Mollys In Salt Water

MMAX · #1 02-12-2011, 07:07 PM

I've heard of this being done before and have also heard that they are algae eating machines. Anyone ever had any luck and what would you have to do? Acclimatize slowly into SW and keep increasing salinity?

flipzed · #2 02-12-2011, 07:36 PM

i have done this with 4 black mollys. u just gotta take your time acclimatizing them to your tank, just use your tank water but just tiny bit at a time over 6 hours. they looked off for the first few days but they turned into good algea eaters.. just be prepared to have alot of babies if u get a male and a female..

Snappy · #3 02-12-2011, 07:50 PM

I have done it a few times with a few molly species and they will thrive but I would not call them algae eating machines. A foxface or scopas tang will out perform them in that regard.

MMAX · #4 02-12-2011, 08:43 PM

I'll still give it a try, I'm kinda off tangs for the moment.

PoonTang · #5 02-12-2011, 10:10 PM

I have done it with Black Mollys and aclimated slowly over 2 days. They didnt seem interested in algae at all so i took them back out after a month or so.

SmallFry · #6 02-12-2011, 11:07 PM

I had a couple for a while, can't say they ate much algae, easily outperformed by a turbo snail.. As already stated, just acclimatize slowly.

Oh yes, and they were dumb as a sack of hammers too - kept bugging a tomato clown, which is just not smart...

MMAX · #7 02-12-2011, 11:26 PM

So after a bit of reading and from what I've heard in here, it's mostly just a myth about them enjoying algae?

toytech · #8 02-12-2011, 11:32 PM

I tried this not too long ago , and well they died . I was trying baloon mollies dont know if that makes a difference.Aclimatised them over 8 hours they where in the tank for a day then dead. Im sure this is entirelly posible and i just did it wrong .

AHHope · #9 02-13-2011, 01:05 AM

i use mollies in 1 of my frag tanks at work. i dont feed that tank so theyonly can survive off what they find...algea

MMAX · #10 02-27-2011, 01:33 PM

Well after some debate, I figured I'd give it a try. Got a silver molly for $3 and acclimatized him for about 6hrs. He adapted to the salt no problem but that was the least of his worries. As soon as I put him in my clown pair went wild. I've never seen them so aggressive, they don't pay any attention to their other tank mates. This morning the poor guy's missing half his tail. Thinking I'll have to rescue him. And to the comment about being dumb as a sack of hammers--true. I have plenty of hiding spots in my rock but he prefers to swim right out in the open around the clowns.