Molly Tank

[Assaye]

Hmm... not sure I agree. A female sailfin can get pretty darn big, and the males are very aggressive towards one another. I prefer to allow a fair amount of space to mollies, rather more than platies or Limia. As you say, the length of the tank is the key issue though.

Cheers, Neale

20 imperial gallons (90 litres) should be OK for sailfins as long as it is 36". 20 USG (76 litres) would be too small.

6 inches is the largest active fish I'd be happy seeing in a 36" tank. Obviously the larger the tank, the better. You wouldn't want to put a lot in, through.

How bif do sailfins get? I've always read they get to about 5 inches max.

 

[matt_99]

thanks all, decided to look at bettas, shrimp and frog setup instead.

Matt

 

[nmonks]

Female giant sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera, can reach 15 cm/6 inches, and exceptionally 18 cm/7 inches. The common sailfin, Poecilia latipinna, is usually quite a bit smaller, 10 cm/4 inches being typical for the aquarium strains. Males of both species are smaller than the females.

Cheers, Neale

[How bif do sailfins get? I've always read they get to about 5 inches max.

 

[Assaye]

Female giant sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera, can reach 15 cm/6 inches, and exceptionally 18 cm/7 inches. The common sailfin, Poecilia latipinna, is usually quite a bit smaller, 10 cm/4 inches being typical for the aquarium strains. Males of both species are smaller than the females.

Cheers, Neale

[How bif do sailfins get? I've always read they get to about 5 inches max.

About what I thought for the smaller sailfins. Wasn't aware of a giant strain but it makes sense.

Thanks for the info =D

thanks all, decided to look at bettas, shrimp and frog setup instead.

Matt

Going for a sorority of females? Post in the betta section =D

 

[OldMan47]

It is not a giant strain, it is a different species. Latipinna and velifera are separate species of fish that we choose to call mollies. Each is its own distinct species with its own unique qualities. I have fish called mollies that are really Poecilia caucana with no common name that I know. They are also lumped in with mollies for a common name but are tiny fish compared to even a shenops, yet another thing called molly. With over 20 distinct species named molly as a part of their common name, there is no way to say mollies need this or mollies need that. Some molly species come from waters that are as soft as the South American angels really appreciate, while others are found in brackish environments. Common pet shop mollies are crosses of mostly shenops and either velifera or latipinna. They do tolerate very salty water and have been used to cycle salt water tanks for many years. They do not tolerate water that is low in mineral content and a KH of 3 means you need to add something if you are going to keep pet shop mollies. I would not try them at less than a KH and a GH of over 10 each and a pH over 7.5. My own water comes in at 7.8 pH and well over 10 GH and KH and, for me, common mollies and many other livebearers are "just add water" fish. As Neale said, the salt used for a saltwater tank can be used to raise your mineral content and pH and KH easily but it means dealing with a brackish situation. If you choose instead to raise mineral content using either African rift lake salts or crushed shell, you will need to monitor to make sure things stay on an even keel. Once you start messing with water parameters, you need to constantly keep in mind the concentrations in your tank when doing simple things like a water change. I have always found it a better practice to keep fish well suited to my water than to try to make the water right for the fish.