Stocking Question

[rose_levi2006]

I have a 40 gallon tank with 5 mystery snails i was wondering how many balloon mollys i could put in with them?

 

[bazil323]

You could do quite a few if you are only doing the mollies and the snails. The snails and the mollies will both likely reproduce, so be prepared for that. If you don't want babies, then just get all male molliles. Google sexing mollies for some pics to compare males to females. It's actually quite easy. Males have a sharper, more pointed looking anal fin while the female's looks just like an old-fashioned fan.

You could quite easily do 10 mollies, probably more. But, I would also consider having another fish in there for a centerpiece, just for variety. A single Bolivian ram would be a good choice or a German ram, though they are a little more sensitive.

 

[jm1212]

if you wanted just mollies, you could have 3 males and 9 females in there. balloon mollies do stay considerably smaller than normal mollies or sailfins, and cannot swim as well, so use up less space.

 

[rose_levi2006]

Yeah im just planning on balloon mollies and the snails. I have a 10 gallon set up for a fry tank and can put more fry in my 55 gallon cana grow out tank. So it would just be the adults in there.

 

[rose_levi2006]

Well i got 6 balloon mollies They didnt get along with the snails. They are very nippy. I ended up converting my other 55 to a brigg tank. So it looks like im going to need more snails

 

[bazil323]

Good point about the balloon mollies, jm1212. I was thinking of regular-bodied mollies.

 

[tekonus]

I've heard breeding these "balloon" varieties of fish don't necessarily end up with offspring with the balloon trait. Anyone have experience with this?