Mollies And Platies, Salt Or Hardness?

[DannyS]

Hey!

I have a 38L (UK) tank with three platies and three mollies in it, and am just wondering how to go about setting the water up to accomodate them all?

I have read around the Mollies and salt issue, and asked my lfs and they recomended adding some crushed limestone to the filter to up the pH. This I tried, and the pH hasn't really risen much its still below 7.

Also, adding a little salt or something to the water, will this help keep some sicknesses at bay? (such as shimmies, flukes etc)

So what do I do? Any help and suggestions will be much appreciated!

Dan

 

[5teady_2012]

Hey!

I have a 38L (UK) tank with three platies and three mollies in it, and am just wondering how to go about setting the water up to accomodate them all?

I have read around the Mollies and salt issue, and asked my lfs and they recomended adding some crushed limestone to the filter to up the pH. This I tried, and the pH hasn't really risen much its still below 7.

Also, adding a little salt or something to the water, will this help keep some sicknesses at bay? (such as shimmies, flukes etc)

So what do I do? Any help and suggestions will be much appreciated!

Dan

Unless keeping a tnak full of mollies, most people dont bother adding salt when there is a mix of fish) with the type of fish you have, people only mainly use salt to boost meds.

 

[dunchp]

Firstly, a 38 litre tank is too small. It is OK as a quarantine tank but not as a permanent quarters.

There is alot of argument about whether mollies need salt and I will stick my neck out here. Generally. mollies do not need salt. What they need is hard, clean, well filtered water. The problem you will have is that in an aquarium this small, you will really struggle to keep the water clean enough for the mollies and therefore you will need to put some salt in to give yourself a bit of a chance with them.

In order to give a definitive answer, mollies do not need salt but they do need very spacious, lightly stocked and well filtered aquaria to do really well, salted water is just a substitute for these conditions. Obviously it is important to check how they are kept in the shop you got them from in order to make sure that you acclimatise them gradually. If they were kept in freshwater, there is no point chucking them in brackish.

 

[5teady_2012]

38 liters is about 9 gallon and 6 fish is fine in there, mollies do tend to grow a big bigger than platys but u only got 3 of each..

I would not add anymore fish though, unless its a small bottom dweller..

Totally disagree with the salt buisness as more or less all fish stores now a days dont use salt in the tank with mollies (well all the ones i have ever been to aint and thats a lot)...

I think with regular water changes and good tank maintanance, you will be fine..

i Have been keeping mollies for years on and off, and have never had trouble with tanks i have not used salt in for them, i have used salt dont get me wrong, but never really thought there was much diffrence..

 

[DannyS]

Thanks for the input.

I only have those 6 fish and they have plenty of room, and I'm not looking for any others, hence why I was thinking about making it slightly brackish.

I think in the shop they had a pH of around 8, as thats what they recomended on the tank so I doubt they would tell you something different to what they were doing. I guess I'll have to go down there and have a chat with them.

Although more point of views and experience will help!

 

[dunchp]

You could try putting some tuffa rock in with them.