Mollies And Salt

[eddied316]

Hey.

Read a lot about Mollies and salt.

Not aquarium salt, but marine salt. Am I right?

What's a good brand to get. I started looking it up, but there are so mant different kinds. What do you guys use.

Also after adding the 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons, how often AFTER that do you need to add salt?

I have Mollies and Platies and would like to get some other compatible fish. Maybe Endlers or somthing. I dont really know what else I can add, any ideas?

OK, now in the breeding tank, should I add the same amount of salt, or do the females about to give birth like it "saltier"

Thanks for going through my dumb questions, but I want my tank/s the best they can be fir my little critters..

 

[nmonks]

Not aquarium salt, but marine salt. Am I right?

Correct. Aquarium salt is better than no salt at all, but marine salt is better and costs the same.

What's a good brand to get. I started looking it up, but there are so mant different kinds. What do you guys use.

Doesn't matter in the least. Brackish water fish are extremely adaptable in this regard, unlike, say, corals, which need very particular proportions of minerals. So get whatever is cheapest.

Also after adding the 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons, how often AFTER that do you need to add salt?

Don't ever add salt directly to the aquarium. Worst case scenario: the fish eat a lump of salt, and that would likely do them a great deal of harm. Just as it would you if you ate a cup of salt.

I have Mollies and Platies and would like to get some other compatible fish. Maybe Endlers or somthing. I dont really know what else I can add, any ideas?

Platies, Endlers, and all the common livebearers will do very well in low-end brackish water. Perhaps even better than normal, because the salt will keep the pH and hardness nice and high. In addition, wrestling (not Celebes) halfbeaks will do well in this sort of water, as will glassfish, gobies, and rainbowfish. Certain cichlids will also appreciate these water conditons. Orange chromides are wonderfully colourful and very peaceful.

OK, now in the breeding tank, should I add the same amount of salt, or do the females about to give birth like it "saltier"

With any livebearer, you want to minimise any changes between the "mating" tank and the "birthing" tank, because shock can cause miscarriages. What I do is take some of the water out of the main tank and put it into the little tank so that as far as the "momma fish" is concerned there's been no changes. Be careful moving her though; mollies really are temperamental, and miscarry easily. I'd recommend using a cup to move her not a net, and move her well before she's due to drop. I made this mistake last week, and lost a whole brood of baby halfbeaks.

Thanks for going through my dumb questions, but I want my tank/s the best they can be fir my little critters..

Quite right too!

Cheers,

Neale

 

[eddied316]

WOW nmonks, you're the best!!

About the Marine Salt, How do I go about adding it then? Which now, after reading what you said about the fish eating a grain of salt, I understand that WAS a pretty dumb thing to think about doing. I'm sure there are directions on the box or somthing, but I honestly have no idea, how I would go about doing it.

I live in Northeast Ohio, (in the middle of no where) and there is only ONE pet store within 30 miles of me, and I was there yesterday, and saw AQUARIUM Salt, but no Marine salt, so i'm going to have to order some

Do you have to add the salt in with the 20% water changes that I make or what? And If I make the changes about once a week, (20% a week) and add the salt to the water I add to my tank, is that going to be too much salt?

So do you think I should move my Pregnant Platy to the breeding tank now then?


OK well, I think thats about it for now...

 

[nmonks]

Do you have to add the salt in with the 20% water changes that I make or what? And If I make the changes about once a week, (20% a week) and add the salt to the water I add to my tank, is that going to be too much salt?

That's a fine idea. Slowly add salty water to the aquarium once a week, with each water change, and not only will the fish and plants adapt easily, but so will the filter bacteria.

So do you think I should move my Pregnant Platy to the breeding tank now then?

Up to you. If you're serious about keeping the fry, move her as soon as you know she's pregnant (which is guaranteed if she's been with a male for a few days). Let her settle in. The risk of miscarriage increases the closer to term. I'm not a platy expert, so others may be able to give you better advice on this.

Cheers,

Neal

 

[eddied316]

OK Thank you.

I took some of the water from my main tank and added it to the breeding tank, along with some gravel and Plants..

And the momma fish of course.

 

[nmonks]

Be sure and share some filter medium with the new tank, too. That'll get the filter working instantly. Water and gravel (unless you have an undergravel filter) don't carry much bacteria. Some, but not a lot.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[eddied316]

Don't want to sound stupid, but i THINK i know what it is..but not 100% sure...But what's filter "Medium"

 

[nmonks]

There are no stupid questions. Just questions that didn't get asked.

The filter medium is the sponge, wool, or whatever in your filter. It is where the "good" bacteria live that clean the water. If you set up a new tank, you can use some filter medium from an established filter on another tank to "infect" the new filter, and thereby by-pass the cycling stage. It's reliable and does no harm to your old filter. Even if you take 50% of the filter medium out from an established filter, it will have hardly any effect on water quality. Put some new filter wool (or whatever) in the old filter, and within a few days, the filter will be working at 100% capacity again.

Cheers,

Neale

Don't want to sound stupid, but i THINK i know what it is..but not 100% sure...But what's filter "Medium"

 

[eddied316]

Still a little confused...

My filter has "cartridges" you can buy for it, and replace the old one once it gets too dirty...

Should I be using a different filter?