Mollies

[funkystars79]

I'm just curious because I haven't ever really kept mollies before if anyone has any info on them at all. I mean I've dug around the web a bit for how to best keep them and so far I've found they like

water temp 78-80
1 teaspoon of salt per gallon
they'll eat just about anything but they love frozen brine shrimp
female mollies can retain fertalized eggs for up to six months
I should have two females to every one male
Any Species of molly can breed with any other species of molly

Well thats about it. Oh! And if anyone keeps Strawberry or blueberry tetras and you have any info on those little guys would you mind posting? I haven't had a tank in about three maybe four years since I was a sophmore in high school because my last tank was wiped out by ich and I just want to be better informed on my fish this time, you know do it right so I don't kill them. ;

 

[Flying_Diamond]

Well, I have 9 mollies, and there's not much more you need to know, although, personally, I've heard to put in 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon for them, and to absolutely not do that.. so I don't.. I've had mine for about a year and have never added salt and they're fine. I do add molly bright though, which brings out their colors much more. You should also know that mollies eat the fry.. so put any pregnant mollies in a breeder basket with some fake pants for the fry to hide in. Oh yeah.. you should know that they get to be about 3.9 inches so... make sure you have room for however many you're getting. Hope I helped! =]

 

[funkystars79]

Actually you did. I dunno I put the salt in my tank I also had heard it helps against ich so I figured what the hey. I've actually got balloon bellies in my tank and one just normal molly with a fancy fin who was pretending to be a lady fish when I first got him and I just recently realized he is infact a man fish... Which is bad because now I have 3 males and one poor little female that looks like she's gonna pop. Do mollies need certain or specific conditions to give birth in? And how will I know when they're about to give birth?

 

[Malbri]

The whole salt thing, thats only if they grew up in a brakish enviornment. Talk to the people you would get the from if they keep salt in their tanks, then you shoudl too, if not, dont worry about it. Mollies can tolerate freshwater or saltwater if acclimated right

oh you already have them? Well then just keep up with the salt

 

[phaedraeos]

Aquarium salt should only be used for treating infections, and then only sparingly. If you do want to put the mollies in a brackish environment, you have to use MARINE salt. Aquarium salt is actually dangerous to some fish (i.e. corys)

I've heard that when a molly is about to give birth, if you're looking at her straight on the bottom of her belly is almost sqarish. Personally, I've never been able to tell. I just check every day to see if any of my females have miraculously slimmed down, and then I collect all the fry and put them in a breeder net.

A temp of 78 degrees should be fine. Make sure the water is super clean for the fry. Good luck!

 

[funkystars79]

Thanks for all of your help. I actually only put the salt in when I first set up my 15gal other than that no more salt has been added. But my molly is huge, she looks like a square quater swimming around my tank. She just keeps getting bigger. I've had her for about a month now I think, I just hope she has her babies soon because she looks like she's about to explode.