I Was Just Curious What Livebearers Will Go With My Fish

[nmonks]

Commercial molly breeders raise them in brackish water, period. So the idea they're "used to freshwater" isn't really tenable. As Annastasia says, while they will do well in freshwater, they do better in brackish. Black mollies in particular do astonishingly well in fully marine conditions, and they are often used to run-in new marine tanks because of this.

If your mollies are fine in freshwater, it's almost certainly because you have hard, alkaline water. When the pH is 7.5 or more, then mollies tend to do okay in freshwater. As soon as you try to keep them in neutral, or God forbid, acid water conditions, that's when they "get the shimmies". And fin rot. And fungus.

I can't think why you had problems with setting up a brackish water aquarium; true brackish water fish are very hardy. You will get problems adding brackish water to a tank with neons and Corydoras and angelfish, but that's not really the fault of the brackish water... most freshwater fish don't do well in brackish water, and some die quickly if kept in it for too long.

Cheers,

Neale

It something like... If they come straight from the wild, then they are best in brackish water, if they come from you petstore, they are probably sooooo used to freshwater that they will strive in it just fine!!!... yeah a conversation on something like that. I only had problems when I tried to make the water brackish so I just left it and it has been fine since!!!

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

Before you add a trio or livebeareres you should add a trio of corys, your poor little single cory need friends.

Emma

 

[Annastasia]

Thanks for your two cents Neale.

what hasn't been mentioned is pH and hardness

*cough*

If you are going to keep Mollies in freshwater, it needs to be hard and alkaline. That's the kind they prefer. If it's soft and acidic, that's when you really need to add salt as otherwise, they are so much more susceptible to disease, especially shimmies.

Blitzdus - As I said before, it's possible for them to live in freshwater, just like you can live in a closet. You certainly wouldn't be your happiest or healthiest though, would you? As Neale said, your water must be hard and alkaline, otherwise you'd be seeing a lot more disease with them. Anyway, I'm not trying to argue, but I feel this needs to be said as Mollies are just regarded as Freshwater or Brackish, depending on who you talk to, with no regards to water conditions.

 

[nmonks]

Annastasia, I'd perhaps add a third thing to this debate, swimming space. In my experience, and from what others tell me, mollies are more sensitive to overcrowding that any of the other common livebearers. Sailfin mollies in particular really need at least a 60 cm, 20 gallon, tank, and if you're going to keep a trio, then surely a 90 cm, 30 gallon, tank is the minimum?

I've been told that male baby mollies will only develop their sail fins if given plenty of space. The more crowded they are, the more stunted they get. Certainly, I'm of the opinion that while cranking out mediocre mollies is easy, producing good quality fish is not easy, and of all the livebearers, mollies are the ones that demand the most from their keepers.

Having said that, I love mollies. I wrote a piece for PFK a few months back with "5 almost perfect fish" as the theme. The black molly was number 1. For me, the wonderful dark colour really stands out in a planted tank, and few fish seem to have such sweet personalities and lively dispositions. Mollies are excellent aquarium fish, it's a shame we tend not to treat them all that well.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[ArcticLancer]

Well, I can't help but add that I've learned something from this reading.

Nice discussion you two

 

[atmmachine816]

yes i have read on the needs of mollys and that is why i am not interested in getting them since they perfer brackish wate and i can not give them that and as far as i know swords get around 3-4 inches right and platys get around 2-3 i believe and the corys emma i had three from my grandpa and two have died and i had tried indrocuing more corys but they didnt get along and they ended up geeting picked on by the bigger fish and dieing so i have decided i might get a bristlenose pleco to help with algae and cleaning the bottom but i am still doing research and i hope to be getting another tank this summer and i plan on getting sand so i will get a bunch of cories for that tank as they love sand as for my lonely one i believe it's going to die soon as most of the fish in there are almost 12 years old but thanks for the help everybody

 

[blitztidus]

Fine, I'll give in. I will follow that from now on Anna and neale. ANYWAYS, I would get, as I said, swordtails

 

[atmmachine816]

yes but they are bigger i want smaller fish as i dont have taht much room left in my tank

 

[nmonks]

Look, if swordtails are too big, then mollies obviously are. So you're down to platies and guppies. Which do you prefer? Guppies are nice, but the females lack colour, so in a small tank one male with two females can be kind of unexciting. Both boy and girl platies have colour, so they're better if that's important to you.

On the other hand, I've found male guppies to be mindless sex machines while female guppies to be rather friendly and tameable. Platies seem, to me, brain dead, and the quality of mass produced platies doesn't always seem that high to me (i.e., they're often short-lived and have birth defects).

If you're willing to spend a tiny bit more, consider some of the "rare" livebearers. Endlers are very cool, for example. Heterandria formosa is lovely, if you can find them. Wrestling halfbeaks are small and fun to watch (they fight, a lot!). Even if your local store doesn't sell rare livebearers, you can still obtain them, either by mail order or by getting in touch with one of the many livebearer clubs.

Cheers,

Neale

yes but they are bigger i want smaller fish as i dont have taht much room left in my tank

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Okay, I'm going strictly by your sig, but you seem to already have a trio of guppies? If you don't have much room in your tank left then why do you want a breeding trio of any type of livebearer? I know the angels will take care of most of the fry but they aren't exactly going to be all that willing to be eaten, and with two females you could very well end up with more guppies than your original three. I would just add three more cories and be done with it.

 

[blitztidus]

I see what these guys are getting at and agree, I would look into another tank before adding more livebearers. A trio of cories would be great for that tank atmmachine. I would do that

 

[dwarfgourami]

Guppies are nice, but the females lack colour, so in a small tank one male with two females can be kind of unexciting.

Not necessarily, these days- I have some black tuxedo females with tails that are actually more colourful than any males I have seen recently. Plus they seem a lot hardier, and friendlier.

[/quote]
Platies seem, to me, brain dead, and the quality of mass produced platies doesn't always seem that high to me (i.e., they're often short-lived and have birth defects).[/quote]

To me they seem very similar to female guppies in their characters- inquisitive, friendly and tameable. Can't really see much difference in terms of behaviour. They also interact well with with female guppies. You must have seem some very inferior platies lately.

 

[atmmachine816]

ok thanks everybody i am not going to do anything to my tank right now as i just bought another filter for a backup since it was on sale and i am now in debt to my mom but do you guys mind if i copy and paste your articles on why not to put mollies in fw because i am in another forum and there is somebody who wants to put mollies in FW with cories and i cant convince him not to and i think your articles are pretty convincing. If this is ok with you please let me know i will tell him that you wrote it and use your username. Please let me know as soona s possible as he are going to get them soon

 

[nmonks]

I don't mind, but maybe your friends should stop by this forum too?

Corydoras and mollies would be a bad combination. There are lots of brackish water catfish, but cories aren't among them.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Annastasia]

if i copy and paste your articles on why not to put mollies in fw because i am in another forum and there is somebody who wants to put mollies in FW with cories and i cant convince him not to and i think your articles are pretty convincing.

Go for it.

However, I agree with Neale, it'd be much easier if he came here, because more information on his situation would be helpful. Mollies can live in freshwater, as mentioned, if it's hard and alkaline, but then the Cories won't work as they prefer soft, acidic to neutral.