Sump Mollies

[micki]

I've been reading a thread on RC about a guy raising mollies in his sump and feeding the babies to his tank.  I'm wondering if I could raise some mollies in my 40 gallon that is always full of macro and feed them to my FO tank. I'm sure my panther would love some live food from time to time.    Any one ever done this? 

Here is the thread:  http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=11201626#post11201626 

[Joel]

I use to have a seahorse & pipe fish tank that I fed mollies & guppies to. I had a couple males and several females in a 30 breeder that were acclimated to salt water. I used a couple sponge filters run with an air pump, no gravel and some pvc pieces for hiding places. The nice thing was that if the fry didn't get eaten right away, they would live indefinitely in the seahorse tank until some one got 'em. The mollies sometimes would get too big for the sea horse but the guppies were so small that they got eaten pretty quick. I sometimes used a turkey baster to remove the fry from the tank to transfer them to the seahorse tank. The mollies were great algae eaters too, often wondered how they would do as an algae eater in a reef tank or something. As per feeding them to your panther grouper, the fry would be so small that it might not be interested in them, you may have to grow them out.

[micki]

Hmmm, sound promising?  If nothing was in the tank to eat the babies, they would just grow and then I could just pull the bigger ones out and feed the FO tank correct? 

[Joel]

yup, might take a month or so

[micki]

Cool!  Once they started to reproduce and grow out I should have plenty!  Do you ever get those in?  I think the guy on RC had black and dalmation mollies. He said the swordtails eat their young so I wouldn't want those. 

[Joel]

I have variatus but no mollies, I have some datnoide that I acclimated over to salt water and I am feeding the variautus fry to them until I get them eating frozen foods.

[micki]

I have variatus but no mollies, I have some datnoide that I acclimated over to salt water and I am feeding the variautus fry to them until I get them eating frozen foods.

Ok would you mind speaking english?    are those something that would grow like mollies and work with what I'm wanting to do?

[Joel]

Variatus are cheap, colorful live bearers similar to platties.


Datnoid;

http://www.geocities.com/illegalfish/Siamesegallery.html

[micki]

Ok thats better!   



If I get some mollies, How long should I drip acclimate them? 

[Joel]

If they are in full fresh water, I'd do several hours, 4-6 or so.

[micki]

Ok, I may think about trying it!

[reefman]

I have never bought into this feeding freshwater creatures to saltwater creatures

[MechanicalEngineer]

I believe Mollies are technically brackish water, so Reefman, I don't think they count as feeding freshwater fish to saltwater fish.  I mean, mangroves are brackish, but lots of people in the saltwater aquarium world have them.  I've got a friend keeping mollies in his reef tank. 

I believe the whole point of the thread was because Mollies are fast breeders, like guppies, but for saltwater. 

Sorry if I misinterpreted your post.  Mine wasn't meant to be rude at all...just FYI. 

Nikki   

[Secondgen]

I have tried acclimating mollies to full saltwater with no luck. They are supposed to be really good hair algae eaters. I even did the whole 4 hour drip acclimation deal only to find them floating dead in the tank the next day. I think it has alot to do with the quality of fish that you start with though. I was trying to use fish from Walmart, and Jack's. Good luck to ya Micki, maybe if you are successful with this I could buy a couple from you?

[micki]

Nikki is correct, they are brackish fish. In fact I've read that even if keeping mollies for freshwater you should add salt to their tank.  Besides, if they are born and raised in salt water wouldn't that make them a fully salt water fish?    I may try to get some from live aquaria and see what happens.  I just think it would be a nice suppliment for my FO tank. 

Dave if I can get it to work you are more than welcome to get some!  In fact, if you are starting a sea horse tank they would be perfect to have in with the ponies!  As they have babies your ponies will get a nice treat and they won't even have to work hard for it! 

[Secondgen]

Sounds good.