Why can't I keep Mollies?

[Alan Russell]

I hope this is the right place to post this.

I can't keep fancy mollies in my tank. Every other fish I have put in there does great except for neon tetras and mollies. I gave up on the neon awhile back, but what's up with the mollies? I have sail fin mollies that seem to be thriving. I keep my tank ph at 7. I know mollies prefer 7.5 to 8.5. Would .5 make that much of a difference that everytime I add a Fancy Molly it does well for 3-4 weeks them just gets to where it wants to just sit on the bottom. A few days after that starts, they die.
Anyone have any ideas?

 

[benzjamin13]

What do you have in your tank? What kind of Mollies are you trying to keep?

 

[johnuskglass]

Mollies like more salt than many other fish. That said, they do fine most of the time in fresh water. Do you do water changes/over feed? Might also be stressed out if there's not a lot of space. Mollies like other fish will adjust to different PH's. Might also just have gotten some bad batches of Mollies - do you buy them all from the same place?

 

[Alan Russell]

What do you have in your tank? What kind of Mollies are you trying to keep?

It's a 75g. 1 clown pleco 5 tiger barbs, 3 albino tiger barbs, 2 blue rams, 2 cory cats, 2 sail fin mollies, 6 red eyed tetra, 3 phantom tetra, 3 black skirt tetra, 2 neon tetra (left), 1 rosy barb, 3 sarpe tetra, 4 giant danios, 2 2" kissing gourami, 1 2" angel fish.

Mollies like more salt than many other fish. That said, they do fine most of the time in fresh water. Do you do water changes/over feed? Might also be stressed out if there's not a lot of space. Mollies like other fish will adjust to different PH's. Might also just have gotten some bad batches of Mollies - do you buy them all from the same place?

Yes I do weekily water changes. My water in that tank is crystal clear a perfect ph7, Am 0, N2 0, N3 0. No I have bought them from 3 different lfs.

 

[benzjamin13]

If you're trying to keep Black Mollies, I've heard that the gene isn't perfected and they usually have some kind of cancer that they develop and usually dies a lot more easily than other Mollies. While Mollies do prefer salt in their water, I didn't have too much of an issue without it. And Balloon Mollies have a hard time swimming and may not be able to get their fair share of food or escape bullying fish like a Tiger Barb or a Gourami.

 

[Knowdafish]

Mollies are EXTREMELY sensitive to ammonia. How often do you do water changes??!!
This goes for Neon Tetras too! What is your water temp? Hardness? Ammonia? Nitrite? Nitrate?

 

[gavigan1]

You forgot to mention salt? Mollies need salt brother. People use them to cycle in marine aquariums. Live bearers are more prone to disease. tra adding aquarium salt with water changes.

 

[Alan Russell]

Mollies are EXTREMELY sensitive to ammonia. How often do you do water changes??!!
This goes for Neon Tetras too! What is your water temp? Hardness? Ammonia? Nitrite? Nitrate?

Read the thread.

It's a 75g. 1 clown pleco 5 tiger barbs, 3 albino tiger barbs, 2 blue rams, 2 cory cats, 2 sail fin mollies, 6 red eyed tetra, 3 phantom tetra, 3 black skirt tetra, 2 neon tetra (left), 1 rosy barb, 3 sarpe tetra, 4 giant danios, 2 2" kissing gourami, 1 2" angel fish.



Yes I do weekily water changes. My water in that tank is crystal clear a perfect ph7, Am 0, N2 0, N3 0. No I have bought them from 3 different lfs.

You forgot to mention salt? Mollies need salt brother. People use them to cycle in marine aquariums. Live bearers are more prone to disease. tra adding aquarium salt with water changes.

Thanks Hulk. I do add salt every week when I do a water change. i add the perscribed dose (on the salt box) for the water i replace.

 

[vinman]

I set up a 55 about 3 months ago was going to use it for fry . I got a 75 gal off someone for free so I'm going use this tank for breeding untill I set up the 75 gal. I have a bunch orange sailfin mollies in with my Malawi cichlids . I thought you guys might injoy the pics.

These are pic's of my Mollies trying to breed with my africans

 

[sterling_mcdaniel]

^^^^That is a first!!