Saltwater Mollies

coralfever · #1 02/26/2007, 11:11 PM

Does anyone have any experience with saltwater mollies? I have 4 (1 male 3 females) in a 12g nano. All 3 females are pregnant, I would like to try and raise them if it is not to much trouble. If not could I use them for feeders for the reef tank? Do they have any nutritional value?
Thanks
Dave

dmarie120 · #2 02/27/2007, 06:00 AM

You'll need to eventually upgrade the size of your tank. After the female gives birth, pull the babies out or put them into a breeding basket, as they will get eaten. They're no trouble at all to raise, and you can use them for feeders, but I'm not sure that they have all that much nutritional value. I keep mine in my refugium and have for years.

Dragon68 · #3 02/27/2007, 06:24 AM

I feed mine marine flake food.I was told that would help gut fill them with some of the nutritional stuff they need for feeders.

ShiftNation · #4 02/27/2007, 11:01 AM

If you feed them good healthy food they will be very nutrional feeders for anything . Ive heard from ppl that theyve even seen LPS consume small fry .

coralfever · #5 02/27/2007, 09:03 PM

thanks for the info, I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

saltman123 · #6 03/02/2007, 11:49 PM

I've bred them way back in freshwater tanks. I always knew they liked the water a little brackish, but never completely salt. I read a good thread on this last week.....

ez1ez · #7 03/03/2007, 12:36 AM

They make great feeders for reef tanks... When watched the babies be eaten by anenomes, ricordea, brains and all the salt water fish. If you have a large supply of macro algea the babies will hide in it. Make sure you have a cover on your tank the mollies will jump out of the tank. good luck

wentreefgirl · #8 03/05/2007, 10:18 PM

Put a clump of chaeto in the center. I have one male black, one orange female and 4 babies. About 3/4 of an inch long now. Theyll do fine.