated.

Angelfish (the cichlids, not marine angelfish) and red tailed sharks are fresh water fish. Guppies *can* be acclimated to saltwater, but they tend to do poorly in marine aquaria, probably because the high water flow in such tanks causing death by exhaustion. Hillstream loaches and cories are freshwater fish. Some gobies are freshwater, some brackish, some marine.
 
I've consulted with two fish specialty shops - everyone seems to think it is salt. I am NOT looking into a saltwater tank - please keep theat in mind. I am just talking 1tbsp/5gal of water of aquarium salt. I only have one molly currently - the other is on my "to get" list. The molly is staying on the bottom, breathing, but seems to like to be upside down a lot the past two days. The other fish (2 guppies, 2 long fin white clouds, 6 tetras) are ALL fine - no symptoms. But the molly is either nosedived down in the plants or upside down, belly up unless I disturb him. Something is wrong. I began daily (instead of weekly) 25-30% water changes, I vacuumed the gravel yesterday, and every water change I have been adding Quick Start and Stress Zyme as well as Tap Water Conditioner, and I have reduced the amount of food I feed. I have read numerous places mollies do best with a bit of salt added, but most freshwater fish can't tolerate any. I love the lyretail mollies and would like to keep them. The fish stores said that the guppies and (once I transfer him) shark will do fine, as will probably the angelfish, with the little bit of salt. I'm just wondering.
 
Aquarium salt can be tolerated by most freshwater fish for a short period of time such as ick treatment. It's suggested to keep mollies in brackish water but they will be fine in fresh or marine as stated. Nothing wrong with separating the Molly and trying a brackish setup but my guess is something else is causing the stress.


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jasonfishaddict said:
my guess is something else is causing the stress.


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Just because the fish is sick, and freshwater is *fine* for mollies, it doesn't mean that "missing" salt is the cause of the problem. It could be a variety of problems. More information is needed. This tank is the 37, yes? What are your pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and temperature? Are there any other symptoms? Pictures?

The problem with just deciding that the problem is a lack of salt is that it's a simplistic solution that really isn't something effective. Aquarium salt isn't the same thing as marine salt, which is what you would need to create a brackish water tank. Just because some people at a fish shop tell you that's the problem, it doesn't mean it's true. Many of the employees in such shops are more interested in doing their jobs (selling you stuff) than telling you something that'll keep you from letting them do their jobs (keep your current stock alive). Here, none of us are in a position where we're likely to benefit by giving you bad advice. We, like a fairly small percentage of retail employees, want your stock to thrive.
 
I appreciate your guys concern (genuine concern) and that's why I registered and posted here. I don't have the levels with me (I'm at work) but the only thing abnormal was nitrite was high. Now, I've never had fish issues, so I have limited experience with issues, but if it was nitrite poisoning wouldn't all fish have been affected? The rest are completely normal, if not thriving. One fish expert did say it could be an air bubble in the Molly's stomach; their recommendation for that would be to increase the water temp a degree or two, help get rid of the bad bacteria. And yes, the ONLY fish I have are 6 tetra, 2 guppy, 2 long fin white cloud, 1 lyre tail molly - in a 37gal talk tank. The pleco, rainbow shark and 7th tetra will be transferred over thanksgiving; the dwarf puffer, angelfish, and black lyre tail molly will be added whenever; I'm considering a second 37gal tall tank.
 
I am thinking it might be swim bladder; that was the phrase one of the fish people mentioned (air bubble). After some research it seems a close fit. I use a Fluval Aquaclear 50 filter. I feed a combination of tropical flakes and freeze dried bloodworms in the morning; I feed freeze dried bloodworms, and a small chunk of freeze dried either tubifex or brine shrimp at night. This seems a VERY plausible cause of stress for my molly... Any suggestions?
 
First off, mollies. From my extensive research and personal experience, if your water was too soft/acidic, then the molly would be develop a fungal infection, not be acting weird. Swim bladder sounds likely. Mollies can be kept in hard alkanic fresh, brackish, or marine, just not soft/acidic water or they get sick. As for stocking, hillstream loaches need a coldwater tank,w/ high current, lots of flat rocks and algae, they are not an easy fish. Crabs and crayfish need a species tank, excluding dwarf orange crays. Only gobies Ive seen are bumblebee and knight, both brackish and require *live* foods I believe. The indian dwarf puffer can (generally) *not* be kept with any other fish and *need* a species tank thats densely planted, along with live "pest" snails to eat to keep their teeth trimmed and *typical* diet is frozen foods-not freeze dried, mine wouldnt eat freeze dried foods. Here's what I'd recommend for stocking- 10 gal-dwarf puffer species tank (1 male to 2-3 females or all females, densely planted)
 
37 gal #1- small peaceful community- 7 neons, 1 pleco (if he is a common pleco he will easily reach 12+", I'd rehome him), 2 white clouds (get 4 more, they are schoolers, although I believe they are more of a "coldwater" fish than "tropical",therefore they might not be suitable), and 6 same species corydoras (will need shrimp pellets and soft, round, fine substrate) 37 gal #2- semi aggressive larger "community"- rainbow shark, angelfish, mollies (get 2-3 more, keep in ratio 1 male to 2-3 females, or all females, *dont* get all males though), guppies (get 2-3 more, keep in ratio 1 male to 2-3 females, or all males if you want to avoid babies, I'm not sure if guppies are angelfish safe or if they'd be snacks like neon tetras would or if the shark would bother them. Something to consider. Thinking about it more, Id keep them in the 1st tank prob.) To summarize-you want to keep small peaceful fish together, and larger (lyretail mollies), and semi aggressive (angelfish, shark) together.
 
Something I read just now on a swim bladder article: (paraphrased) feeding flake and freeze dried foods that expand in the stomach when wet can cause the intestines and stomach to swell- resulting in swim bladder" I'd switch to sinking foods and frozen rather than freeze dried. They are a little messier, but they are better for the fish and won't cause swim bladder. I'd try feeding the molly deshelled frozen pea (boil for a few seconds, cut in pieces if needed, and set in tank water for 5 min or so to bring temp to same as tank water) as thats a general go-to-cure for swim bladder, feeding peas. Be sure to remove any uneaten peas. :)
 
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