Common Pleco In A Slightly Brackish Tank?

[aquariagirl1976]

Hi all!

I have been reading the "Mollies Need Salt!" pinned topic with great interest. I have a 35 gallon tank with a female dalmation molly, a cremesicle male molly and a mickey mouse platy and would like to add more female mollies. From what I am reading the platy will do fine in the brackish environment. However...I have a common pleco in the tank as well. How will he fare in a molly enhanced/slightly brackish environment??? I love him and would hate to see him suffer unneedlessly. He has been with me from the start of my fishcapades Sooo, would he be ok in the environment described in the "Mollies Need Salt" topic??? Or do I need to move him and find a more suitable replacement? If so, what plecs do well in brackish tanks?

Thanks in advance!

 

[helterskelter]

pleco's don't like salt to much so best to avoid, Mollies don't need salt if the they water is in very good condition and is well maintained.

Yes they can go into brackish and marine water but if their happy in freshwater then you doing a good job already.

 

[raptorrex]

i would suggest that as a treatment salt is fine. but would council against any form of brackish, long term environment.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=21200#

 

[aquariagirl1976]

Thank you to both posters!

I think I will avoid the brackish water for now, but I have always put a little salt in my tanks anyhow (not much only about 2 tablespoons in my 35 gallon and 1 teaspoon in my 10 gallon). Thanks for the advice!

 

[kimberly*brackish]

if u want ur mollies to have the longest lifespan you should put them in brackish water!! the pleco will DIE and needs to be put in another tank. the mollies will be ok but will not live for supper long and have a lower quality life!

 

[helterskelter]

if u want ur mollies to have the longest lifespan you should put them in brackish water!! the pleco will DIE and needs to be put in another tank. the mollies will be ok but will not live for supper long and have a lower quality life!

Bull. if you keep you water quality up their not be a problem.

Salt reducess stress on the internal organs on fish this is the primary functionof the salt.
In the wild mollies are found all over, frest water, brackish and full marine waters.....
So surly they know what they want. So their happy in all.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You can do other things than add salt to the water- now days vitamin/mineral supliments are available in liquid form for fish, and these may help the mollys get the essential minerals they need without having to add salt to the water. An alkaline ph is also better for mollys, specially if they are kept in a non-salt environment. Standard mollys sold commonly sold at petshops don't tend to be too salt needy, its mostly with the more wild varieties and pure black and pure white mollys that this is important, i used to have a female yellow & black molly and she lived to the ripe old age of just over 4years old having never had salt added to her water and she never suffered any health problems in her life .
If your mollys ever do fall ill though and start showing fungus-like or shimmying symptoms, then this is a sign that the molly could really do with some salt, so it should be moved to another tank and treated with salt for a while etc.