Livebearers, salt, and tankmates
- Thread starter msquared
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I perosnally have about 150-200 mollies... although I started keeping only 3 mollies last February. So, if you do not plan to breed any fish or have more tanks, you should keep mollies of the same sex. Mollies do better in hard water and higher ph; salt is not necessary but helpful to keep mollies healthy. Keeping mollies in freshwater is not a problem, as long as you can keep the water clean and do regular water changes. If water is not clean, mollies tend to have fungus problem easily.
You could consider getting a few tetras. Most should like your water parameters. But, make sure the fish size is not too big compared to danios. Good luck and enjoy fish keeping.
You could consider getting a few tetras. Most should like your water parameters. But, make sure the fish size is not too big compared to danios. Good luck and enjoy fish keeping.
To reduce aggression in the tank, make sure you provide plants and enough hiding places. Male mollies can cause lots of aggression sometimes. Females seem to get along better than males. (Females just care about food... that's why it's easier to keep them happy)
That is exactly the scenario I want to avoid! I just don't have the time or space for such a project, even though it would be pretty interesting. I would not be opposed to finding all females, either, and I guess if one or more happened to be pregnant or "packing heat" (sperm), we could work with the situation that one time.
I was interested in Serpae or Black Skirt Tetras, but from reading it sounds like they might get after my other fish. I'm also considering a mild-mannered Barb, like Rosy or Cherry Barb (especially the long-finned versions). I'm not completely sure about these, but supposedly they aren't usually aggressive toward other fish. Lastly, I've thought about a pair of Blue or Bolivian Rams. I'd welcome any input on any of these choices as well.
I have had rosy barbs in a community tank with no problems. I have never kept rams but from what I have read, I would avoid them until you get some experience with fish. They seem to be a little harder to care for than most beginners would want.
Lupin
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- Sep 21, 2006
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Blue rams for me.A minor myth has grown up that livebearers are brackish water fish. They are not, in general. Xiphophorus, the swordtails and platys, are found in a range of waters, but not notably in brackish conditions. Poecilia, guppies and mollies, are found in fresh to brackish water, but it depends on species. The guppies are found in all sorts of fresh waters. The short-finned molly, P. sphenops is similarly mostly found in fresh water. The sailfin, P. latipinna, is found in fresh and brackish waters, and the giant sailfin, P. velifera is not infrequently found out to sea, although its natural environment is freshwater and estuaries.
Most domestic mollies are hybrids between P. sphenops and P. latipinna. It is with these fish which the myth comes closest to truth. However, what these fish really need is not salt but high TDS - total dissolved solids. Their natural waters are quite hard, and for good health these fish should not be kept in soft water, or they fall prey to a number of skin conditions (but not fungus, despite claims of this. 99.99% of aquarium "fungus" is actually columnaris and Aeromonas bacteria, Costia and Chilodinella; real fungal infections in aquarium fish are very rare and very striking when they do occur). The others, the guppies, swordtails and platys, will happily live in virtually any water conditions as long as the quality is good.
Most domestic mollies are hybrids between P. sphenops and P. latipinna. It is with these fish which the myth comes closest to truth. However, what these fish really need is not salt but high TDS - total dissolved solids. Their natural waters are quite hard, and for good health these fish should not be kept in soft water, or they fall prey to a number of skin conditions (but not fungus, despite claims of this. 99.99% of aquarium "fungus" is actually columnaris and Aeromonas bacteria, Costia and Chilodinella; real fungal infections in aquarium fish are very rare and very striking when they do occur). The others, the guppies, swordtails and platys, will happily live in virtually any water conditions as long as the quality is good.
Thanks for that tech, KarlTh. It's very helpful in making feel more at ease with the choices I have.
Guppys have the ability to live in anything from quite fresh water through full salt water. They do best in hard fresh water to low brackish, but they can do pretty much anything.
Thats how they colonized all the various islands they live on, swimming through the salt water that separates them.
But anyway, i agree, they don't need salt. They certainly don't need "aquarium salt" or table salt.
Thats how they colonized all the various islands they live on, swimming through the salt water that separates them.
But anyway, i agree, they don't need salt. They certainly don't need "aquarium salt" or table salt.
