Yet Another Mollies/salt Question

[Winterlily]

Just a quick one. I did read the pinned topic by nmonks about that mollies need to be kept in brackish water. I also just read a thread in which he says (I THINK I understand this right!) that one of the big reasons they need salt is because they do poorly in nitrate above 20 and salt removes the detrimental effects of nitrate >20 as well as raises pH and hardness.

So. If my water comes out of the tap with a pH of about 7.6 - 7.8, is quite hard, and my nitrates don't hit 20, would mollies be okay withOUT salt in this situation? Or do they still need it for other reasons?

Thanks!

 

[dunchp]

Largely depends on the species and what other conditions they will be kept in.

Mollies do not strictly need salt, particularly in hard water, but they may be a bit more forgiving on the husbandry side of things in the event they have some salt.

I have never kept my mollies in salt.

 

[DaveyG]

I also read that same pinned post the other day as I currently have 5 mollies in my tank.

I too have a relatively hard water, a PH of just under 8 and I have a well planted tanks so my nitrates never get above 10-20. I have had these 5 mollies for about 5 months now and they seem to be thriving in my tank and I've never added any salt (I didn't even know it was an option until I read that article). As I said all the mollies have grown very well and are active.

I would say they would be OK, but thats just my experience

 

[dunchp]

It really is a case of sucking it and seeing. If you are doing well with your mollies in freshwater then that is the right answer, if you are not then try adding some salt (although make sure that you don't have salt intolerant tankmates), if you are doing well with your mollies in saltwater then that is also the right answer.

It is a bit of a misconception that all mollies need salt rather peddled by people who don't know any better.

In the wild mollies come from a wide variety of habitats, including freshwater, saltwater and brackish; some species come from all 3. The species which come from freshwater often come from mineral laden areas and some species are occasionally found in habitats which are rich in sulphur even to levels which are normally lethal.

 

[OldMan47]

Another factor that it seems that your author is not aware of is that there are well over 20 species of fish with a common name of mollies. Of these, most people only have experience with vellifera, sphenops (now often called mexicana) and latipinna. Many of the other species are not at all OK with salt so a gross generalization like he has given is just plain wrong. Some of those other species are best suited to water much like you would use to breed neons and would die in salted water. If we are talking only about the common mollies found in a typical fish shop, the fish can tolerate anything from straight freshwater to pure reef-like salt water as long as they are given a day or two to adapt. There are no fish at all that do better with "aquarium salt" which is not the same thing at all as you would use to set up a reef tank. The complex salts that go to make up "saltwater" are the ones that common mollies are adapted to be able to live in.

 

[dunchp]

A man after my own heart, although I tried not to name names.

There are probably more like 25-30 species now what with quite a few species being found recently.

 

[Winterlily]

Boy I'm awfully glad I asked! (And yeah, would be talking only about the really easily found/readily available mollies.)
Dunchp:

...although I tried not to name names

I basically got it anyhow.

Thank you guys so much, as always!