Silver mollies-help!!!!!

[christine]

I have had an aquarium going for two days, after cyclying it and all that, and it has 2 platies, and 1 silver mollie. I read that mollies die w/o salt in the water, eventually, after a few weeks. However, I just went to the store (Petco ) to pick up the salt. They said I did not need the salt. I've read so many other email message boards. You do.. you don't... etc. Do I really need it? I have no clue. I really don't want any more dead fish, I've been trying a 2.5 gal. for a while before my new 10 gal. so I'm very paranoid. PS. If you do have to add salt, how do I go about it, if my aquariums only been going for two days? Will guppies mind it? Iplan to get some as I add to the tank....
Also, about the cycling, the people down at petco said the tank needs only to sit for 24 hours, also another book that I read said the same, and referred back to adding platies / mollies afterwards. By the by, how do I add the salt? Just w/ a water change?Also, the ammonia hasn't risen yet, or the nitrate/nitrite.I'm not sure when it will
Thanks

 

[canis_lupus]

u cycled it in 2 days i don't think mollies cycle well but anyways........ mollies don't NEED salt but i found they really do like it........i find it makes them more active and it also keeps the chances of diseases down......all other livebearers...guppies, platies, mollies... like salt and i believe it's 1tsp per gallon but i do less..... good luck
o mollies won't die without salt

 

[Kossy]

Yes do you mean you cycled it and you have had your fish in for two days or you've only had ur tank for 2 days...if so i don't think its cycled

 

[Alien Anna]

I agree - you can't cycle a tank in two days. I suspect you've been mislead about what the term "cycling" means. If you haven't read my article already, please do so (follow the link in my sig). You're going to have to work hard to get those fish through it for the next few weeks.

 

[guppymonkey]

It really depends on the environment the mollies are used to. Check with the store you bought them at and see if they put salt in their tank. Changing water conditions can stress your fish out even if your trying to make it more like what they are supposed to like. If they are used to salt then add it, but they may have been born and raised in regular freshwater and in that case it will majorly stress them out to have salt added.

 

[aquamanis]

Hi Christine, I started to cycle my tank with 2 platties, everything was fine for a week but I made one big crucial mistake, I put more fish in before the cycling was finished(about 3 weeks it took).I lost 30% of my livestock. PLEASE, PLEASE whatever you do, do not add anymore fish for at least a month. Hopefully the platties and the molly will pull through. Goodluck to you and your fish.

 

[Kossy]

I'm not sure what Christine meant..(PLZ REPLY)

I have had an aquarium going for two days, after cyclying it and all that,

Like i said wether shes only been going for two days or two days after the cycling process...so lets not critisize untill she replys

 

[MAM]

i agree with guppymonkey. i bought my mollies from a store that didn't use salt (they kept the mollies with platies, and guppies). so i don't use it. until i came on here, i didn't even know some use it. my mollies are active and do great without it. its a personal preference thing. you could try salt, that is if any other fish you currently have in there are tolerant to it, and see how they react, but see how they do without it first. not having salt won't kill them, some just like to have it.

 

[Alien Anna]

i agree with guppymonkey. i bought my mollies from a store that didn't use salt (they kept the mollies with platies, and guppies). so i don't use it. until i came on here, i didn't even know some use it. my mollies are active and do great without it. its a personal preference thing. you could try salt, that is if any other fish you currently have in there are tolerant to it, and see how they react, but see how they do without it first. not having salt won't kill them, some just like to have it.

I personally use salt with my mollies because it prevents fungus and fin-rot and I thought as they tolerate it, I might as well. However, I'm not using much because I have an SAE in there.

 

[Kissifish]

OK........we're wandering again........

For the record, most fish stores use salt in their water for healing scrapes in handling the fish, transporting, parasites, etc. For most, its a matter of preference. But, it is not necessary. IMO, its a nuisance to have to keep it up.

BUT,,,,,,,,,,,you do not need to use salt when catfish are in the tank also, or any scaleless fish!!!!

 

[guppymonkey]

OK........we're wandering again........

For the record, most fish stores use salt in their water for healing scrapes in handling the fish, transporting, parasites, etc. For most, its a matter of preference. But, it is not necessary. IMO, its a nuisance to have to keep it up.

BUT,,,,,,,,,,,you do not need to use salt when catfish are in the tank also, or any scaleless fish!!!!

I heard you aren't supposed to put ANY salt in a tank that has scaleless fish in it. My friend put some salt in his tank and his corys immediately died that night.

 

[BettaBoyz]

dust in a tank will settle after one or two days, cycling just doesn't happen that fast though. for a ten gallon i think it takes 2-3 weeks, am i right? if i'm not excuse me, i'm not the best at cycling either ^^; i added my first five fish 15 minute after adding water to the tank, and the rest two weeks later.

 

[Alien Anna]

BUT,,,,,,,,,,,you do not need to use salt when catfish are in the tank also, or any scaleless fish!!!!

Yes, but just in case anyone is confused (because I was slightly) I wanted to point out that my SAE isn't a catfish and he has got some very nice scales