CA2OR Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I am looking for molly's. I know they are normally a fresh water fish but I have been told that they are brakish. So I would like to get some. I would like a pair of adults, pref male and female, and or some babies. I do not care what color they are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 They sell mollies at every freshwater pet store in town. try one of those. Oh and at Wlmart also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 are you planning on using them for live feed or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Eric, for freshwater/brackish fish I recommend World of Wet Pets. They are just across Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy from Aquaticus, then down the road a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill V. Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 World of Wet Pets is a good close one. If ya don't mind driving I would recommend The Wet Spot in Portland. They have a great selection. When I had my freshwater tank up I would buy from them because of the selection they had. Good prices too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Shall be heading down there. Yes I am using for feeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 My goal is to raise to feed Lionfish. I was just hoping to buy someone's vs give money to store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Ive known Eric Rassmusen (owner of WWP) for YEARS. Hes a great guy. He usually keeps some mollies in saltwater I would recommend those, since the babies are difficult to change their environment. I have found that P. latipinna (Texas sailfin mollie), and thier hybrids do better than P. velifera (Giant sailfin mollie), when adapting to saltwater. Stay away from P. petenensis/P. kykysis, this species is rare in the hobby, but you never know. This is the only true freshwater sailfin mollie. Hybrid shortfin mollies, generally do ok in hard fresh, or brackish water, but dont do so well in a strictly marine environement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Reef Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 World of Wet Pets is a good close one. If ya don't mind driving I would recommend The Wet Spot in Portland. They have a great selection. When I had my freshwater tank up I would buy from them because of the selection they had. Good prices too. Yeah, the Wet Spot IS AMAZING if you like freshwater fish. It's definitely worth the drive. Ricky Soutas Jr. -Soutas Saltwater & Reef Inc.- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 In my first reef tank I kept a few mollys that I used to get thing rolling in the system. They did wonderfully and in fact were pretty sweet looking fish. The problem that I ran into with them in a reef is that they shoot out little buggers all the time. At the time I had no use for them and would net them out and take them down to the LFS. About 9 months after the last mollys were out of my tank, I had to take the tank down to move it from Corvallis to Salem. To my suprise one of the babys had been down in my sump living for the entire time!!! I decided that this little guy would come with me up to Salem since he had done so well for so long just crammed down in my sump. He lived for a while in my 210g tank along with all of the normal saltwater reef critters. One day I found him dried up behind the tank. Pretty cool fish for being a mainly freshwater fish. From my understanding some mollys are found in waters with a salinity of around 1.030-1.032. Intersting critters for sure and definately would make for some nice live food since they proliferate like nuts! Garrett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 That is kinda what I am hoping happens in my tank. My lionfish and anemone wont mind babies all the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 That is kinda what I am hoping happens in my tank. My lionfish and anemone wont mind babies all the time Just watch your nutrient levels. Those little buggers excrete and deficate alot!(which is why I removed them) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 oh....right. Hmm....ok. Maybe I set them up in salt 10g by themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 oh....right. Hmm....ok. Maybe I set them up in salt 10g by themselves. You could definately do that. I would go with a 29g because they can get to be a decent size and will tend to produce more if they have a bit more room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 got it. Plus my purple tang will most likely beat them to death as he seems to like doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 You could definately do that. I would go with a 29g because they can get to be a decent size and will tend to produce more if they have a bit more room. Yeah and you need to provide plenty of places for babies to hide in. Poeciliids in general, and especially the Genus/Subgenus Poecilia/Mollensia are very proficient at eating their own young as soon as they are born. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 that is point though...I don't want babies to hide. I want lionfish to hide them in his mouth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Yeah, but your lionfish cant them, if mommy gets them first. DOH! There is a Genus called Gambusia, I did my first paper in college on these fish, and have studied them alot. I have seen G. affinis, and G. holbrooki females literally give birth, and turn around and eat the baby. I've never seen a Poecilia/Mollensia do it that fast, but you get the idea. that is point though...I don't want babies to hide. I want lionfish to hide them in his mouth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Chaeto would make a natural "spawning grass" for the Molly fry to hang in. The loin could pick them off as he spotted them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Chaeto would make a natural "spawning grass" for the Molly fry to hang in. The loin could pick them off as he spotted them. Thats a great idea John. If I remember right (scratch), Lionfish aren't ambush hunters. They are "surprisers". That is they present the impression of "dont mind me, Im just swimming by(whistle)" them SURPRISE your in my tummy DOH!. I find that Family of fish (Scorpaenidae), scientifically boring, so I haven't done much studying on it. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Thats a great idea John. If I remember right (scratch), Lionfish aren't ambush hunters. They are "surprisers". That is they present the impression of "dont mind me, Im just swimming by(whistle)" them SURPRISE your in my tummy DOH!. I find that Family of fish (Scorpaenidae), scientifically boring, so I haven't done much studying on it. Sorry. Molly fry(fish)>>>:eek:...Lionfish>>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 [language filter] now I want to breed some mollys! lol. I love chaeto and what a great use for it. (laugh) Excellent suggestions guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 ok....so to get final answer here before I go do this tomorrow. Should I buy 2 and put into main tank, or seperate tank? Is there a way to tell male and female to ensure pair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 ok....so to get final answer here before I go do this tomorrow. Should I buy 2 and put into main tank' date=' or seperate tank? Is there a way to tell male and female to ensure pair?[/quote'] Depending on how large your lionfish is, will rule whether adult mollies can be kept in main tank or not. Top photo is a female Peocilia latipinna - small dorsal fin, fan shaped anal fin, more pronounced belly. http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/poecilia%20latipinna.htm Lower photo is a male P. latipinna - higher, much larger dorsal fin, anal fin elongated and modified, as in most livebearers, forming gonopodium for transference of sperm. With mollies, much better to have ratio 2 females to 1 male to avoid constant chasing of either female by the male. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krux Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 mollies are dirt cheap and easy to breed. I find breeder boxes in 10 gallon tanks work great. As soon as most of the babies pop out, I move the females out of the box and into the main tank. made great cheap food for my frogfish... would do about 2 weeks of mollies, then a week of green chromis, then back to mollies... significantly cut down on the food bills. examples here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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