There's a Mollie in my tank

[dan2x38]

Have read about it and seen it plus have been told of many using mollies in there saltwater tank. Was talking with someone who I trust there opinion on things and they told me for some time now they've been keeping a sail fin mollie in there saltwater setup to nibble at any algae build up. I've seen them living a tank and they've been there over 6 months. They are often used to cycle saltwater tanks too. So today I bought a beautiful sail fin for algae control - I do not have an algae issue just a little as per all tanks. I figure easier and cheaper to maintain than a Tang or something similar that you'd have to supplement alage for and a greater scale.

He is acclimating still. I've read take a lot of time to acclimate to the SG of your tank. Is anyone else out there using mollies in there tank? How do you find them for eating algae?

[holachicka]

I've read take a lot of time to acclimate to the SG of your tank.

WARNING WARNING - NEWBIE QUESTION ALERT:

What is SG?

[dan2x38]

Specific Gravity a measure of the salt level in the water.

[10gnano]

sg = salinity.

[holachicka]

oh, ok, salinity I know about, SG...never heard the term Thanks guys!

[salvini55]

I saw this at aqua valley once and was blown away! lol

[magnosis]

My Black Mollies were eating more algae than the Siamese Algae Eaters in my FW tank.

[new2salt]

I have a Sailfin Molly in my 50g SW tank.
Mollies are a brackish water fish in the wild, living in river estuaries and tidal areas. They are much hardier in brackish or salt water environments.

I purchased mine 3 months ago from AV it was already acclimated to SW.
Used this fish instead of any other hardy fish to cycle a new tank.

How long is the acclimation supposed to take?
How much do you increase the SG per hour or per day?

[dan2x38]

How long is the acclimation supposed to take?
How much do you increase the SG per hour or per day?

Great questions I have no idea?

I dripped mine for almost 6 hours then added him to teh tank. So far he is doing well but I am not sure he likes the current that much. Maybe he will get more use to that and come out more. I saw him picking at the glass where he is hanging out and he is eating fine so far so good see how it goes day by day.

[Rybren]

If you're interested, you can also acclimate Bumblebee Gobies to salt water.  There's a fellow on RC - PaulB - who's had some in his tank off and on for years.  I tried a few in my old 30G tank - they lasted a few months and I'm pretty sure that my Coral-Banded-Shrimp had them for a snack (these fish are very small - 1/2" or so and the CBS was killing everything that he could catch)

I acclimated them by doing a slow drip from my tank to a holding container over a 7 or 8 hr period.  I've read that Mollies can be brought over much more quickly.

[az]

fw bumblee goby is really cute, I have to try this.

[Rybren]

They'd look good in your display, Az.

[dan2x38]

Always loved those little guys but think they would get eaten. I have a piggy blue-pink goby he actually ate a new candy cane pistol shrimp I added... 3 seconds in the tank he sucked him in like spaghetti - gone...  expensive snack for him.... 

[hermitcrab]

You should keep him because you like him.  The amount of food that you need to add to feed the molly probably adds more fertilizer for the algae than the actual algae he eats, on the up side, if you have hair algae it will always be pecking at the detritus that would otherwise accumulate in it.

I have Golden Leopard Mollies kept in SW, all except for the mother were born in SW, she was acclimated using a container with small holes in the bottom, fresh water was added and the container placed in the tank in a low flow area, by the next morning the water had mixed.  This works because the fresh water is lighter than the salt water and "floats" above it.

HermitCrab

Have read about it and seen it plus have been told of many using mollies in there saltwater tank. Was talking with someone who I trust there opinion on things and they told me for some time now they've been keeping a sail fin mollie in there saltwater setup to nibble at any algae build up. I've seen them living a tank and they've been there over 6 months. They are often used to cycle saltwater tanks too. So today I bought a beautiful sail fin for algae control - I do not have an algae issue just a little as per all tanks. I figure easier and cheaper to maintain than a Tang or something similar that you'd have to supplement alage for and a greater scale.

He is acclimating still. I've read take a lot of time to acclimate to the SG of your tank. Is anyone else out there using mollies in there tank? How do you find them for eating algae?

[gvv]

Got 2 females and 1 male black lyra mollies about a year ago. I did acclimation for about 1 hour...
Now my sump is full of fry (getting there through overflow) and fresh snack for everyone in SW tank...

[robt18]

I just take them out of freshwater and throw them straight into salt. Never had a problem!

They do help with the hair algae control for sure.